Insurers Seek Uniform VIN System

Adoption of a uniform numbering system for automobiles would greatly improve the insurance industry’s ability to accurately report stolen cars, identify vehicles operating without liability insurance and conduct safety research, an industry spokesman told the Maryland Department of Transportation.

Donald W. Segraves, vice president of the American Mutual Insurance Alliance, testified that “the present hodge-podge of VIN systems used by various vehicle manufacturers makes it impossible to record and code VINs accurately and process them efficiently.”

Segraves said a uniform standard is needed because law en­forcement agencies, safety researchers and insurance agents typically encounter errors in 20-to-40-percent of VIN checks recorded under field conditions.