2013 Oregon Driver Manual - Oregon Department of Transportation

Unattended Vehicles
If you hit an unoccupied vehicle, try to fi nd the owner. If you cannot
fi nd the owner, leave a note that identifi es you as the person who hit the
unattended vehicle and how to contact you. By law you are required to
write your name and address on the note, along with a brief description of
what happened. If you damage property other than a motor vehicle, you
also must try to fi nd the owner or someone in charge to report the damage.
Mandatory Insurance
Nationwide, uninsured drivers cause millions of dollars in damage
each year. This includes not only damage to the vehicles involved, but
also medical care needed for those people who are injured or killed in
those crashes.
Oregon law requires every driver to insure their vehicles by at least
these minimum amounts:
• Bodily Injury and Property Damage
$25,000 per person; $50,000 per accident for bodily injury to others;
and $20,000 per accident for damage to the property of others.
Oregon law also requires every motor vehicle liability policy to provide:
• Personal Injury Protection
$15,000 per person for reasonable and necessary expenses one year
after an accident, for medical, dental, and other services needed due to
the accident. Motorcycles are excluded.
• Uninsured Motorist Coverage
$25,000 per person; $50,000 per accident for bodily injury.
Driving without liability insurance could result in fi nes, suspension of
your driving privileges, and in some areas your vehicle could be towed. If
your vehicle is towed, you are also subject to towing and storage fees.
When you purchase a vehicle, contact your insurance company before
you drive it anywhere.
Ensuring Compliance
Insurance companies are required by law to report to DMV when they
issue a new policy or when a person or the insurer cancels or fails to
renew a policy. This information is accessible to law enforcement offi cers
and may be used as reasonable grounds to believe a person is driving an
uninsured vehicle. You are required by law to carry insurance information
in your vehicle as proof that you have insurance.
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