Don't speed in Virgina!

[fintstone]

Looks like lots of new (and potentially expensive) laws taking affect soon. Some are silly. It looks especially bad for folks driving in Virginia.


Virginians Face $3,000 Traffic Ticket
By Dennis Cauchon,USA Today
Posted: 2007-07-01 15:18:05

(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.

Beginning Sunday, Virginia is adding new civil charges to traffic fines. They range from $750 to $3,000 and will 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.

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.

Other new laws taking effect July 1:

Drunken Driving: Wyoming bans open containers in vehicles. South Dakota expands a program that requires repeat drunken drivers to check in at jails twice daily for breath testing. Supporters say it reduces jail costs and allows people to continue working, support their families and stay sober.

Health: New York City bans trans fats. Massachusetts' sweeping health care insurance law takes full effect, with everyone required to have health insurance — either with state help or purchased privately.

Children's Health: California bans soda sales on school campuses during school hours, and puts new limits on sugar and fat content in school food. Florida starts a one-year pilot program to test randomly for steroid use among high school athletes participating in football, baseball and weightlifting.

Cervical Cancer: Indiana schools must tell parents of sixth-grade girls about the link between human papillomavirus and cervical cancer, and about the availability of a new vaccine. North Carolina also requires schools to tell parents about the disease and the vaccine. Nevada requires insurers to cover the new vaccine.

Sex Education: Colorado bans abstinence-only sex education in all schools (except for one district), requiring schools to teach sex education based on scientific research and to include information on contraception.

Energy: Nevada and Minnesota encourage conservation and alternative energy. North Dakota begins a temporary tax break to spur the drilling of more oil wells in an area called the Bakken geologic formation.

Sex Offenders: Virginia requires convicted sex offenders to register their e-mail addresses with the state. Nevada forces certain sex offenders to live at least 1,000 feet away from schools and other places children gather. Connecticut creates a new crime for those who abuse a child under 13 that carries a 25-year prison sentence.

Showing ID:Tennessee requires everyone who buys beer at a store to show identification, regardless of their age.

War and Veterans: Minnesota provides state education assistance to veterans, or family members of dead or disabled veterans. Idaho limits protests at military funerals. Florida bars commercial use of names or pictures of service members without their permission or their families' permission, if they are deceased.

Immigration: Georgia's tough anti-illegal immigration laws kick in, requiring public employers with 500 or more employees -- and any contractors -- to verify that all new hires are in the country lawfully. The state also checks to make sure that anyone over age 18 who is receiving benefits is in the country legally. Idaho requires proof of legal residency for most forms of public assistance.

Abortion: Women seeking abortions in Georgia must be given a chance to see an ultrasound image of the fetus and listen for a heartbeat. In Mississippi, an abortion provider must perform a sonogram and give a pregnant woman the chance to listen to the heartbeat.

Minimum Wage: Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania were among the states that raised their minimum wage.

Sexual Orientation:Gays and lesbians are protected by Iowa's civil rights laws. Vermont bars discrimination against people who change their genders or discrimination based on whether they present themselves as a man or a woman.

Medical Marijuana: New Mexico legalized the medical use of marijuana. Rhode Island made permanent its medical marijuana program, which was to expire June 30. Vermont expanded the use of medical marijuana from only those with terminal diseases to those with some chronic diseases, too.

[pwd72s]

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.


Uh? Since when is increasing fines not raising taxes?

[BeerBurner]

It's a new fund raising program, pure and simple. At least they're honest about it, although some people still insist that this is intended to promote "safety".

Despite the really harsh fines, many of the targeted behaviors are things that I can agree with. Drunk driving, for example, has the hefty fines and I'm OK with that. Passing on the crest of a hill will also result in a big fine, which I'm morally OK with because that's really, really dumb.

Reckless driving is a bit more of a gray area. My daily commute has traffic flowing at "reckless" speeds. If a cop decides to pick one car out of the pack, that person gets screwed. Additionally, I feel that many of our speed limits are still too low, setting an artificially low level for this fine.

Conversely, I have no problems with people getting big fines for going 150 mph.

Some of the targeted behaviors are just plain stupid. While I certainly get annoyed by people who don't use their signals, I don't think that's an offense worthy of eiterh $1,050 or $3,000 (depending on whether it's a felony or misdemenor) in fines!

