Local California Jurisdictions Want Accident Victims to Pad their Coffers Drivers beware in California. More and more local governments are attempting to levy a special tax on out-of-towners who are unfortunate enough to be in accidents - regardless of fault. This "accident tax" for emergency response services is in addition to what citizens already pay through local taxes.

These costs are not always covered by insurance, which can leave the accident victim facing a bill. And even when your auto insurance policy pays such taxes, they could result in higher premiums for all drivers.

Accident Response Fee Proposals in Fresno and Modesto The Fresno County Fire Protection District is scheduled to consider an accident tax proposal on March 18. The city of Modesto also is considering an accident tax. These proposals are akin to a speed trap, except the costs can be much greater and hit you at a time when you're suffering the consequences of an accident away from home. Read More...

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Oklahoma Paper Calls the Accident Tax a "Really Bad Idea" The Shawnee Sun is urging the city's chief of police to reconsider a proposal to adopt the accident tax for motorists who call for emergency services. The Shawnee proposal would not assess at-fault drivers who live within city limits, only out-of-town drivers would be sent a bill. However, drivers should not have to foot the bill when emergency services arrive at the scene of an accident. We believe that only charging visitors for these services is unconstitutional and serves to hurt economic development for communities who adopt the tax. Read More...

Alert - West Virginia City Approves Accident Tax Nitro city council members have approved the accident tax for non-residents. Starting March 1, motorists will pay when the city's fire department arrives to help auto accident victims. Read More... Montana House Committee Unanimously Rejects the Accident Tax In February, the Montana House Local Government Committee unanimously voted down House Bill 256, which would have allowed municipalities in the state to charge accident fees for emergency response services. Faced with historic budget crunches, some municipalities have seen these fees as an opportunity to increase revenues, but legislators in Montana recognized that public safety is a basic role of local government and voted down this proposal.

Stop the Accident Tax in Florida The staff of the Florida Senate Banking and Insurance Committee developed an Issue Brief to help provide state lawmakers with information regarding the scope of the problem. Perhaps it is time for Florida lawmakers to stand with their citizens and support legislation that prohibits municipalities from charging these unfair accident taxes