Sixty-eight percent of adults disagree with the idea that local governments should charge accident response fees to individuals involved in traffic accidents, according to a new study from the Insurance Research Council (IRC). Requiring insurers rather than the individuals involved in an accident to pay accident response fees had little impact on the level of support for accident response fees. When reminded that requiring insurers to pay accident response fees could lead to higher auto insurance costs, 69 percent of survey respondents disagreed with the idea of local governments charging accident response fees.
"Efforts to fund emergency response services through accident response fees stand in direct conflict with the fundamental notion that certain government services should be paid for by all taxpayers—not just those who are unlucky enough to actually need the services," said Elizabeth Sprinkel, senior vice president of the IRC. Lawmakers in 12 states have enacted legislation prohibiting local governments from imposing accident response fees. Several more have debated similar legislation.
The study was based on telephone interviews with 1,012 adults countrywide conducted in January by market research firm Harris Interactive.
In looking at different demographic groups and opinions regarding accident response fees, the IRC found only one group, individuals between 18 and 24 years of age, whose members were more likely to agree than disagree with the imposition of accident response fees.
For all other age, education, and income groups, more respondents disagreed than agreed with the idea of charging accident response fees.
