New way the government is watching you: auto insurance surveillance
Aug 26th, 2009 | By Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. | Category: BlogsBy now most everyone is familiar with red-light cameras; the cameras you will sometimes see positioned at intersections on poles several yards high in order to catch drivers running red lights. Whether or not you agree with this method of law enforcement, it is being utilized throughout major intersections in Philadelphia and in some parts of New Jersey. Perhaps soon we will also be subjected to another form of surveillance using these same red-light cameras.
The state of Ohio and City of Chicago, IL, are considering the use of red-light cameras in conjunction with insurance company databases to scan passing traffic for uninsured motorists. The system would check license plates caught on camera to verify that the automobile s insured.
When an uninsured automobile is identified, the owner of the vehicle will receive a letter directing him or her to fix the situation by obtaining proper auto insurance. If the driver does not comply, a fine will be issued.
The penalties for driving without car insurance in both PA & NJ include mandatory driver’s license suspensions. Will PennDot and NJDot start watching us? What’s next?
Sending a ticket to the owner of an uninsured vehicle raises questions of identity for me. Specifically, the problems of proving who was actually driving the car – and showing that they were doing so with the permission of the owner.
These types of operations operate too much like a strict liability system for my comfort.