Statistics - In The News
The negligent drivers average costs for police and fire services, nationally is $2.3 Billion. These costs are currently subsidized by innocent property taxpayers, over and above the insurance premiums paid by drivers. Property taxes are designed to pay for Fire Departments to be on ready stand-by to protect homes, business and citizens from fire. Property taxes pay for Law Enforcement to protect property and citizens from crime. Similar to Emergency Medical Services (EMS), which is paid by the Health Insurance Industry, traffic crash response is outside the scope of the primary function of both law enforcement and fire services.Property taxpayers are currently subsidizing the insurance companies' investigation and reporting costs as well as the cost of negligent drivers that do not pay property taxes in their community. In some instances, the negligent drivers do not even live in the State.
While the insurance industry continues to collect legally mandated premiums for liabilities caused by negligence, public safety costs are on the rise while budgets for services are being cut in the United States. Law Enforcement response costs to innocent taxpayers for NON-resident use is $427 million and fire response costs to innocent taxpayers for NON-resident use is $511 million.
This is a critical public safety issue that is placing all citizens at risk.
DATA SOURCES: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Insurance Information Institute