Oregon senators have given their approval to a bill that eliminates a number of the obstacles faced by emerging community car sharing programs, in an effort that would appear to be designed to increase participation in this environmentally friendly activity.
The House Bill 3149 was approved in a 25-3 vote. This bill was designed to set the personal vehicle sharing program standards. It has added the necessity for these programs to provide motor vehicle liability insurance, and should injury or loss occur during a time when the vehicle is being used within the terms of the program, the program must assume liability.
Under the current regulations, if someone is driving another person’s car and becomes involved in a collision, it is the insurance rates of the vehicle’s owner that will rise. However, as a result of the House Bill 3149, in the case of a vehicle collision the car sharing program will be able to assume the liability on behalf of the vehicle’s owner as it will, for all intents and purposes, be considered to be the owner of the vehicle during those times of use.
Moreover, at times that a vehicle is used within one of the personal vehicle sharing programs, this bill will stop insurance companies from being able to cancel the personal vehicle policy of an owner or deem the private passenger vehicle a commercial vehicle.
The House will now need to review the HB 3149 so that the Senate’s amendments can be reviewed.
