Driving without car insurance just got a bit riskier. Why? Across the nation, police is setting up insurance checkpoints at intersections, highway entrances and other well-traveled areas to crack down on uninsured drivers. Similar to sobriety checkpoints, these checks require drivers to provide proof of car insurance, and a valid vehicle registration and driver’s license. How this squares with “probable cause” requirements is for localities and the courts to consider, but drivers in many areas of the country are already beginning to feel the effects.William Mecke, who serves — somewhat ironically — as the communications director for the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, is just one driver who has been caught up in the insurance-stop dragnet. He has been stopped at insurance checkpoints on several occasions, and one costly encounter in Atlanta stands out in his memory.

“I remember that time because I did not have a current insurance card with me,” he explained. “I had four or five older ones but not the current one.”

Dum de-dum dum dum … the police officer ran Mecke’s information through an electronic database, and even though it showed he was currently insured, he received a $42 ticket for failing to produce an insurance card.

Increasing numbers of motorists are uninsured, beyond those who simply don’t have a current insurance card on them. In fact, one in seven motorists drive without car insurance — that’s nearly 15 percent of all drivers nationwide. By next year, the level of uninsured motorists could reach record highs, according to online insurer Best Insurance Match.

Offenders caught driving without car insurance face steep penalties, which may include vehicle seizure, license suspension, fees, misdemeanor charges and jail time. Additionally, insurance companies may consider uninsured drivers may “high risk,” charging them hundreds more per year or rejecting them outright the next time they apply for a policy.

If you are struggling to pay your insurance premium, it’s better to find ways to reduce the cost of the policy than to let it lapse or cancel it altogether.