Transportation subcommittee hears insurance horror stories

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Tuesday, Feb. 18, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Nevadans at the subcommittee hearing, chaired by Assemblyman Tom Collins, D-North Las Vegas, said the Department of Motor Vehicles continues to incorrectly suspend the registrations of insured motorists.

The problem is so widespread that Assemblyman John Carpenter, R-Elko, has introduced a measure to temporarily suspend the program.

The DMV has said that the verification program, mandated by the 1995 Legislature, has many glitches due to its sheer size - and to inevitable human error. Each month, the department must match insurance records with registrations on thousands of vehicles.

Last year, such glitches left 6,000 insured Nevadans with cancelled registrations. Each paid $50 to have their registrations reinstated; many are demanding that money back.

The $50 fee is now waived to avoid such problems, but DMV officials say they can't legally return the money collected in 1996 because some of those fines were legitimate.

The DMV also is urging people to double-check their vehicle records to avoid such problems in the future.