As reported in The Post and Courier, insurance companies, starting Sept. 15, were required to send the names of canceled policyholders, via computer, to the DMV. That process will help law-enforcement officials apprehend more of the unacceptably high number of uninsured drivers in our state.

Rep. Bob Walker, R-Spartanburg, who brings expertise to this issue as an independent insurance agent, serves on a seven-member panel that set up the electronic database mandated by the General Assembly in 2002. Rep. Walker told our reporter that the new system should help our state lower its number of uninsured drivers toward a rate more in line with neighboring states, explaining:

"North Carolina is so far ahead of us because they have had a system in place for years and now have something less than 5 percent of motorists who are uninsured. The latest figures out of South Carolina show we're in excess of 25 percent."

That percentage is so high now because the state has failed to provide effective deterrents against uninsured driving. One common dodge those drivers use is to purchase insurance, receive their card verifying coverage, then cancel the policy while still using the card as "proof" of coverage.

Getting away with that apparently isn't going to be nearly as easy anymore. A series of fines, including a $200 fee for reinstating auto registration revoked by failure to obtain insurance, should send an overdue message to the uninsured.

Some kinks must be worked out of the new system. Some drivers who canceled policies have received warning letters despite securing new coverage. But that "false hits" problem sounds correctable. Dean Kruger, chief actuary for the S.C. Department of Insurance, told our reporter: "We're working toward clearing up any glitches that pop up."

And this crackdown should eventually save insured drivers some money. The decline in uninsured drivers should be accompanied by a decline in the extra expense they impose upon insured drivers.

The savings won't be limited to dollars. An abundance of uninsured drivers -- some of them lacking insurance because of bad driving records -- also increases the dangers of traveling on our roads.

So if you aren't insured to drive, don't. If you are insured to drive, celebrate the state's commitment to finally reducing the ranks of uninsured drivers.

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