New Law Allows Dallas Police To Tow and Impound Uninsured Cars-Truth!

New Law Allows Dallas Police To Tow and Impound Uninsured Cars-Truth!

Summary of the eRumor:
This is a forwarded email that says the city of Dallas, Texas has passed a law that allows the city to tow and impound vehicles that are pulled over for a routine traffic stop if the drivers can not provide proof of automobile insurance.

The Truth:
The law is real but not that new. The City of Dallas, in the Lone Star State, has been towing and impounding vehicles since January 1, 2009 according to their City Hall Web Site.

Ordinance 27189 was passed by the Dallas City Council on May 28, 2008 in "response to the large number of people driving in the City of Dallas without the proper state required auto insurance." After January 1, 2009 the law granted authority to the police officers to tow and impound vehicles that they stop for any alleged violation of city or state law if the owner or operator of the vehicle failed to provide evidence of financial responsibility as required by the Texas Transportation Code.

updated 09/09/11

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

Recently, the City of Dallas, Texas, passed an ordinance stating that if a driver is pulled over by law enforcement and is not able to provide proof of insurance, the car is towed.

To retrieve the car after being impounded, they must show proof of insurance to have the car released. This has made it easy for the City of Dallas to remove uninsured cars.

Shortly after the "No Insurance" ordinance was passed, the Dallas impound lots began to fill up and were full after only nine days. 80 % + of the impounded cars were driven by illegals.

Not only must they provide proof of insurance to have their car released, they have to pay for the cost of the tow, a $350 fine, and $20 for every day their car is kept in the lot.

Accident rates have gone down 47%and... Dallas' solution gets uninsured drivers off the road WITHOUT making them show proof of nationality.