Rhode Island Plans Crackdown on Uninsured Drivers

Rhode Island officials are planning a crackdown on drivers whose vehicles aren’t insured.

Lawmakers have sent a bill to Gov. Lincoln Chafee that would create a system of warnings and fines for uninsured motorists.

The Providence Journal reports the proposal also calls for hiring a private contractor to help officials identify and locate uninsured vehicles and suspend those vehicles’ registrations.

Drivers whose vehicles have been uninsured for at least three months would be required to provide proof of insurance. If they don’t provide the proof within two 15-day warning periods, their vehicle registrations would be revoked and they would have to pay a $250 fee to get the registrations reinstated.

State officials estimate that 15 to 18 percent of the 950,000 registered vehicles in Rhode Island are uninsured.