On the agenda for tonight’s Texarkana Texas City Council meeting is a new ordinance that will allow police to impound and tow cars of uninsured motorist. According to the City of Texarkana, Texas the police write an average of seven citations a day to uninsured motorists and statistics show that over 14 percent of vehicles operated in Bowie County are uninsured.
Tell us what you think about this new city ordinance in the comments.
Below is condensed version of the ordinance. The entire ordiance can be read in the information packet, on page 110, for tonights meeting at http://texarkanacitytx.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1029&Inline=True
ORDINANCE NO. 2014-095
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that it is in the best interest of the health, safety,
and welfare of the citizens of Texarkana, Texas that law enforcement personnel have lawful
authority to impound vehicles when it has been determined that the owner/operator of said
vehicles fail to show proof of maintaining the minimum liability insurance as required by state
law;
(d) When a police officer stops a vehicle for an alleged violation of a City
Ordinance or State traffic law or other law applicable to the operation
of a vehicle on the roadway and the vehicle’s owner or operator fails
to show evidence of financial responsibility as required under Chapter
601 of the Texas Transportation Code as amended, the officer is
authorized to impound the vehicle using the towing service company
under contract with the city.