Hamilton County Clerk, Bill KnowlesAs Tennessee’s state Legislature pursues better ways to enforce vehicle insurance laws, Hamilton County’s clerk is pushing for the state to adopt a database that would keep tabs on drivers’ insurance coverage.
State financial responsibility laws require drivers to carry liability insurance, but the law is essentially based on an “honor system,” only enforced when motorists are stopped by law enforcement or involved in an accident.
Tightening the law’s enforcement has been a perennial debate among state lawmakers hoping to cut down on uninsured drivers. Several plans could require drivers to show proof of their insurance before receiving their titles at the county clerk’s office — a process Hamilton County Clerk Bill Knowles said could be a major burden for the office to take on, crippling the offices’ mail and Internet services.
“We’re on the front lines here,” said Knowles. “The [lawmakers] are trying to do what’s best, but they don’t always understand what we on the front lines have to cope with. I just want to suggest a workable plan.”
Knowles has been working with local lawmakers to deal with the issue for several years. But at a meeting with legislators earlier this month, he again pressed for a more digital-age solution: A state-run electronic database clerks can check before titling a vehicle.