Caffeinated Politics

A friend sent me a link to the Milwaukee Journal story last week about the impact of a new state law allowing for cars to be towed away due to reckless driving. Written from the perspective of the City of Milwaukee, the story stated the following.

Within the first two months of a new state law, the Milwaukee Police Department has towed away 31 vehicles used by reckless drivers.

In 2025, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers worked to strengthen an existing law that allows police to impound a vehicle after arresting a reckless driver or issuing a citation.

Under the new law, signed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in late October, police can now send a vehicle that’s driven recklessly to the city’s tow lot, whether or not the driver has a reckless driving record.

To get their car back, drivers must pay any outstanding fines and towing costs – at least $150, plus $25 daily storage fees.

The expanded law also applies to stolen or borrowed cars, though police must attempt to track down the owner, who doesn’t have to pay for the costs of towing and storage.

Reckless driving has become one of the most predictable tragedies in American life. Every week brings another headline about a family shattered, a pedestrian killed, or a neighborhood terrorized by someone who treated public streets like a personal racetrack. Communities are exhausted, and they’re right to demand action that actually prevents the next crash.

I strongly support this law because it is a practical, immediate way to stop dangerous behavior before it becomes fatal.

Over 33,000 people per year were involved in car crashes in Milwaukee in 2024 and 2025. Of those, 67 died in 2024 and 60 died in 2025, according to data from MPD’s Traffic Safety Unit. One person has died this year.

While deaths have declined, police data shows that car crashes and hit-and-run crashes have remained consistent across both years. Johnson described the city’s reckless driving as “out of control” when he took office in 2021.

Reckless driving isn’t a minor lapse in judgment. It’s a choice to endanger everyone else on the road. When someone is arrested for driving 40 miles over the limit, blowing through red lights, or weaving through traffic at highway speeds, the threat doesn’t end when the handcuffs go on. If the vehicle is left available, it can be retrieved, borrowed, or used again before the court process even begins.

Impoundment removes that risk. It takes the tool of harm out of circulation at the moment it’s needed most.

Wisconsin can be proud to have become yet another example of how to confront reckless driving with urgency. The early results are telling. With this law on the books for a long period of time, it will change behavior. When people are very aware that their car can be taken immediately, the calculus shifts. The consequences become real.

As we know, what is required on our roadways is a higher degree of responsible vehicle ownership. Many reckless driving cases involve borrowed cars. When owners know they could lose access to their vehicle because of someone else’s choices, they will think twice about handing over the keys. That’s not punitive; it’s common sense.

Critics of this legislation have attempted to frame impoundment as an overreach by the government. But the alternative is to let a known dangerous driver walk back to the same vehicle that just put lives at risk. Allowing for such an outcome is pure negligence.

Impoundment doesn’t replace due process or the outcome of a court proceeding. It doesn’t determine guilt. It simply prevents a potentially deadly repeat offense while the legal system does its work. That is just basic common sense.

My bottom line is that if a policy can save lives, reduce injuries, and restore a sense of safety to neighborhoods, it’s not just a good idea. It’s a moral obligation.

Label me big government. But you know this law makes sense.