James Lee Atwood Bill 2015 (uinsured drivers)

Uninsured/suspended drivers in Tennessee

· Tennessee is 6th in the nation in the number of uninsured drivers, with 20 percent of its documented motorists (almost 1 million) uninsured. Mississippi is 3rd, with 23 percent of its drivers uninsured (no driver totals). Source: PropertyCasualty360.com

· Uninsured drivers in Tennessee contribute to 40,000 crashes a year. Source: TN Rep. William Lamberth, (R) Cottontown/Sumner County, TN General Assembly

· 2013: 46,727 Memphis drivers were cited for misdemeanor violation of the Tennessee financial responsibility law (proof of insurance). In 2014, 30,439 were cited. Source: Traffic Violations Bureau, Memphis City Court Clerk's Office

· 2014: 8,059 Memphis drivers were cited for driving on a suspended, revoked or canceled license. 344 have been cited so far in 2015. Source: Memphis Police Department

Proposed legislation in Tennessee (HB606/SB0648)

· Triple the fine for violating TN's financial responsibility (proof of insurance) law from $100 to $300

· Require violators to pay a reinstatement fee on top of the fine once they prove they are gainfully insured

· Revoke registration. The legislation would create a computer system that will randomly check registered vehicles for insurance coverage. If it reveals an uninsured vehicle, the owner will receive a state notice, threatening to revoke the vehicle's registration and giving the owner a deadline to secure insurance.

· Seize the tag/tow the car. Lamberth intends to amend the initial bill in committee to include officers' discretion to seize a vehicle's tag and tow the vehicle when citing a driver for violation of the law.