$3000 tickets

Virginians Face $3,000 Traffic Ticket
By Dennis Cauchon,USA Today
Posted: 2007-07-02 16:17:22
Filed Under: Law, Nation
(July 1) - Virginia is for lovers, or so the state slogan has declared since 1969. Starting today, Virginia also will be the home of the $3,000 traffic ticket. In an effort to raise money for road projects, the state will start hitting residents who commit serious traffic offenses with huge civil penalties.


Photo Gallery: New State Laws

Seth Perlman, AP A patrolman walks from his car in Illinois last September. Virginia issued new traffic penalties Sunday charging resident drivers exhorbitant fees for severe traffic violations.
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The new civil charges range from $750 to $3,000 and be added to existing fines and court costs. The civil penalty for going 20 mph over the speed limit will be $1,050, plus $61 in court costs and a fine that is typically about $200.

Virginia's traffic law is one of several thousand new state laws that take effect Sunday. Jan. 1 and July 1 are the most popular dates for state laws to become official.

July 1 is especially popular for new taxes and fees because it's the start of the budget year in 46 states. For example, Arkansas will cut its sales tax on groceries from 6% to 3% Sunday.

Virginia's new traffic penalties are expected to raise $65 million a year and are part of an effort to improve the state's roads without raising taxes.

A first-time drunken driver will face a $2,250 civil penalty, plus fines and court costs that typically run about $500 or more. Driving without a license? That's a mandatory $900 civil penalty, in addition to the ordinary $100 for a fine and court costs.

"It's outrageous," says traffic court attorney Thaddeus Furlong of Springfield, Va. "When Mr. and Mrs. Middle Class find out what they have to pay, there's going to be a backlash like you've never seen."

Some other states impose extra civil penalties for traffic offenses, but the cost is usually $100 or $200, Furlong says. "What sets this apart is the Draconian size of the civil penalties," he says.

Another difference: The civil penalties apply only to Virginia residents, not out-of-state drivers. Virginians must pay in three installments over 26 months or lose their licenses. The state Legislature didn't think it could enforce the extra penalties in other states.

Motorist club AAA Mid-Atlantic supports the new penalties.

"These penalties are harsh, but normal fines haven't gotten people to drive sanely. Maybe this will," says Lon Anderson, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

He says the new law will help reduce the nearly 1,000 traffic deaths the state records annually.

"We wish motorists didn't have to pay more, but the fact is Virginia's transportation trust fund is broke," Anderson says.




Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. All Rights Reserved.
2007-07-01 10:36:08

This is the place where a local sheriff in Abingdon was caught selling meth.

Ya' know, if it were for running a red light... one could ALMOST make the argument. Not that you could, but almost, that does actively endanger a life.
But, speeding.
This is corruption, pure and unadulterated.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Traffic tickets were always a cash cow for the government. The Insurance companies have gotten in to the slop trough too.

Most overlook traffic tickets. It is stupid to underwrite for them.
I don't know of any who underwrite for traffic violations for their normal and preferred drivers.
I am a licensed agent in FL and can write for many states, BTW.

[xoxoxoBruce]

My insurance company taps into the states data banks, but only looking for license suspensions(DUI, excess points, accidents), but My friends in NJ have had surcharges tacked on for tickets.

All companies run CLUE/R and the state accident report, whatever it is named.
Do you know how bad his record is?
If he is in a high risk company, company means rated tier, then sure they do, they should.

NJ is fucked-up, many companies won't write there at all, could be that too.

[richlevy]

Another difference: The civil penalties apply only to Virginia residents, not out-of-state drivers. Virginians must pay in three installments over 26 months or lose their licenses. The state Legislature didn't think it could enforce the extra penalties in other states.

Darn right. The United States, beyond federal laws, is a collection of sovereign states. Most state laws, when enforced or accepted between states, are done so voluntarily.

The following is an educated opinion. I am not a lawyer.

This is why a gay couple married in Massachusetts may not have their marriage recognized by another state, because marriage is left to the state. The federal government also recognizes marriage for taxes and federal programs, but it cannot force a state to recognize marriages in another state.

In general, states have reciprocity for traffic fines, in that failure to pay in one state could affect your license in your home state.

However, Virginia is assessing civil charges and not 'fines'. My guess is that there is some agreement between states to limit fines. Technically, it could assess these civil penalties and mess up the credit reports of out-of-state drivers who refuse to pay. I'm guessing the real reason Virginia is not assessing the civil penalties to out-of-state drivers is that most of their tourists arrive by car and they do not want a reputation as a state that is at war with motorists.

While I am all for discouraging drunk driving, I think jail and license forfeiture is a better solution. And even mentioning any kind of fund raising aspect makes the whole endeavor stink. Think state-sponsored speed traps.

Of course, by treating in-state and out-of-state drivers differently, the whole law fails the 'equal protection' test.

I am a mid-Atlantic AAA member. F**k them for buying into this.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

All companies run CLUE/R and the state accident report, whatever it is named.
Do you know how bad his record is?
If he is in a high risk company, company means rated tier, then sure they do, they should.

NJ is fucked-up, many companies won't write there at all, could be that too.

Most of this I pick up from guys at work that live in jersey, so I don't know what their records are. However, in the case of my best friend, I do know he drives like a little old lady (drives me nuts) and has had three tickets in 35 years. The speeding ticket he got last year, for 12mph over, earned him a rate increase. Yeah, Jersey is fucked up.

Tickets are not the only thing that causes issues with Ins. One accident will cause you to go into a bad company, but again, Jersey is the hell of insurance.