Huge Traffic Fine increase in California

[JhwShark]

LOOK OUT...
I thought I would share this info from a peer. Looks like I will finally have to install Front License plates on all my cars.

State of California is broke and they are trying hard to squeeze all of us hard to collect money.

Effective immediately, if you do not stop at the red light, be ready to pay $436 in fines or if you pass a school bus with flashing red signals, you will be charged $616. The state of California is going for blood, so be extra careful in driving, you cannot afford messing with them. I have been hearing that Highway Patrols are under pressure to issue a lot more tickets than last year with at least 30% increase in fines over 2009, so beware of radar guns, highway and traffic cameras installed everywhere and the tougher enforcement of parking rules.

Just for your info, the next time you park in the handicapped zone, even for a minute, you will be looking at almost $ 1000 in parking tickets , so it'd better be worth it.

California needs money, so pay close attention to the rules of the road!

Traffic Ticket Fines (Effective 01/06/2011):

VC 12814.6 $214 Failure to obey license provisions.
VC 14600(A) $214 Failure to notify DMV of address change within 10 days (Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
VC 16028(A) $796 Failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility (insurance) Note: This fine may be reduced with proof of insurance on or after the violation date.
VC 21453(A) $436 Failure to stop at a red signal.
VC 22349 $214 Unsafe speed, 1 to 15 miles over the limit.
VC 22350 $328 Unsafe speed, 16 to 25 miles over the limit.
VC 22450 $214 Failure to stop at a stop sign.
VC 22454(A) $616 Passing a school bus with flashing red signals.
VC 23123(A) $148 Driving while using a wireless phone not hands free, first offense .
VC 23123(B) $256 Driving while using a wireless phone not hands free, each subsequent offense.
VC 23123.5 $148 Driving while using a wireless device to send, read or write text.
VC 23124 $148 Minor driving while using a wireless phone.
VC 22500 $976 Parking in a bus loading area.
VC 22507(A) $976 Violation of disabled parking
VC 22507(B) $1876 Violation of disabled parking provisions, second offense.
VC 26708 $178 Unlawful material on vehicle windows. (Presumably political stuff!)
VC 27150 $178 Adequate muffler required. (Exhaust silencer! Boy racers?)
VC 27315 $148 Mandatory use of seat belts.
VC 27360 $436 Mandatory use of passenger child restraints. Note: This fine may be reduced by completing a court authorized child seat diversion program.
VC 27400 $178 Headsets or Earplugs covering both ears. (Seen that in UK!)
VC 27803 $178 Violation of motorcycle safety helmet requirements.
VC 34506 $616 Commercial Driver - Log book violation.
VC 4000 $256 No evidence of current registration. Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
VC 4159 $178 Notify DMV of change of address within 10 days. Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
VC 5200 $178 Proper display of license plates. Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
VC 9400 $178 Commercial weight fees due

[MPDano]

Good post and good to know on the License Plate violation fee. Frickin lame. It will only get worse with Brown in office. Trust me, I remember being in elementary school and how much people hated him, can't understand why voters put him back in. It must be all the young voters that don't know any better.

[XLR8928]

Man am I glad I'm in Nevada

[harborman]

Don't forget this new generation was taught by liberal minded teachers, all in unions and most of your "City" folks are Democrats, like in NY, Chicago, SF, LA, etc. Remember Obama came from Illinois and look how bad it is now, they are getting a 75% tax increase! All Democrat controlled for years! Look at the U.K. and you see our future here. I think we need a third party to brake up the mess. Yes, I saw those fines posted before. Seems unconstitutional to me. Big brother is here, cameras at stop lights in Chicago issuing automatic tickets. Where does it end? Pretty soon debtors prison.

I was raised in Southern California until I was about 10, back in late 40's and 50's. It was a wonderful place then, Disney Land, Knott's Berry Farms, Griffith Park, Santa Monica, Big Bear, Olvera St., and we had 5 beautiful homes, most now high rise condos near USC or Holley Wood. I have fond memories. I hope things change for the better for all of us!

Originally Posted by MPDano

Good post and good to know on the License Plate violation fee. Frickin lame. It will only get worse with Brown in office. Trust me, I remember being in elementary school and how much people hated him, can't understand why voters put him back in. It must be all the young voters that don't know any better.

[Normy]

Originally Posted by harborman

Don't forget this new generation was taught by liberal minded teachers, all in unions and most of your "City" folks are Democrats, like in NY, Chicago, SF, LA, etc. Remember Obama came from Illinois and look how bad it is now, they are getting a 75% tax increase! All Democrat controlled for years! Look at the U.K. and you see our future here. I think we need a third party to brake up the mess. Yes, I saw those fines posted before. Seems unconstitutional to me. Big brother is here, cameras at stop lights in Chicago issuing automatic tickets. Where does it end? Pretty soon debtors prison.

I was raised in Southern California until I was about 10, back in late 40's and 50's. It was a wonderful place then, Disney Land, Knott's Berry Farms, Griffith Park, Santa Monica, Big Bear, Olvera St., and we had 5 beautiful homes, most now high rise condos near USC or Holley Wood. I have fond memories. I hope things change for the better for all of us!

If you are going to post POLITICAL things like that you should try posting them in the "Off-Topic: Politics and Religion" forum.
N!

[Pete R]

Isn't Cali going bankrupt? I'd imagine those fines are only the tip of the iceberg.

[harborman]

Yes, they are in real bad shape along with Illinois, Michigan and maybe 5 others. Maybe China will buy them up! Michigan is actually loosing population.

