I agree with you in that I think proof of insurance is a good thing, to protect me in case I’m in an accident caused by a non-insured motorist.
I lived in North Carolina some time ago (lol…a long, long time ago) The law there was…if your insurance lapsed, they came and took your license plates. Period. I don’t know if that’s the law now, but in the early 70’s. Yep…I learned the hard way…