I think what's really annoying me the most out of this, even moreso than the blatant fund raising aspect, is that the state has made no real effort to inform people of this. Normally, whenever there is some new driving campaign launched, they advertise the hell out of it. This time, had it not been for internet forums tipping me off and getting me to seek out the information, I'd have no clue this happened. I guess they want to keep a low profile so as to snare as many unwitting motorists as possible.

BB.

[Rick Lee]

Time to upgrade radar detectors. It's the best investment you can make in VA and it just got better. The fine for having one is now a small fraction of the cost of a speeding ticket. I have no respect for any speed limit now beyond keeping myself safe and out of trouble. I just want to avoid the tax collectors. But if I end up with a ticket, I sure won't be hiring the traffic atty/state legislator who crafted this law to help me out in court.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally posted by pwd72s
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.


Uh? Since when is increasing fines not raising taxes?

This is a new chapter in the Republican playbook. Saw it here with Romney in MA. Either lower taxes or keep them steady. Then raise every single fee on the books, and create a few more.

Want to get a work permit to build a garage? It will now cost double. and so on. Everyday life is much more expensive in MA after Romney's governorship.

So, when Mighty Mouse or Rudy or anyone other Rep. candidate tells you they'll lower taxes, they will, and if you live in a cave, you'll be fine, otherwise, it'll be just the same as if a Democrat takes office.

news flash here boys: infrastructure costs money. With more and more U.S. corps. having off-shore identities combined with a Corp. Conservative Socialist Agenda means the tax burden is sliding more to the consumer, but to get votes, Rep. will promise lower taxes.

then they'll just fee you to death.

[widgeon13]

Most of this is ridiculous but I think $2250 is still a bargain for 1st offense DWI. If I was the legislature, I'd confiscate the vehicle and all property in the vehicle in addition to any fines. Second offense and the SOB disappears for min 5 years.

Unfortunately, very few people pay attention to laws of the road. I'm tired of seeing people in NY and CT drive while their on cell phones. I've had two near misses in the past two weeks and both individuals were also exceeding highway speeds (70 MPH). Both either came close to ramming me from behind at that speed or side swiping me. The really unfortunate thing is that it's so common, drive for 5 minutes and you'll see it.

[Rick Lee]

Shaun, our new governor is a Dem and the last one was too.

Widegeon, the basic fines for DUI are a tiny fraction of the total out of pocket cost. Before yesterday, you could get a DUI and be out less than $800 to the court, but it would still run you around $15k between lawyer, insurance, SR-22, ASAP classes, etc. Believe me, a helicopter ride home would be cheaper than a DUI in VA.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Shaun, our new governor is a Dem and the last one was too.

Amazon.com sold out first pressing.

[widgeon13]

Agree completely, but the 1st time offender doesn't see those expenses, all they hear about is the fine, of course once they are in deep do-do, the other expenses add up.

What I'm implying is that if the fine is higher and they know about it beforehand, it might be more of a deterrent which could reduce first offenses.

Those individuals that I know who have first offenses don't seem to pay much attention to current laws and fines and in many cases if you have a lawyer with any experience, he'll get the charges reduced and you'll think nothing of it in a few months.

if I had to go buy a new car after the first offense I guess I'd think about it more seriously. Or I could just get an old clunker for the nights when I was going drinking, always more than one way to skin a cat.

[Rick Lee]

Under the new VA laws, a judge may not reduce or suspend fine or points. So a lawyer can only help you if he gets the charge dropped. I think everyone in VA knows that a DUI costs big bucks. I don't even think about the court fines, as they are insignificant compared to the others, not to mention 6-12 mos. with no license or a restricted one. Everyone around here also knows that in MD you have a pretty good chance of getting out of a DUI, since their laws are very weak in that area and they often don't even report out of state violators back to their home state DMV's. Not so in VA. But honestly, as harsh as the penalties for DUI are here, I don't think they put a dent in drunk driving numbers. No one who commits such offenses thinks about the consequences of getting busted. Once you've been through the experience (ask me how I know), you tend to remember it pretty well and adjust your behavior accordingly.

[berettafan]

1-Va. can suck my ass. 81mph on an empty road in the middle of the day is 'reckless' in Va. Farggin tax collector bastards.

2-Maryland is also no stranger to leaving income taxes alone but sneaking in big time increases in the cost of doing bsns. Corp. fees for filing personal property returns TRIPLED a few years ago and there was an efford to TRIPLE them again! State unemployment rates went through the roof (5-10x's what they had been) and nobody says Boo about it! Shaun is right on.