New Jersey has just become the latest among many states to approve electronic proof of coverage.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has recently signed A-3905/S-2680 into law, allowing the state to join into one of the fastest growing insurance trends in which consumers will be allowed to display a proof of their coverage over a mobile device screen in addition to the traditional paper format. This provides only one more reason that the smartphone has become a more central part of the lives of the average American.
It will now be legal for drivers in New Jersey to use their smartphones as their auto insurance cards.
At the same time that smartphones are being used for alarm clocks and communication, as address books, for entertainment, as digital wallets, and even as flashlights, they will also be playing an important role in the most recent insurance trends by acting as proof of coverage cards.
This means that if a driver is pulled over by a police officer, or if proof of auto insurance coverage needs to be displayed to renew a vehicle license, or even if this proof needs to be shown in court, a police officer, judge, or other official will be able to accept the information displayed on the screen of a device such as s smartphone or tablet. That said, it does not entitle those individuals to access any other contents of the gadgets.
These insurance trends are rapidly turning smartphones into must-have devices like a refrigerator.
Just as nearly every home in the country is equipped with a refrigerator – an appliance that managed to take off exceptionally rapidly, despite the fact that it was essentially introduced to the mainstream public during the Great Depression, smartphones and the best battery banks are also taking off at an explosive rate. The vast majority of American adults currently carry a smartphone and it is making a notable impact in many different markets, including the insurance industry.
Insurance companies are finding that they not only need to start selling over mobile and provide support over these gadgets, but now the laws of 37 states say that they can provide their customers with proof of coverage over those devices, too.
These insurance trends reflect the direction that is being taken in many industries, from financial to retail, as smartphones rapidly become the next technology to make it into nearly every American household.
