DES PLAINES, Ill., Date, September 16 — David Glawe, President and CEO for the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), issued the following statement in response to Governor David Ige signing Senate Bill 2384.
“We are pleased Governor Ige signed into law Senate Bill 2384 that stops rogue tow truck drivers from preying on unsuspecting accident victims, scamming them out of hundreds to thousands of dollars. In my previous role as the former Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) and Chief Intelligence Officer for the Department of Homeland Security, I had the opportunity to work with Governor Ige on combating criminal organizations and threats targeting Hawaiians. I look forward to working with the Governor to discuss other ways we can share information and defend against unfair or illegal practices that prey on the most vulnerable.”
“We also want to thank Senator Rosalyn “Roz” Baker and Senator Karl Rhodes for sponsoring this legislation and ending a scheme responsible for taking thousands of dollars from the pockets of consumers across the state of Hawaii.
“Hawaii is one of several states where we have seen an uptick in rogue tow truck drivers arriving, unsolicited, at the scene of an accident and presenting themselves as an immediate solution to towing your vehicle. Many drivers, understandably shaken following an accident, might agree to the tow unaware they may be “on the hook” for thousands of dollars in towing and storage fees before you get your vehicle back.
“This is a big step in the right direction by setting towing fees for vehicles involved in an accident. Without set rates, some towers have been known to charge motorists or their insurers thousands of dollars for a few-mile tow, and hold the car hostage incurring storage fees until the owner can afford to get it out.
“NICB will continue to work with lawmakers in the House and Senate to stop this type of abuse on consumers.”