NORFOLK, Va. - People registering their vehicles would be required to have auto insurance if a bill being considered in the General Assembly becomes law.
SB951 would eliminate the option of drivers without insurance registering their vehicles by paying a $500 fee called the Virginia Uninsured Motor Vehicle fee.
The bill appears to be on the way to Gov. Youngkin's desk as it passed in the House of Delegates Tuesday. It had previously passed in the Senate.
"For whatever reason many years ago, the General Assembly created a $500 fee for the alternative to buying insurance," said Sen. Frank Ruff (R-Mecklenburg), the bill's patron. "There is no value for anyone in allowing this."
During testimony for the bill, DMV Acting Commissioner Linda Ford told lawmakers just over 5,000 people paid the fee last year. She also cited a study from 2018 that says nearly 10-percent of people drive without insurance.
News 3 spoke with drivers who've been hit by drivers who didn't have insurance. "It's frustrating for sure," said Jonathan Morris.
Morris said he had just picked his kids up from school recently in Portsmouth when a driver ran a red light and crashed into his car.
Luckily, no one was hurt, but he said neither the driver nor the owner of the car had insurance. "I personally believe you should not be able to register a vehicle without having some proof of insurance," Morris said. "It happens more frequently than I was aware of."
In Morris's case, his insurance did cover expenses, but that's not always the case for everyone.
"At present, the process is currently a frustrating one and the frustration has grown with time," said Griffin O'Hanlon, a partner at Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers.
O'Hanlon says while many people have insurance that's supposed to cover them if they're hit by an uninsured driver, it can lead to a back and forth with insurance companies over who will pay.
"It creates an extensive delay for them where they are left getting the short end of the stick when they've done nothing wrong," said O'Hanlon, who added he believes the bill is a step in the right direction.
If the bill is signed into law, the DMV would require insurance beginning July 1, 2024.
