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Written by: Shelly Campbell

Category: News

Published: 01 January 2022

Hits: 375

Did you know that the police have cameras and programs installed in their onboard computers to automatically read your license plate number in the Portland metropolitan and other Oregon areas? This program tells them everything about your car and if you have insurance.

The system is called ALPR (Automatic License Plate Reader). Information includes who is the registered owner, whether the vehicle is stolen, and if you have car insurance. They can match up the other licensed drivers in your household against the list of authorized drivers reported on your auto insurance policy. When a police officer drives behind you or past a parked vehicle, this information pops up on their screen. If the car is reported stolen, it is flagged. They will probably stop you to investigate and make an arrest. There are other non-insurance-related uses on the state and federal systems. The list is quite extensive and is now used worldwide.

For some time, we have been writing about the typical driving violation stop where the police officer asks for your proof of car insurance, license, and registration. Now that officer is just giving you a chance to prove you just got car insurance, and it isn’t in the system yet. Remember, you are still required to carry proof of insurance, either electronic or paper. That is still the law. Why? So, you’ll have something to show the other driver should you crash into them.