Tough auto insurance requirements in Oregon have one purpose: To protect the public. As a pedestrian or a passenger, you can be injured by the negligence of a driver or some act of nature. If the driver has car insurance, the injured parties are more likely to have their medical bills covered. Failure to carry insurance puts the you and the rest of the public in danger of not getting needed medical attention or not having the medical bills be covered afterward. This potential loss for the public is considered serious enough that the uninsured driver will be taken off the highway by having his driving privileges suspended.

Although a suspended license doesn't guarantee that a driver will stay out from behind the steering wheel of an automobile, it sends a clear message of the serious consequences of his behavior. The consequences mount even further should he get arrested for driving while suspended.

The State of Oregon can punish the uninsured driver by suspending his drivers license (as mentioned above) or suspend his driving privileges. What is the difference you ask.  Both have the same effect. The former means you once had an Oregon drivers license and now you don't. The latter means you never had a license to begin with but were cited and convicted of some act that got your ability to obtain a license suspended.

Usually, you would get suspended if you are cited and convicted of driving under the influence of some drug or alcohol. Putting others on the highway in danger because you have taken some kind of drug, prescription or otherwise gives the court and DMV the power to suspend your privileges to driving on state roads.

Driving a vehicle after your license or privileges to drive have been suspended carries fines ranging from hundreds to possibly thousands of dollars. Depending on the circumstances, you could even be arrested and spend some time in jail. I recently met a young man who had been cited and convicted of over 20 driving while suspended violations. He was celebrating his last day of freedom as he was going to prison the next day to serve a 28 month sentence. Yes, driving while suspended is that serious.

What are the typical causes for your license to get suspended? Here is a list of some of the causes:

Failure to pay child support

Failure to pay a fine for a previous infraction

Failure to carry insurance

Failure to carry proof of insurance

Failure to keep a policy active with SR22

Too many tickets or accidents (points) in a certain period of time

Even if the car the suspended driver is driving has insurance, it can be impounded by the arresting officer and the car towed. If the car is impounded, another properly licensed driver will have to go pay for a release certificate, towing and storage fee and show proof of coverage. The suspended driver could have the SR22 completion date (the PRU date) extended for three years from the date of the last driving while suspended conviction, regardless of how much time was spent providing SR22 proof to the State of Oregon DMV.

Bottom line. Stay insured. If you are suspended, don't drive. Talk to us at InsureSource Agencies about your options if you are suspended. We will help walk you through the process to get you back on the road.