If you’re accident prone, you might want to stay away from Roseville, California, as the city is charging fees to non-resident drivers who use its emergency services or cause road accidents.
It seems like such a good idea that the city of Sacramento could start doing the same thing when city council meets in mid-September according to The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento is considering fees from $435 for a fire department response up to $2,275 hazardous-waste leaks, helicopter transportation, and driver extrication.
The fees would be aimed at anybody who isn’t a resident of the city who is involved in a crash or some other costly incident in city limits. The money would then be used to upkeep and improve city services.
While some people might balk at the idea, especially those from out of town, it’s apparently legal in California to charge people the full cost of emergency responses and a few cities are jumping on the bandwagon. It became law in 1987 as many districts were struggling with costs.
The bills for the accident usually get sent to the person’s insurance company, but many of their policies don’t cover the fees for emergency services. For instance, if an out-of -town driver causes an accident where somebody needs to be extricated from a vehicle, the recovery fee of about $2,000 will be filed by the fire department with the driver who caused the accident’s insurance company.
In Roseville, the fire department reported that it recovered about $30,000 of its costs. However, some nearby communities, like Rancho Cordova, don’t like the practice as it affects visitors and those people who commute to Roseville to work.
Some local residents and politicians say it’s a fair practice though, as city taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for the negligent acts of individuals who cause accidents.
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