The pace of life has sped up so much over the last decade, with the ease of having information at our fingertips at all times; a few places where that has become evident is with airline tickets and now digital proof of insurance. Nowadays, when you get pulled over for a suspected infraction of a traffic law, or have a little fender-bender, you can likely just pull out your smartphone and hand it to the police officer. Digital proof of insurance is now accepted in 42 states, and the rest of the states are probably working through the legislation now. That’s a quick change, since only seven states accepted them just three years ago. So what is all the excitement about? What benefits are there to you with the new digital insurance cards?
Convenience
Having your insurance information readily at hand is wise, and since smartphone usage is at 68 percent of people in the United States, most of us have access to digital proof of insurance instantly. No fumbling through the glove box, only to pull out an expired insurance card that will get you an extra ticket. You have up to date information at your fingertips to share with law enforcement.
Having your insurance information handy will also prove useful when you need to rent a vehicle; simply show the clerk at the rental car or truck establishment your digital card to meet their insurance requirements.
Safety
Another benefit to having digital insurance cards is that it makes it much harder for an identify thief to usurp your information. Almost everyone keeps their paper ID cards in their glove box, and thieves are getting wise to an easy way to find and steal your information; thefts from cars as well as auto thefts are again on the rise, and police suspect this is part of the reason.
Additionally, many of us keep our garage door openers in our cars, and almost no one locks the door to their house from their garage. Imagine that a thief now has your car, your address, and your garage door opener–chances are, neighbors might not even notice. The thief could empty out your jewelry box and other valuables, put your television set and expensive electronics in the trunk of your car and drive away, undetected! Worse, someone that steals your car could be in your house and waiting for you to arrive home, with bad intentions.
Police officers around the country are suggesting that you keep your garage door opener hidden, and these documents out of your glove box; stash them somewhere unexpected in the car (under your seat or in a sunglass holder, perhaps? Of course, another option is to keep your insurance information safely locked up in your handheld personal computer—your smartphone!
Police officers will only be legally allowed to look at the auto insurance information you provide, so there is no need to be squeamish about handing over your phone for a few minutes while he or she checks the information and writes down pertinent details.
If you are technically savvy, you will probably want to adopt digital insurance cards. Keep them in mind when you get an auto insurance quote comparison to make sure that your insurance company offers them and they are easy to setup on your phone and use when needed. For those who are still a little nervous about technology (what if your battery on your phone dies, or you are out of a serviceable area?), you can still use paper ID cards, but keep them in your wallet or hidden out of sight in your car for your own safety.
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