Yeah, I get the caution, but honestly I've shown a screenshot once when I forgot my card at home. Officer barely glanced at it... guess it depends on who you get and how their day's going. Still, wouldn't push my luck again.
"Officer barely glanced at it... guess it depends on who you get and how their day's going."
Pretty much sums it up. SD does officially accept electronic proof of insurance, so screenshots or apps are technically fine. But yeah, officers vary—a friend once got a ticket even though he showed the app because his phone died halfway through (talk about bad timing...). A quick tip: keep a printed copy tucked away somewhere in your car as backup. It's old-school, but saves headaches if your phone decides to betray you at the worst possible moment.
Yeah, electronic proof is technically fine, but honestly, relying solely on your phone is asking for trouble. I've seen plenty of cases where someone's phone froze or the app wouldn't load right when they needed it. And like you said, some officers just aren't patient enough to wait around while you reboot your device.
One thing I'm curious about though—has anyone here actually contested a ticket they got because their electronic proof wasn't accepted? Wondering how lenient SD courts are with that kind of thing...
I've personally used electronic proof exclusively for years now and never had an issue. I get your point about tech glitches, but honestly, keeping a screenshot handy as backup usually covers it if the app acts up. Courts seem reasonable if you show proof later too...
I've been using electronic proof too, but honestly, I wouldn't rely solely on screenshots. A buddy of mine got pulled over in his '67 Mustang last summer, and his phone battery had died—no backup screenshot could help him there. He ended up having to go through the hassle of proving insurance later at the courthouse. Sure, they were reasonable about it eventually, but it was still a headache he didn't need.
Maybe I'm just old-school, but I still keep a printed copy tucked in my glovebox. Tech is great until it isn't...and I'd rather not gamble when it comes to avoiding unnecessary run-ins with the law. Plus, classic cars seem to attract attention from officers sometimes (not always in a good way), so it's better safe than sorry.
Has anyone else run into issues like this with older vehicles specifically? Seems like newer cars and tech go hand-in-hand, but classics might be a different story altogether.
