Nov. 5, 2025 – Reckless driving is on the rise across Wisconsin. From Milwaukee to Green Bay, crashes and near misses are raising urgent legal and policy questions. How do you stop a small group of reckless drivers from endangering an entire community? What legal tools do municipalities have to get dangerous drivers off the road? And what role can lawyers play in shaping fair, effective enforcement?
Milwaukee Assistant City Attorney Alex Mueller and attorney Alexander “Sandy” Pendleton of Pendleton Legal SC explore how reckless driving laws are evolving, the tools communities can use to respond, and why every lawyer regardless of their practice area should pay attention.
Mueller and Pendleton presented this topic on June 20, 2025, as part of a panel discussion at the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Annual Meeting & Conference.
In the video interview here, they help unpack the legal and policy tools communities can use to address reckless driving and how legal professionals can help shape smart, effective solutions to restore safety and trust on Wisconsin’s roads.
A Growing Crisis, and a Call to Action
Pendleton, who practices business litigation, said he doesn’t handle criminal or traffic cases – but sees firsthand the impact reckless driving has on his community.
Peter Kraemer is Digital Communications Coordinator with the State Bar of Wisconsin. He can be reached by email or by phone at (608) 250-6139.
“It’s just so obvious that the problem of reckless driving is on the rise,” he said. “It’s dangerous to everybody on the street and everybody on the sidewalks. … Reckless driving is corrosive to that sense of safety and order that makes people want to live or work in a community.”
Mueller, who prosecutes reckless-driving cases for the Milwaukee City Attorney’s Office, agreed. Fatalities and serious crashes have surged in recent years.
“In 2019, there were 56 traffic fatalities within the city,” he said. “In 2020, that number rose to 77. Most of these cases involve speeding or running red lights – and they’re entirely avoidable.”
Both attorneys emphasized that the problem extends beyond traffic enforcement – it’s about restoring public trust and safety.
New Laws Expand Vehicle Impound Authority
Governor Tony Evers signed two bills into law on Oct. 31, 2025, aimed at penalizing reckless drivers and those who evade police. The new measures build on bipartisan momentum to crack down on dangerous driving, particularly in Milwaukee.
The most significant change strengthens a 2023 impoundment law that allowed police to tow and impound vehicles used in reckless driving offenses. That earlier version had seen limited use because it only applied when the driver also owned the vehicle.
Under the new law, any vehicle driven recklessly – including stolen or borrowed cars – can be impounded, regardless of ownership. Before reclaiming a vehicle, offenders must pay all towing costs and outstanding fines.
To protect innocent owners, the law requires police to make a reasonable effort to determine if a vehicle has been reported stolen and contact its owner. Owners of stolen vehicles are not responsible for impound fees, ensuring they’re not “victimized twice.”
The new law also removes the requirement that the driver be a repeat offender, giving officers discretion to impound vehicles after a single reckless driving incident.
Municipalities will now need to adopt ordinances to put the new authority into practice.
From Statutes to Street-Level Impact
Mueller’s experience helps explain why the legislative change matters.
“The more swiftly a sanction is imposed, the more effective it is,” he said. “Not many sanctions are more swift than towing someone’s vehicle at the moment of the traffic stop.”
Milwaukee has used its authority to impound more than 600 unregistered vehicles since 2022 – but only 11 registered vehicles under the narrow 2023 law.
Pendleton pointed out during the interview that a pending bill could “expand the ability of police officers to impound vehicles, registered vehicles.” That bill is now law.
Pendleton praised bipartisan cooperation on the issue:
“When do we see a substantive bill – addressing a real and controversial problem – pass unanimously? That tells you how seriously our legislators are taking this.”
Beyond Impoundment: The Push for Smart Enforcement
While impoundment offers an immediate consequence, both attorneys also discussed the longer-term role of technology and automated enforcement – tools used successfully in dozens of other states.
Pendleton noted that Wisconsin law restricts the use of speed and red-light cameras, but said communities can look to models in Connecticut and Colorado, where smart enforcement has been implemented more fairly and transparently.
He urged Wisconsin lawyers and policymakers to think proactively about designing systems that protect due process while reducing fatalities.
Pendleton believes it’s time to reconsider. Wisconsin, he said, could learn from states like Connecticut and Colorado, which have implemented systems that prioritize safety over revenue.
“We don’t need to accept the Chicago model,” which has created some distrust about the fairness of the system, he said. “Let’s do it the way people do it in Colorado or Connecticut – a smart, efficient, effective enforcement that moves the dial on community behavior.” The challenge, he said, is designing a system “that changes culture, not just collects money.”
Why Lawyers Should Care
For Wisconsin lawyers – especially those managing staff or working in municipal, criminal, or policy roles – the issue extends beyond the courtroom.
Reckless driving affects community safety, economic vitality, and public trust. Lawyers can play a critical role by:
Advising municipalities on drafting or updating ordinances under the new law.
Counseling clients on compliance, liability, and constitutional challenges.
Participating in policy discussions to ensure enforcement measures remain fair and effective.
As Pendleton summed up:
“Don’t accept the status quo. We don’t need to keep using a 1901 approach to traffic enforcement when smarter, fairer systems exist.”
Looking Ahead
Wisconsin’s new laws mark a significant shift in the state’s approach to reckless driving – one that gives local governments more power to act while demanding careful legal oversight.
For lawyers, this moment offers an opportunity to help shape enforcement systems that protect rights while restoring safety and trust on Wisconsin’s roads.
