Motorists could soon be displaying their liability coverage cards on their smartphones.
Drivers in Mississippi may soon be allowed to use their smartphones and other types of electronic device to be able to show their proof of auto insurance, should a new legislative bill be passed.
Motorists will be able to display the liability insurance cards on the screens of their mobile devices.
If the bill should pass, it will mean that even if motorists have not brought their traditional proof of auto insurance cards with them, it will still be possible to show a digital version of the card on the screen of a mobile device. Both the House and the Senate of Mississippi have passed Senate Bill 2380, but a slight amendment to the bill was made by the House. The Senate will need to give its approval to the new language before it will be possible to move that bill onward to the governor’s desk.
Mississippi will not be the first among the states to make it legal to display digital proof of auto insurance coverage.
The goal is to try to take some of the pressure off the court systems in the state. Many motorists find themselves scrambling to find their liability insurance card if they are pulled over by a police officer. If they cannot do so within a timely manner, they can find themselves facing a ticket for operating a vehicle without proof of adequate coverage. Once they have found their card, they must then attend a court date to prove that the coverage was in place on the date that they received the ticket.
If those drivers can simply show that they have a car insurance policy by presenting proof of it on their cell phone screens, then it will stop many of them from having to receive a ticket and go to court in the first place. This will dramatically reduce the cost and time associated with those court dates and will take a great deal of pressure off the legal system in the state.
The digital proof of auto insurance bill was authored by Mississippi Senator Robert Jackson (D-Marks). It says that the insurer that issues a motor vehicle liability policy will now provide the insured individual a proof of coverage card that can now come in either paper or electronic form. Should the bill pass, it will go into effect in July 1.
