Groundbreaking Traffic Violation Reporting Tool Available Exclusively to PIA Member Agents

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) today announced the formation of a groundbreaking partnership with Drivers History which promises to change the way agents use motor vehicle reports (MVRs). Through PIA's exclusive partnership with Drivers History, PIA members can access DocIT™, a web-based, proprietary database of driver violation data that is available to agents at a fraction of the cost of a typical MVR.

DocIT contains court-based traffic violation data with a level of detail that is often beyond what is available or shown on the state MVR. Because the data is collected at a point in the legal process far in advance of the eventual transcription to the formal MVR, DocIT reports violations weeks or months earlier than previously available.

"Professional insurance agents pride themselves on being able to choose from multiple carriers when selecting the best fit for individual clients," said PIA National President John G. Lee, CIC, CPIA, LUTCF, of Fredericksburg, Virginia. "The high cost of MVRs in some states makes the cost of quoting auto insurance policies extremely onerous."

DocIT can help agents better understand their clients' driving history early in the sales process, so that agents can often place clients with the right carrier on the first try. Even if the selected carrier doesn't yet accept DocIT in place of the traditional MVR, the agent may only have to purchase one MVR per driver, which can be a big savings over their current practices.

DocIT's easy-to-use web portal reduces agents' reliance on self-reported driving history and helps prompt full disclosure at time of quote. Using DocIT, agents can also discover undisclosed household members who have a violation history and gain knowledge of pending (open) violations, like a recent DUI.

DocIT is already available to PIA members in New Jersey and Connecticut, where the local PIA affiliates in those states first discovered DocIT earlier this year and immediately saw its potential to save time and money for professional insurance agents. Those PIA affiliate associations have been important participants in an industry-wide working group to discuss and evaluate potential workflow solutions to the costly and inefficient process of ordering MVRs, which varies from state to state and carrier to carrier.

"Agents in my home state of New Jersey pay $12 plus additional charges for each MVR," said PIA National Immediate Past President Andrew C. Harris, CIC, CPCU, CRM, ARM, AIS, of Colts Neck, New Jersey. "For us, this amounts to a substantial financial burden as we cover the cost of many of the MVRs we run, not carriers or MGAs. We have used DocIT in my agency for almost a year and have found it invaluable in reducing our cost of underwriting and marketing for both new and renewal business."

"Since the company's founding in 2002, Drivers History has established itself as the leader in providing previously unavailable court traffic violation data to those companies looking for information regarding ratable driving activity that isn't encumbered by the costs or regulations of information sourced from state departments of motor vehicles," said Drivers History's SVP of Sales and Business Development, Brian Wolfson. "When we realized the number of MVRs purchased by many independent insurance agents, we knew DocIT could provide a logical solution."

Through PIA's exclusive partnership with Drivers History, DocIT is only available to agents who are members of PIA. PIA members can access DocIT's traffic violation information for as little as 75¢ per transaction. A one-year subscription is required with a $50/month minimum.

DocIT is currently available in AK, CT, FL, IL, MD, MN, NJ, ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, VA, WI and WY, with plans to be available in AZ and OR before the end of 2013. More states to follow in 2014.

Agents interested in learning more about DocIT should visit PIA's website at www.pianet.com/docit.

Founded in 1931, PIA is a national trade association that represents member insurance agents and their employees who sell and service all kinds of insurance but specialize in coverage of automobiles, homes and businesses. PIA members are Local Agents Serving Main Street America ^SM.PIA's web address is www.pianet.com.

This press release is online at: http://pianet.com/news/press-releases/2013/piapartnersdrivershistoryreducemvr101513

SOURCE National Association of Professional Insurance Agents

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