VA Traffic Fines
Thread Starter
Rookie
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 57
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From: Georgia
VA Traffic Fines
VA is issuing speeding tickets over $1000.00
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...s_N.htm?csp=34
Unacceptable.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...s_N.htm?csp=34
Unacceptable.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,188
Likes: 7
From: FL
Agreed that the fines are excessive, but you better hope that they don't find that less people are speeding because of it. If that happens, many other states will probably follow suit with "public safety" as the reason.
A fine that stiff may also make (some) cops more lenient with warnings, etc. As always, it depends...
A fine that stiff may also make (some) cops more lenient with warnings, etc. As always, it depends...
CL Community Team
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,662
Likes: 328
From: NJ
I'm very troubled when lawmakers mix traffic safety speed enforcement with revenue generation. The financial aspect puts pressure on police to write lots of tickets, which in turn means they'll be setting up speed traps in locations where they'll nab lots of violators. Those locations, of course, are high-speed limited access Interstates and Parkways that were designed to handle high speed traffic safely. So truly dangerous drivers, speeding through residential neighborhoods where children play, or barreling through a blind curve get a free pass, while relatively safe drivers carrying a few extra mph at the end of a long downhill Interstate stretch, or who fail to notice a somewhat arbitrary speed-limit drop of 65 to 55 MPH get stung with a budget busting ticket.
I'm also disappointed to see AAA Mid-Atlantic supporting this.
I'm also disappointed to see AAA Mid-Atlantic supporting this.
Pole Position
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 209
Likes: 0
From: Virginia
I'm very troubled when lawmakers mix traffic safety speed enforcement with revenue generation. The financial aspect puts pressure on police to write lots of tickets, which in turn means they'll be setting up speed traps in locations where they'll nab lots of violators. Those locations, of course, are high-speed limited access Interstates and Parkways that were designed to handle high speed traffic safely. So truly dangerous drivers, speeding through residential neighborhoods where children play, or barreling through a blind curve get a free pass, while relatively safe drivers carrying a few extra mph at the end of a long downhill Interstate stretch, or who fail to notice a somewhat arbitrary speed-limit drop of 65 to 55 MPH get stung with a budget busting ticket.
I'm also disappointed to see AAA Mid-Atlantic supporting this.
I'm also disappointed to see AAA Mid-Atlantic supporting this.
I agree. It will be interesting to see how much of an "increase" there is in reckless driving tickets and such. The worst part of it though is that the fines are only levied against state residents. So everyone from DC and MD that drive through here just get the normal penalty. Way to go VA!
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Lead Lap
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 517
Likes: 0
From: VI
residents of VA support this?
first off, drunk driving should carry a huge fine, not just $2k, and be accompanied by extensive loss of driving privileges.
as for "speeding", unlike drunk driving there are benefits to being able to move faster. namely, you get where you're going quicker, more people can cover the same distance in a shorter time, etc. there's nothing inherantly wrong with it provided that the driver, car, and road are up to spec and you dont mix fast & slow traffic together. plus, its something that people *want* to do. on top of all of that, in this day and age, it is becoming safer to move at faster speeds as technology progresses.
so, since people want to go faster, and the real danger is in mixing trafic speeds, why dont they seperate slower trafic from faster traffic (like carpooling from solos via hov) and allow people to pay for the privilege to go faster?
it doesnt have to be extreme, but give a significantly improved speed limit and require a much more stringent license + vehicle inspection and allow people the opportunity to get what they want. let them ALL pay for it. vehicles approved could receive a decal to be applied while the drivers receive that license. that way, everyone wanting to speed would pay as opposed to only catching a few speeders and making/hoping that they pay. those not wanting to pay wouldnt. they could use electronic systems to monitor traffic and impose fines. people driving in the fast lane without the appropriate license/vehicle would be punished accordingly since they're doing nothing but threatening others on the road. transport companies could move cargo through an area faster as well.
its a win-win. instead of working against people, the gov't should identify real problems and behavior and use it to work for people. people dont want to run out and take their vehicles to 10/10ths on the road. no, instead they think their cars are relatively safe at a certain speed and judge the conditions to be acceptable and drive what they feel is appropriate. its not like they want to go commit suicide- most people arent exactly going 150, more like 10-20 over... so play up on their desire to go faster: educate people AND generate revenue for the state from them doing something they're going to do anyway.
first off, drunk driving should carry a huge fine, not just $2k, and be accompanied by extensive loss of driving privileges.
as for "speeding", unlike drunk driving there are benefits to being able to move faster. namely, you get where you're going quicker, more people can cover the same distance in a shorter time, etc. there's nothing inherantly wrong with it provided that the driver, car, and road are up to spec and you dont mix fast & slow traffic together. plus, its something that people *want* to do. on top of all of that, in this day and age, it is becoming safer to move at faster speeds as technology progresses.
