NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Starting Wednesday drivers will face higher penalties if police catch them driving without auto insurance.
It's part of a law that could eventually lead to police towing away vehicles without enough insurance coverage.
Lawmakers say one out of every five vehicles on the road is not insured, and that's the reason behind this strict law taking effect.
As the law stands now, if you're caught without proof of insurance, you're fined $100, but starting tomorrow that fine triples to $300.
In six months, police officers will have the right to tow a vehicle at their discretion if it doesn't have the state minimum auto insurance coverage.
The fines will eventually help pay for a database to allow officers to verify on scene whether a car or truck has the proper insurance.
AAA Nashville says tougher enforcement will likely result in more cars getting insured.
“By taking the first step and moving the fee from $100 to $300, that's the introduction to say ‘this is going to be important.’,” said Glenn McLendon with AAA.
We spoke with Metro Police who said right now they don't have a plan to enforce the towing policy when it becomes active in six months.
They said that could change, but if it does, towing would likely only happen after several warnings.
