traffic fines heavy-handed?
Brent Finnegan -- June 12th, 2007
In case you didn’t catch the story in today’s DNR, starting July 1, drivers convicted of reckless or aggressive driving in Virginia will be fined three annual payments of $350, according to a new state law. That’s just one of many fines. I remember cook telling me about this several weeks ago, but I didn’t know the fines were that high. Lohr and Obenshain are among the legislators who voted for this bill as a way to raise transportation funds.
Are these fines a bit heavy-handed?
I’m not cynical, but I’d be curious about the subset of the population that gets most of the traffic tickets covered by this legislation, i.e., tickets more serious than speeding. Do they vote?
The people in charge don’t like voting to raise taxes, but they don’t mind voting to create taxes — tobacco and reckless driving pop to mind — that affect people other than comfortable middle-class voters.
I agree, Joe. I’d be willing to bet that minorities are “popped” more often, as a percentage, than are whites.
This is a nice, regressive tax that will cause more people in the Commonwealth to drive both without licenses and without insurance.
If you want to pay for road construction, use tolls…and make sure that money is used fro the construction/maintenance of that specific roadway.
This is 2007, we shouldn’t even need roads anymore. Those people at Moller International should have had the Sky Car ready by now. We are the city with a planned future, shouldn’t we be looking into skyways instead of bypasses…
the entire transportation package can be said to be “paid for” if one accepts some optimistic assumptions about the collection of these excessive fines. it will be interesting to look back from 2012 to see how it turns out. my prediction: we will not collect what they are predicting (geez – that was a tough one) and we will have an even larger percentage of unlicensed drivers on the road (having lost their licenses because they did not pay the fines).
oh, wait, when operator’s licenses are suspended they do not drive — maybe this will solve the transportation problem by reducing the number of drivers on the road so we do not need to build new roads! brilliant!
These new “taxes” are nothing more than a cleverly disguised “trial lawyers’ relief act”. Just think..If you were going to get drilled for 3Gs for a DWI conviction, would you spend 2Gs you save yourself some money and a conviction? I would.
I pay my lawyers to defend speeding tickets. Have you seen what a few points will do to your insurance rates, or how those points will follow you like a bad rash to a new insurer? And, now, if you have more than 8 driving points you pay extra fees each year.
A trial lawyers’ relief act? If so, I agree with it!! Cook is right, this won’t bring in the money anticipated because people act like people and not robots . . and cash strapped people act like case strapped people. We will have more uninsured and unlicensed drivers on the road and we will have more people injured in accidents with these folks that will not be made whole because there is no insurance available. People, increase your uninsured motorists coverage as high as possible; the rate is not that high and you will be glad you did if you are in an accident (your trial lawyer will also be glad).
Dave (as usual?) is right: make 81 a toll road and expand that sucker. I travel often on toll roads in Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey; it isn’t that burdensome and I am paying for what I use. Our out of state travelers can do the same and will be happy to do so (and it isn’t that expensive for locals either). We all want the roads, can’t we all pay for the roads?!?! Of course, they BETTER be using the money raised for the roads and not for other programs favored by politicians . . . .
An interesting point to consider for those who rail against raising revenue to accomplish a purpose… And for those who believe good government is possible…
Many of the original roads and bridges in this country were built by investors who then recouped their investment of capital and earned a profit by charging tolls. There really needs to be a connection for people to relate to in their minds regarding paying for and receiving of a given value. The present (and recently approved) transportation plan goes in the opposite direction. People are further removed. The whole process becomes more abstract. This is governing by shell games. Just like the “car tax repeal.”
Don’t we always say that “if you do the crime, you do the time?” Well, doesn’t reckless driving cause more deaths than murder, rape, and drugs together? So, why shouldn’t the penalty be stiffer? You wouldn’t argue that the punishment was too excessive for someone who was running through the street recklessly shooting a gun, would you?
William,
Wasn’t “do the crime, do the time” from an awful 1980s cop show whose star walked after probably murdering his wife?
I think Baretta was in the 70s, Joe, see: http://imdb.com/title/tt0072683/