A new statewide database system is set to help law enforcers catch uninsured drivers during routine traffic stops and inspections. The system, called TexasSure, can readily be accessed by any local officer or highway trooper to check on the insurance status of drivers pulled over.

Drivers found not to be uninsured can then issued a fine ranging upwards to $350 almost immediately.

State officials estimate that some 4 million Texas motorists do not carry insurance. That would amount to roughly 20 percent – or one out of every five – of the total number of drivers in the state. Worse, these suspected drivers do not even carry the minimum liability mandated by law.

The program was tested on a pilot period and came online only last October. Read the rest of this entry »

The high-revving ranks among the great automobiles in history for enthusiasts on a budget. Today’s car maintains its fine balance of simplicity and fun, but as more competitors appear boasting similar capabilities and more power, something more is needed.

The car hopefully will get that something more in 2011 when the 2012 model arrives. Judging from these spy photos, not much has changed in the style department—the wedge-shaped body still looks like it’s waiting to be crammed behind the 12-foot tire of a Caterpillar quarry hauler to keep it from rolling when parked on a hill. As with the current Civic Si, this prototype rolls on big wheels and low-profile tires, sporting a pair of bolstered bucket seats up front, and wears a chrome exhaust tip out back. Read the rest of this entry »