Drivers say ‘it’s about time’ as July 1 crackdown stops offenders ‘buying their way out’ – proof you need now

Lawmakers have cracked down on car owners as uninsured drivers are no longer allowed on highways starting at the start of the week.

The new Virginia the regulation came into force on Monday, July 1st.

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The bill was intended to ensure that all drivers on the roads of Virginia are riding with insured vehicles was sanctioned last year.

Highway law states that residents can no longer pay a fee to drive without car insurance.

Before the crackdown, Virginians could register as uninsured drivers by paying a $500 annual fee to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the local NBC affiliate. WWBT reported.

Now this is not an option for local drivers.

The news network shared an article about the new law on Facebook to inform the community about the change.

Some residents responded on social media publish with relief.

One user said: “About time!!!”

“I mean why would anyone drive without car insurance in the first place,” another person added.

“Will this make the insurance go down for everyone who took out insurance?” someone asked in the comments.

“Since there will (theoretically) no longer be uninsured drivers.”

Virginia drivers must have car insurance if they want to keep their driver’s license.

“When it comes to a lot of the things we hear, most of the time they’re so expensive that we can’t afford them,” said Mega Insurance Center founder and CEO Tom Brown on why people don’t get insurance.

The DMV has estimated that about 6,000 drivers will have to show proof of insurance now and could risk having their licenses suspended if they don’t.

“It takes a lot of movement to change the overall premium costs for drivers in Virginia, but overall I think it’s the right decision to make,” Brown said.

“And maybe in the future it will influence rates in a better direction if we have people being a little more responsible in maintaining insurance coverage.”

Drivers used to take advantage of the loophole the new law closes to avoid the cost of vehicle insurance, Brown admitted.

He noted that the new law went into effect as car insurance rates increased.

“A vehicle that used to cost $20,000 to repair or replace now costs twice that,” Brown explained.

“So when insurers are faced with repairing vehicles that are now twice as expensive as they were several years ago, they begin to incur large losses,

“There has been a lot of unprofitability in the insurance business in general over the last few years.”

For those who might feel blindsided by the new law, he also gave drivers advice on how to keep insurance costs low.

“Looking at your driving history and driving safely is a key factor in keeping insurance rates low,” Brown emphasized.

“And also buy vehicles that are not high profile and super expensive vehicles. These are two ways to keep rates lower.”

Despite rising insurance premiums due to inflation, policymakers believe that if every driver on the road has insured cars, it will reduce monthly costs.

“It takes a lot of movement to change the overall premium costs for drivers in Virginia,” Brown said.

“I think it’s the right decision to make and maybe in the future it will influence rates in a better direction if we have people being a little more responsible in maintaining insurance coverage.”