Motorists Warming Cars May No Longer Be Left Out In The Cold

A bill moving through the Michigan Legislature must come as a relief to Taylor Trupiano, the Roseville man who got a ticket for leaving his car unattended while warming it up on a cold January morning. The proposed legislation would put Trupiano and others who simply want to avoid a shivering ride on the right side of the law.

Roseville police defended the $128 ticket, saying leaving a car unattended while it’s warming up increases the potential for car thefts, which ties up police resources and can result in chases that endanger public safety. Social media comments on the widely shared post fell squarely on the side of Trupiano.

However, Roseville Police Chief James Berlin said at the time that he encourages his officers to write tickets for unattended vehicles.

• See Also: Why You Shouldn’t Warm Car on a Cold Michigan Morning: You’ll Get a Ticket

“All it takes is someone to hop in this car and take off,” he told WWJ at the time. “Then there’s a chase often at a high rate of speed and all that could have been prevented.”

The legislation, HB 4215, is sponsored by Rep. Holly Hughes, a Muskegon County Republican, who told WWJ Radio that it’s normal in Michigan for residents to warm up cars on cold mornings, and they shouldn’t be punished if they’re on their own property, as Trupiano was.

The bill is before the House Transportation Committee, where it’s expected to come up for a vote this week.

Photo by Miles Goodhew via Flickr Commons