Chicago weighs targeting the uninsured

Chicago residents may do well to consider buying cheap auto insurance in light of a proposal aiming to wipe out the city's budget deficit by targeting uninsured motorists.

According to a recent report in the Chicago Sun-Times, city officials are considering a proposal that would use the existing network of traffic light surveillance cameras to scan for uninsured vehicles. When one is spotted, a citation would be automatically generated and sent to the driver.

The newspaper quoted Dr. Jonathan Miller of InsureNet, as saying that the city could generate $200 million annually if not more from the proposal, considering that Illinois law fines uninsured drivers $500 each and Chicago has its own power to impose city fines.

The report also notes that Miller's company would stand to earn a 30 percent collection fee from the proceeds if the plan was adopted. The newspaper also said that nearly a quarter of the nation's vehicles are currently uninsured.

Some of the increase in drivers failing to secure even cheap auto insurance may be attributable to the economy, since reports from other states have noted this trend as well.

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