Posted on 02/28/2006 2:01:08 PM PST by Responsibility2nd
Close to midnight on a recent cold Saturday, an old white van rattled into the city's impound lot, tucked away in a rural pocket on the South Side. The door opened to reveal nine dark-haired heads, including one little boy licking an ice cream treat. They were there to pick up Juan Carlos Rodriguez's car, which was towed the day before when he made an illegal turn, and the officer discovered the 1989 beige Cadillac wasn't insured.
But first, Rodriguez, 28, had to change the title since the car wasn't in his name. Then he purchased some insurance. By the time he'd bundled his family together, hitched a ride from his pastor and reclaimed his car, he'd spent at least $300.
"No me gusta," said his wife, 25-year-old Ida Rodriguez. "This is unfair."
But it was on the premise of fairness that city leaders adopted a policy last year requiring motorists to show proof of auto insurance. It was intended to protect insured motorists from those without it.
Between Jan. 1, when the policy was implemented, and Feb. 22, the city towed about 1,252 cars, with 228 coming from accidents.
Ida Rodriguez said auto insurance is too expensive for a family like hers, with three small mouths to feed and a mountain of bills.
But others, like city police, who issue about 59,000 insurance citations annually, and the countless many who've been financially pinched when involved in fender-benders with uninsured drivers, say it's unfair and unsafe when drivers go uninsured. They hope the city's new "tow-now" policy will force more people to get insurance.
In San Antonio, uninsured drivers are "a significant problem," said Lt. Scott Bell, the department's unit director for the vehicle storage facility. Across the state, about one in five motorists are uninsured.
So during its annual budget proceedings, the Police Department touted the idea of towing the cars of uninsured drivers and requiring proof of insurance and ownership before those cars are released. While the premise was to crack down on uninsured drivers, it is also expected to pour an extra $1.7 million into city coffers.
Bell said uninsured vehicles are almost doubling the number of impounds at the lot on Growdon Road. Since Jan. 1, an average of nearly 25 cars are towed to it each day. About 10 percent go unretrieved.
San Antonio's policy is the first of its kind in a major Texas city, although Dallas recently approved a modified two-year pilot program. That program, which takes effect in April, targets only vehicles involved in accidents. The Houston City Council is expected to consider a similar policy soon.
A smattering of other Texas cities such as DeSoto, Corsicana, Plano and Rosenberg also tow cars of uninsured motorists, as do Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago and Philadelphia. The practice in Commerce, one of the first Texas cities to do so, ignited a lawsuit, but the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals backed the policy, saying it doesn't violate due process because state law requires drivers operating a vehicle to have insurance.
Some City Council members in San Antonio and Dallas have worried the program unfairly impacts minorities and the working poor, who often cannot afford insurance.
J. Robert Hunter, who specializes in insurance for the Consumer Federation of America, questioned whether such policies were effective in pushing people to obtain insurance. He's studied programs such as the one in San Antonio and said they don't work — mostly because poor people, who typically don't have insurance, also typically have limited assets to protect.
And, he added, it doesn't make economic sense to pay $100 in insurance every month for a second-hand car purchased for a few hundred dollars.
In some cases, Hunter explained, uninsured motorists whose cars are impounded simply buy another used vehicle.
When the question is, "Do I feed my child and myself or do I buy liability insurance? People just won't do it," he said.
Bell disputes that. He pointed to anecdotal evidence that showed an increase in purchased car insurance over the last several weeks.
And in Corsicana, Police Chief G.M. Cox said it's worked. The city began impounding the cars of uninsured motorists last May. In June, officers issued 187 citations for no liability insurance. In December, it was 70.
He also questioned the perception that programs like San Antonio's unfairly impact minorities.
"We've been able to show that there's not an inordinate amount of minority vehicles towed over another," Cox said. "And as far as it hampering poor folks, well, unfortunately, if you don't have the money to buy insurance, you shouldn't be driving a car in Texas."
Bell argues that poor people actually benefit from these policies. When a poor person is injured by an uninsured driver, he has to bear the cost alone, he said, which can be much more devastating than for someone with a higher income.
Insurance companies, while hopeful, say it's too early to tell whether these programs are as effective as what they're touted to be, said Jerry Johns, president of the Southwestern Insurance Information Service, an insurance trade association.
"But we're fairly confident that these policies will at least help," he said, pointing out that in some parts of the state, such as the Rio Grande Valley, uninsured motorists make up almost 50 percent of all drivers. "We're hopeful that these kinds of programs will create at least a sense of responsibility."
It did so for Mark Saenz.
The 20-year-old employee at Furniture Factory was pulled over early one Saturday while speeding on his way to work. When the officer discovered his Honda CRX had no insurance, the city impounded his car, pushing Saenz to sign up.
"I was just being lazy," he said. "There was no excuse."
