Drivers who flee from police would lose their vehicles under a bill set to clear the House this week.
House Bill 427 — the "Run and You're Done" bill — would allow a judge to take the driver's car and either give it to the local school system, or sell it and let the schools have the proceeds.
The intent of the bill is not to seize a lot of cars, bill co-sponsor and House Speaker Pro Tem Dale Folwell, R-Forsyth, said Monday. It's to make sure people know there are severe consequences to running from authorities.
"What we want people to do is, when they see a blue light, to take their foot off the gas," Folwell said.
The bill passed the House on Monday on a 116-1 vote, with state Rep. Phillip Haire, D-Jackson, voting against it. It must clear one more House vote, scheduled for Wednesday, before moving to the state Senate.
State law already allows authorities to seize cars for a number of reasons, including speeding with a young child in the car and driving drunk with a revoked license. This bill would add "felony speeding to elude arrest" to the list.
The bill contains some protections for rental-car companies, car dealers, lien holders and "innocent owners." But it also cracks down on car owners, even if they're not driving.
For example, if someone takes a person's vehicle without permission and flees from police in it, the owner would have to agree to prosecute that person for theft, or they'd lose the vehicle.
There were 2,103 police chases in the last year, according to a fiscal analysis of the bill. Factoring in that many of those chases ended in accidents, the bill is expected to raise about $2.97 million a year, the analysis states.
The money would go to schools systems in the county where the driver is prosecuted, Folwell said.
Folwell said the idea for the bill came from state trooper in the Winston-Salem area.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement