Automatic tickets for uninsured drivers coming soon as Oklahoma works out license-plate scanner deal [View all]

Oklahoma finalized a deal this week with a company to use license-plate scanners to catch uninsured drivers, and the firm expects to issue an eventual 20,000 citations a month starting as early as next year.

The program, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, involves setting up automated scanners on highways around the state to detect uninsured vehicles and mailing their owners a citation with a fine of $184, according to the District Attorneys Council.

Gatso USA, a Beverly, Massachusetts-based company that specializes in red-light-running and speeding detection systems, will initially get $80, or 43 percent, of each fine. Its cut will decrease to $74 after two years and $68 after five years, according to a contract approved by the state after more than six months of legal review and negotiation.

The company could expect to bring in $1.6 million a month if the 20,000-citations-a-month estimate is accurate.

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state/automatic-tickets-for-uninsured-drivers-coming-soon-as-oklahoma-works/article_d40042f9-74c8-55d0-9d0a-d18154941b87.html