Originally Posted by Pete R

Isn't Cali going bankrupt? I'd imagine those fines are only the tip of the iceberg.

[widebody911]

snopes.com: New California Traffic Laws for 2011

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by widebody911

snopes.com: New California Traffic Laws for 2011

"Undetermined"?? Not exactly an outright refutation of the email.

[Burnin' oil]

Where is the "increase" data?

[herr_oberst]

$1,000 in a handicapped zone - even for a minute- sounds just about right to me.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Pete R

Isn't Cali going bankrupt? I'd imagine those fines are only the tip of the iceberg.

As of today, municipalities and cities can declare BK but states cannot.
I expect that to change when they start defaulting on payments to the tune of tens of billions and the feds refuse to bail them out over and over.

California will not be able to cover all their liabilities as far as union pensions, no matter how much they cut or raise taxes.
They are projecting a $25 billion shortfall but that does not include the estimated $52 billion in unfunded union pensions.

It was Brown who gave them collective bargaining power and they took it to the limit to the point where it will kill the state. Maybe more.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

$1,000 in a handicapped zone - even for a minute- sounds just about right to me.

I know people who have a relative who is handicapped and they have a sticker.
They abuse the sheet out of it, using it every where they go even if alone.
I've seen 10 times as many people use those spots who were obviously not handicapped than people who had a legitimate reason to use them.
I for one think the handicapped parking is a joke and should be eliminated completely.

[Laneco]

Blow a red light or past a school bus with flashing reds?

Forget the fine, if it were up to me the person would be flogged at dawn.

angela

[Bonster]

I love my Porsche too much to put a sticker on it, but I have to wonder what exactly constitutes "unlawful material on vehicle windows"? So I lived in California and didn't like the new governor, would I get busted if I had a "Down With Brown" sticker on my car? Seriously, joking aside, what does this mean? I'm curious on that one.

And I can't believe it costs less to blow a traffic light than it does to park in a handicap spot. I don't like either, and agree both should have fines, but heck! One can kill someone, while the other just ticks someone off (and I say that as a person who really should bug my doc about getting a placard due to back issues). Out here you see morons flying through red lights way too often. I think they should all have their licenses and cars taken away. But that's just me -- I was almost hit last year by an idiot running a light. I'm guessing I was being watched over that day, or maybe all those track days paid off.

[SoCal911T]

Good lord!
Am I the only one that remembers the six pages of Cali bashing from the first time this "news" was posted? It was only ten freaking days ago.
My policy has always been, if I'm guilty I suck it up, take responsibility, pay the fine, do traffic school and then move on. If I'm not guilty, I go to court and contest it.
If you can't pay the fine, DON"T DO THE CRIME.

New California Traffic Fines!!!!!!!

[Stanley]

A blog from the local paper had this to say:

January 14th, 2011 12:32pm
Beware of scary e-mail on traffic fines

by Road.Warrior

“Huge California Traffic Ticket Fines Effective 1-6-2011″

That’s the subject line for an e-mail that’s making its way around the Internet, but it’s wrong and probably something someone started just to upset or scare people.

In checking with Christine Gentry, court operations manager for the Sonoma County court system, the ONLY increase in fines for traffic violations that went into effect at the start of the year was a $4 fee for air ambulance services. The $4 fee, approved last year by the Legislature under Assembly Bill 2173, provided for increased Medi-Cal funding of emergency air ambulance transportation.

Now, traffic fines are costly in California, especially after all of the fees and surcharges levied by the state and county are added in.

For example, the base fine for illegally using a cell phone while driving is $20. But once you add all of the extra fees, including the new air ambulance fee, the total is $160 in Sonoma County. And that’s for your first offense. Do it again and the base fine climbs to $50 and the grand total skyrockets to $280.

So, actually, part of the e-mail is right: The cost of a traffic ticket is downright scary.

Beware of scary e-mail on traffic fines – Road Warrior - The Press Democrat - Santa Rosa, CA - Archive

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by Bonster

I love my Porsche too much to put a sticker on it, but I have to wonder what exactly constitutes "unlawful material on vehicle windows"? So I lived in California and didn't like the new governor, would I get busted if I had a "Down With Brown" sticker on my car? Seriously, joking aside, what does this mean? I'm curious on that one.

those track days paid off.

Likely referring to window tint.

[Jim Bremner]

My take on things: WE the PEOPLE ! need to get it into law that ALL fines need to be set at a decent and just level (This isn't it) and that this level needs to be tied to the average wage of us here in the state.

If the average wage goes up 4% the fine can go up 4%. No extra fees.

If the average person makes $27 an hour that would be a fair rate foe a parking ticket.

10 hours wages is far to extreme for a speeding ticket. but 8 seems fare, oops fair.

Our esteemed people are fleecing us.

My wife is handicapped. $1,000 is way too much for a non handicapped person stealing a handicap spot. Maybe their third time but come om folks.

This is simply another way of taxing us and it's making me pretty pissed.

[slodave]

I totally disagree about setting fines. Fines are a punishment. Hopefully in place to deter one from breaking the law, but if one does, then they get a reminder - a big fine - and hopefully one does not break the law again. As the above link states, the fines did not go up, so there is really nothing to see here anyway. But even if they do go up. One can easily avoid the fine by not breaking the law! You pay to play...

It's the same as when we were kids. Break a rule of the house or whatever and you were punished. Maybe grounded for two weeks without T.V., spanked, paddled. We all *****ed about being punished, but how many times did it take you to figure it out and stop breaking the rules?