VA is issuing speeding tickets over $1000.00

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...s_N.htm?csp=34

Unacceptable.

 

that is crazy

 

I hate this state. Its worse than even california. I will make it my goal to vote against every single incumbant who supported this crap. Its ridiculous.

 

the speeding is stupid. but i think the people who drive drunk or wit a suspended liscense should pay out the *** for a ticket. maybe will make them think a lil more. but that is probley unlikely.

 

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...

 

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 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!

 

I'm seriously tempted to move my car registration from VA to DC...

 

ugh I cringed when I saw this topic title. Really a disappointment for most VA residents.

 

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.

 

Based on personal experience with DC, try MD instead.

 

Oh they are on a few things. I know because I watched some get denied a DC registration because they had not paid a fine in Fairfax County.

 

TECHNICALLY, regardless of the registration of your vehicle, you are supposed to pay the personal property tax and buy a county permit if you live in areas of NOVA (speaking about Arlington, but assuming its the same for Fairfax and other places). Its easier to dodge if you live in home w/ a garage but not as easy in an apartment complex or condo since you need to register your car with the building. Periodic checks for the permits do occur and once they find you're not paying, they will find you. That said, I am glad I have out of state plates in VA .

 

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 )

 

They should just make it 1 milllllion dollars muahhahahaha


*sigh* we're gonna see a lot more high speed car chases.