Virginia, the Lovers State
 

Virginia's new $3,550 speeding ticket:::

Traffic offenders face whopping additional fees that live on long after they've paid their fines. It's part of a growing 'driver responsibility' trend that targets chronic offenders.
By MSN Money staff and wires...

Traffic patrols have long been known as roving tax collectors. But in Virginia, they really are collecting taxes.

Starting July 1, an array of traffic offenses, from expired licenses to speeding, come with a "civil remedial fee" attached. That means a motorist convicted of reckless driving (75 mph in a 55 zone would qualify) faces not only a fine of up to $2,500 and a year in jail, but a non-negotiable $350-a-year tax for three years. The law forbids judges from waiving or reducing the fee.

Many fees dwarf the fines. A driver who disobeys an officer's order to pull into a weigh station would be fined $35 and required to pay a $61 court processing fee. But the civil remedial fee would be $900 over three years.

Drunken driving? A fee of $1,000 a year for three years, plus fines and court costs. No insurance? That's $300 a year for three years, plus fines.

It doesn't stop there. Anyone unlucky enough to have 8 points or more on his license (reckless driving is good for 6 by itself) would pay an additional $100, plus $75 for any points over 8, up to $700 a year.

Such "driver responsibility programs" have become increasingly common for two reasons: Many states find that serial offenders make up the bulk of their cases, and they simply need the money. In fact, Virginia added a fee rather than increase fines because it wanted the money to improve its roads, and revenue from fines must go to public schools. The fees are expected to raise $200 million a year.

Wow, those fines are insane but at least the reasons aren't too unreasonable...

The problem I have a lot with definite speeding fines is that if traffic is going 20 mph over the speed limit, it is more dangerous to drive at the speed limit than it is to stay with traffic or to even drive 30 mph over the limit.

I thought you were a personal responsibility kind of guy. How does bad luck play into it?

I guess you have to balance that with the idea that this is nothing more than a tax and money making venture on the part of the state. Not really designed to deter any behavior.

Then how else would you deter people from speeding and driving drunk? Jail time? That would cost the government money.