Then Ms Rodriguez should go back to Mexico and ride a burro or either have used birth control. I don't give a damn how hard it is for her. I give a damn about people not driving without insurance.
Over 60% of our population is Mexican-American.
We are a tex-mex culture.
Here in Florida the insurance industry is in on it. If you get late with your payments on the insurance policy, at some point your will get the "standard notice" informing you that the insurance company is required by law to report the status of your liability insurance to the Dept. of Motor Vehicles.
This means that if a cop gets behind you and routinely runs a check on your tag (cops and ex-cops will tell you that this is done often, especially if business is slow...and even more so if you're getting bored) the first thing that comes back on the police radio is the fact that your insurance is canceled. You don't have to have a burned out taillight, etc. for probable cause for him to stop you. He can stop you on the insurance violation alone.
It's pretty well known that your days are numbered when your insurance gets canceled.
I get tired of that excuse, "It's just an old used car and the insurance costs more than it's worth".
Duh...liability isn't for your car, it's for what damage you might do to the other guy and his car.
A $100 car can do thousands of dollars damage. That's why you need the insurance. You're putting a bet on the table that you won't crash into any of us. You crash, you lose the bet.....at least, with the insurance, we know you can cover your bet.
Either that or at least they'll have to finally finish repairing the car that's up on blocks in their front yard so they will have a working vehicle.
Similar to when Clinton got into office, suddenly there were no more homeless people in the news.
hehe, the south does it right again.
When I lived in California the following swear-on-a-Bible true story happened:
My buddy's old Dad was on his way to the Bel-Air for groceries when he was rear-ended by presumed "undocumented migrants" . They were decent though, and got outta their car to make sure he wasn't dead. He was fine but the back end of his caddy was a little crumpled. Immediately the fellows plowed into their truck and took off.
No Insurance, probably no license either. They bolted.
Two days later, my Buddy's dad is fighting with the insurance folks and the police. (It seems nearly a third of the motorist in Sacramento drive without insurance and everyone just accepts this). Finally He's off on his way to get the cadillac looked at the car shop when he is AGAIN rear ended!
this time by a different bunch of "migrant workers". They no habla ingles, and didn't even stop to see if he was dead.
My buddy's dad was furious but just proceeded to the caddy shop with the @ss end of the car about 3 foot higher than it should be...hehe. It looked like a trick car. It still ran fine. The caddy no doubt saved his life twice!
The coup de grace comes when my friends dad finally gets his beloved 1989 Caddilac fixed....but then a month later the car is stolen from Arden Fair Mall parking lot!
He finally gave up and moved to Idaho before the year was out. Old guy just couldn't take California anymore. He has a new Cadillac.And hasn't been hit-and-runned yet....
Boy that's the truth! LOL!
No sympathy for uninsured motorists. Insurance is part of the cost of car ownership, just like maintenance or fuel.
LOL! They probably figured that anybody using the Alamo as an address in insure their vehicle probably wouldn't be driving much!
You can't register a car, buy licenses or get a car inspected in Texas without liability insurance.
I found an ad in the Del Rio phone book for an agency that offers "Affordable monthly rates".
State Farm bills me biannually.
The article makes it sound like all that Juan Carlos Rodriguez lacked was insurance. If your statement is correct, how did he get the car registered? Evidently the car was in someone else's name, so I wonder if it was some confederate who had insurance and Rodriguez was using him to get around the law.
I have an even better idea. Do all the above, and then SHIP THEM BACK TO MEXICO, without the car.
My car is 2 years old. I have full coverage on this and pay 60 a month with State farm. You know it's not going to be very expensive to insure and older care for liability.
In So Cal it costs about a grand to get your car out of impound, that and a 30 day wait.
It seems to work very well for:
the state (gets smoggers off the road)
the wetback (another used car costs about half that - if they make the payments)
the city (full employment)
But, oddly enough,
NOT the person who sold them the car and still has outstanding payments to collect...and no way to get the car out of impound short of full payment of fines and charges.
Works just fine for three out of four.
The car may not have been registered. Rodriguez may have bought insurance on a month to month basis and paid for one month.
WTF?
WHY should I pay extra, for extra coverage to protect me from the uninsured, or else use (nonexixtent) public transport"?
Let THEM stay off the road, and save the rest of what we are soaked for 'uninsured motorist' coverage---also mandatory in many places that "require" insurance.
But first, Rodriguez, 28, had to change the title since the car wasn't in his name. Then he purchased some insurance. By the time he'd bundled his family together, hitched a ride from his pastor and reclaimed his car, he'd spent at least $300.
Only $300? It cost me that much when I bought my last car to get taxes, tags, and everything else settled. My insurance is roughly $85 a month for my wife and I to drive our used Saturn. In four months, I could instead save up enough money to get my car out of the impound lot. Since I've only been pulled once in 11 years of driving (for having one headlight burned out), I think my odds would be pretty good.
And people wonder why I'm Conservative...
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