Police chiefs back bill to fine vehicle owners when drivers flee traffic stops; supporters say it gives investigators leads

Rep. Austin Schauer introduced House Bill 1229 to the House Transportation Committee as a tool for law enforcement to address drivers who flee traffic stops. The bill would allow officers, after giving a visual or audible signal to stop, to issue a civil traffic citation to the vehicle’s registered owner if the driver fails to stop. The proposed sanctions are a $50 fine for a first violation and up to $1,000 for subsequent violations; the statute would be a traffic offense rather than a criminal charge.

Chiefs from Fargo and Bismarck and other law-enforcement witnesses urged passage, saying the measure addresses a rising public-safety problem created in part because agencies generally avoid high-speed pursuits in populated areas. Fargo Police Chief Dave Zawalaski told the committee Fargo recorded 290 fleeing-vehicle incidents in 2024, up from 101 in 2019. He said 86% of fleeing vehicles were not…