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Read the press release here.

FDNY Plans to Charge New Yorkers for Car Crash Help

By Jim Scott | December 10, 2010 10:09am
A taxi cab burst into flames in front of St. Patricks Cathedral on April 17, 2008 in New York City.
A taxi cab burst into flames in front of St. Patricks Cathedral on April 17, 2008 in New York City.
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Jemal Countess/Getty Images

By Jim Scott

DNAinfo Senior Editor

MANHATTAN — The next time you're involved in a car crash in Manhattan you may get help from the FDNY — and a bill to go with it.

The FDNY plans to start charging fees for assisting motorists involved in automobile accidents beginning on July 1.

A vehicle fire or any other automobile incident that involves injuries will cost motorists $490 under the plan, according to the FDNY. A car that has a fire put out with no injuries involved will get billed $415. Motorists will be charged $365 for any FDNY assistance on incidents that don't involve fire or injuries.

"We want to relieve pressure on the taxpayer and place it on those at fault and their insurance," an FDNY spokesperson said. "Right now if you're at fault at an accident or a vehicle fire, you get a free ride. And that should not be borne by the taxpayers."

The FDNY will charge motorists who require emergency services no matter who is at fault for the accident.

"Why should I be charged for something that I didn’t cause? Send a bill to the guy who caused it. That has nothing to do with me," Upper West Side resident Ariel Schachter told WCBS-TV.

Insurance officials told the Wall Street Journal that many auto insurance policies don't cover charges like this. Auto insurance premiums will likely go up if companies are mandated to cover the additional fees.

A public hearing on the new policy will be held at FDNY headquarters on Jan. 14. The policy change already has the support of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and FDNY Commissioner Sal Cassano. It does not require approval by the City Council.

The city responded to roughly 14,000 vehicle incidents in the five boroughs last year, according to the FDNY. Fires were involved in 2,900 of those accidents and about 7,500 involved injuries.

The city hopes to collect $1 million annually from the new charges, but some people think the plan is shortsighted.

"We have concerns that some motorists might be less likely to call police to crash scenes, allowing drunk drivers, uninsured drivers, drivers with suspended licenses, and others to go undetected," AAA spokesman Justin McNaull told the Journal.