When Out-of-Towners Crash, Cities Want Cash

Resulting from high numbers of car accidents involving people from out of town, cities across the country are adopting measures that charge drivers and their insurance companies for the city services performed at crash sites.

1 minute read

January 31, 2008, 7:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg


"A growing number of cash-strapped communities large and small are billing at-fault out-of-town drivers and their insurance companies to recoup some of the cost of responding to and clearing accidents outside drivers cause."

"The practice of billing out-of-towners has raised the ire of drivers and insurance companies and a few communities have rescinded their ordinances. But accident fees for out-of-town drivers are still gaining popularity. During the past three years municipalities in at least 15 states - including Michigan, Kentucky, Florida, Wisconsin and North Carolina - have passed ordinances requiring at-fault drivers to pay up."

"Across the Ohio River from New Richmond in Erlanger, Ky. - a city where four major highways intersect and where 82% of accidents last year involved out-of-town drivers - city leaders expect to generate $100,000 with their ordinance. They bill at-fault drivers $14 for the first 30 minutes an officer is on scene and $7 for every 15 minutes thereafter."

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 in USA Today

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