When you are pulled over for a traffic stop, you may wonder why an officer always asks to see you proof of insurance and registration.
Depending on the precinct and the reason for being pulled over, the officer looks up (or calls in for information) about your plates before getting out of their vehicle. They will then compare that information with that ‘piece of paper’ that every vehicle is required to have. ‘That piece of paper’ is your registration with the state showing that you have paid any fees or fines. If the driver cannot produce this proof, the officer may want to investigate a little further. The vehicle or plates could be stolen, or something similar to this.
In Missouri, we have “limits” of coverage that is required. The term “limit” means the lowest coverage amount that you can carry in order to drive legally.
The state of Missouri requires every driver to maintain a minimum amount of liability insurance in the amounts of (25/50/25). The three splits are on the basis of per person, per accident, and property damage.
Per Person – the amount that will cover any single person that you injure in a vehicle accident. (this does cover multiple people up to the ‘per accident’ limit.)
Per accident – the amount of bodily injuries caused by you that your insurance company will cover for any one accident. If you injure multiple people in one accident, this is the total amount your insurance company will pay.
Property Damage per accident – this refers to the dollar amount that your insurance will cover for damage you caused to another’s property.
Drivers who operate a motor vehicle without proper coverage can face steep penalties, including loss of driving privileges. Some of those penalties include: Four points will be added to your driving record, Monitoring by the MO Dept of Revenue to ensure you obtain cover and suspension of drivers license.
Of course, if you are pulled over while driving without insurance, these penalties apply. If you were to cause an accident without proper coverage, you would be on the line for any and all damages to the other driver(s).
If you find yourself in a pickle with a ticket, Know what to do, Call Tad Morlan!