DRIVETIME MAHATMA

Rush-hour cars steal green light

— Dear Mahatma: In the mornings I go east on Cantrell and wait for westbound traffic traveling onto Rodney Parham from Cantrell.

This is fine, except for the three or four cars that blatantly run that light after mine turns green. Has the Little Rock Police Department ever considered putting a patrol car there? It’s a safety issue. For another, the city would receive enough in fines to more than pay for that officer’s time. - Ruggedly Handsome.

Dear Rug: It’s good to meet a man who overflows with self-esteem. Or hubris.

Your question was posed to Lt. Terry Hastings. He speaks for the Little Rock Police Department and says there are several similar intersections that could use enforcement.

But with the police force down 50 officers, rush hour is already busy with traffic accidents and other calls.

The city’s residents recently voted to increase the sales tax. When the Police Department builds up the force, traffic enforcement will be greatly enhanced, Hastings said.

Meanwhile, a traffic problem such as this can be reported to Special Operations at (501) 918-5100.

Dear Mahatma: Everybody knows somebody who’s been in a traffic accident with an uninsured driver.

Aren’t drivers supposed to be insured? How many uninsured drivers are out there? - Quite Concerned.

Dear Quite: Arkansas Code 27022-104, “Insurance Required - Minimum Coverage,” says yes. Drivers have to have a minimum level of insurance coverage, and must keep proof of coverage in their cars.

Minimum means not less than $25,000 for bodily injury or death on one person in any one accident;

not less than $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more persons in any one accident; and, not less than $25,000 for destruction of property of others in any one accident.

Not everybody follows the rules. We asked Mike Munns, an assistant revenue commissioner in the Department of Finance and Administration if the agency had a handle on the number of uninsured drivers. He first forwarded some information from the Insurance Research Council, which did a national study on the topic. The study indicated that 13.8 percent of motorists were uninsured in 2009. Munns said his department’s data showed the figure for Arkansas to be 15 percent, while the council’s study pegged Arkansas at 16 percent.

The council’s study showed the worst states to be Mississippi (28 percent uninsured), New Mexico (26 percent), Tennessee (24 percent), Oklahoma (24 percent) and Florida (24 percent).

Best states: Massachusetts and Maine (4.5 percent uninsured), New York (5 percent), Pennsylvania (7 percent) and Vermont (7 percent).

Munns added that the percentage of uninsured drivers tends to rise in difficult economic times, and dips in good economic times.

Mahatma@arkansasonline.

com

Arkansas, Pages 11 on 10/29/2011

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