Car hit while parked with no insurance

[justalayman]

And it certainly does in New Mexico. In fact we tended to rely on being able to access the MVD database from our patrol cars. We only had to have a vehicle displaying a valid plate and unexpired tag, there was no requirement to have liability insurance unless it was being driven.

That does appear to be how your statutes are written. In my state and at least a few others, any registered vehicle must have insurance, even if it isn’t being driven. If you drop your insurance you have to cancel your registration or risk penalties.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

It would require a link between what the police can access immediately and the registration and insurance records. In my state, the record of insurance is not immediately available for all vehicles and what is available is not necessarily accurate. If it was available in all states and accurate, there would be no reason for a cop to ever ask for proof of insurance. When stopping a car.

In most states, there is both a requirement to have insurance and a requirement to have proof of insurance.

I know in AR, LA & TX that some officers including the various flavors of State Troopers know when cars registered in those states have insurance.

 

[NeilTheCop]

That does appear to be how your statutes are written. In my state and at least a few others, any registered vehicle must have insurance, even if it isn’t being driven. If you drop your insurance you have to cancel your registration or risk penalties.

We are a little backwards out here in the boonies

 

[Helpinhawaii]

Thank you very much for helping me I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I can’t afford a lawyer. I will file a claim in the small court on Monday and keep you updated

 

[HighwayMan]

It's something NY does right - a registration is suspended immediately upon a cancellation or lapse in insurance. Then you're making yourself a target for every ALPR around.

 

[Zigner]

So in theory the police can drive round and run the plate of every parked car and if it shows as no insurance they can write a ticket?
Doesn't seem quite right.

Not sure what wouldn't seem right. If the car is to be insured in order to be on the street, then it can be ticketed if it's not insured.

 

[HighwayMan]

Not sure about other states but there is recent case law in NY that states that the police don't need probable cause or even reasonable suspicion to run registrations - we can just drive around all day randomly (or not so randomly) running plates. If I find a a vehicle parked on a "public highway" with no insurance then it's impounded.

I would think that's not necessarily unique to NY.

 

[NeilTheCop]

Was never an issue in New Mexico because it fell under the plain view doctrine.