Driving without insurance maybe tougher soon in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A driver's chances of being hit by an uninsured motorist in Alabama may go down after Jan. 1. That is when a new system will start verifying within a few seconds whether a motorist is abiding by Alabama's law requiring liability insurance. County license plate offices will verify insurance information when issuing or renewing car tags. Police will do it when they stop cars for traffic offenses. And the state Revenue Department will do random computer checks. The new system is the result of a law passed by the Legislature in 2011 to crack down on the estimated 22 percent of Alabama vehicles that don't have insurance. Revenue Commissioner Julie Magee says she hopes to get the rate below 10 percent.