so, since people want to go faster, and the real danger is in mixing trafic speeds, why dont they seperate slower trafic from faster traffic (like carpooling from solos via hov) and allow people to pay for the privilege to go faster?
it doesnt have to be extreme, but give a significantly improved speed limit and require a much more stringent license + vehicle inspection and allow people the opportunity to get what they want. let them ALL pay for it. vehicles approved could receive a decal to be applied while the drivers receive that license. that way, everyone wanting to speed would pay as opposed to only catching a few speeders and making/hoping that they pay. those not wanting to pay wouldnt. they could use electronic systems to monitor traffic and impose fines. people driving in the fast lane without the appropriate license/vehicle would be punished accordingly since they're doing nothing but threatening others on the road. transport companies could move cargo through an area faster as well.
its a win-win. instead of working against people, the gov't should identify real problems and behavior and use it to work for people. people dont want to run out and take their vehicles to 10/10ths on the road. no, instead they think their cars are relatively safe at a certain speed and judge the conditions to be acceptable and drive what they feel is appropriate. its not like they want to go commit suicide- most people arent exactly going 150, more like 10-20 over... so play up on their desire to go faster: educate people AND generate revenue for the state from them doing something they're going to do anyway.
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 17,318
Likes: 203
From: Miami, Florida
I'm not sure how they do things here, but one would suspect that VA, MD, and DC would work in conjunction with one another when it comes to their databases. I could be completely wrong though.
My advice: Go further. If you have family or friends living in another state, use their address to register your car.
I'm thinking people who move here from other parts of the country take one quick look at the over-inflated cost of living, personal property tax for vehicles, registration, and inspection...and say "screw it", leaving their cars registered in their home states.
My advice: Go further. If you have family or friends living in another state, use their address to register your car.
I'm thinking people who move here from other parts of the country take one quick look at the over-inflated cost of living, personal property tax for vehicles, registration, and inspection...and say "screw it", leaving their cars registered in their home states.
I'm not sure how they do things here, but one would suspect that VA, MD, and DC would work in conjunction with one another when it comes to their databases. I could be completely wrong though.
My advice: Go further. If you have family or friends living in another state, use their address to register your car.
I'm thinking people who move here from other parts of the country take one quick look at the over-inflated cost of living, personal property tax for vehicles, registration, and inspection...and say "screw it", leaving their cars registered in their home states.
My advice: Go further. If you have family or friends living in another state, use their address to register your car.
I'm thinking people who move here from other parts of the country take one quick look at the over-inflated cost of living, personal property tax for vehicles, registration, and inspection...and say "screw it", leaving their cars registered in their home states.
.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,208
Likes: 220
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
If you guys think you can get around this by living in VA and registering your cars out of state, think again....you're barking up the wrong tree. I know this state well......I have lived here for most of my life.
In VA, in many counties, you not only have a state registration but a county one as well.....and, depending on the county, personal-property taxes on your car's value (which, fortunately, are deductible on your Federal tax returns). And state law, and most county laws, mandate that, unless you are active-duty military on temporary duty in the state or have another official state exemption, you MUST register your car in the state if you stay more than 30 days. No excuses. The cost of not doing so, if you get caught, is quite a bit higher than if you just obey the law and do so to start with.
In fact, in my own condo development, never mind the state.....we have our own condo rules as well.....any unregisted or not up-to-date vehicle with VA tags that is not a temporary visting guest first gets a warning sign, then is towed at owner
expense.
But I'm with some of you guys on one thing, though. I hope these new rules DO drive some people out of the area. We have far too many cars on the roads around here.....the second-worst traffic congestion in the United States outside of L.A. and SoCal. (and, admittedly, every time I help someone shop for a new car I don't help the problem any myself either 
)
In VA, in many counties, you not only have a state registration but a county one as well.....and, depending on the county, personal-property taxes on your car's value (which, fortunately, are deductible on your Federal tax returns). And state law, and most county laws, mandate that, unless you are active-duty military on temporary duty in the state or have another official state exemption, you MUST register your car in the state if you stay more than 30 days. No excuses. The cost of not doing so, if you get caught, is quite a bit higher than if you just obey the law and do so to start with.
In fact, in my own condo development, never mind the state.....we have our own condo rules as well.....any unregisted or not up-to-date vehicle with VA tags that is not a temporary visting guest first gets a warning sign, then is towed at owner
expense.
But I'm with some of you guys on one thing, though. I hope these new rules DO drive some people out of the area.
We have far too many cars on the roads around here.....the second-worst traffic congestion in the United States outside of L.A. and SoCal. (and, admittedly, every time I help someone shop for a new car I don't help the problem any myself either )
Last edited by mmarshall; Jul 1, 2007 at 03:35 PM.
