No More Fines: A Traffic Safety Revolution
By NMA President, James Baxter
For over thirty years I have heard every excuse and permutation conceivable to justify more and larger fines for traffic law violations. The one thing they all have in common is that there is no evidence that they reduce accidents.
The founders of our country were clearly aware of the corrupting and corrosive potential that derives from allowing the “enforcers” to profit from enforcement.
They knew better than to allow enforcement agencies, or the governments that employ them, to profit from law enforcement activities. That’s why many state constitutions mandate that fines and financial penalties be diverted to non-enforcement purposes such as education or libraries.
Unfortunately, less gifted legislative bodies, in the intervening years, have created legal fabrications that allow the circumvention of these needed restraints.
I propose we strike this beast at its heart; we eliminate financial penalties for traffic law violations.
No money means no enforcement for profit. The remaining enforcement activity would be concentrated on truly dangerous drivers. Wouldn’t that be novel!
There is no serious evidence that traffic fines really have a positive effect on highway safety. That’s not the same as saying traffic law enforcement doesn’t, or can’t, have a positive effect on highway safety.
I’m saying traffic fines are ineffectual. After almost thirty years of listening to ticket recipients I can attest to the constancy of one refrain:
“I don’t mind paying the fine, but I don’t want the points on my driving record.”
Many times followed by:
“I don’t want my insurance rates jacked up for the next three years.”
Clearly, it’s the points and the implied potential for loss of license and increased insurance rates that are the real deterrents.
The government types aren’t so slow as to miss this point, nor to fail to capitalize on the leverage it offers.
Any prosecutor with more than a week’s experience knows that an offer of “no points” converts a determined “not guilty” to a compliant “no contest.”
I propose that the current corrupt fine system be replaced by a non-negotiable point system.
- The points would be assessed much like they are today, based on the seriousness of the violation.
- The violations could be contested in court, just like they are today.
- If the number of points exceeds a set number over a set time span the operator’s license would be suspended for a specified period of time.
- Escalating non-financial penalties, including jail time, could be applied to those driving on a suspended license.
I can already hear the road warriors out there bemoaning the loss of the “easy out,” just pay the fine, forget the points, and be on your way. However, that’s the system that has gotten us where we are today; wholesale government extortion of motorists.
This change will not take place in a vacuum, and the ramifications will reach far beyond the obvious:
- Small villages with populations of 200 people will not be fielding 20 man police department to patrol the half-mile of Interstate that passes through the village boundaries.
- County Sheriffs’ departments and city police departments will redirect the man hours spent operating speed traps to dealing with real crimes and providing emergency services.
- High profile enforcement binges will become rare events.
- There will be far fewer people driving on suspended licenses which will result in more insured drivers (no license, no insurance coverage).
- Significantly reduced case loads in traffic courts, perhaps resulting in the return of due process for persons charged with a traffic violation.
- And, the allure of ticket cameras will also fade into oblivion.
Why all these positive changes?
Taking the money out of the system will vastly reduce the number of tickets issued and change the priorities for law enforcement agencies. There will be no financial incentive to ensnare normal citizens with arbitrary traffic law enforcement.
Replacing traffic fines with a non-monetary penalty system could dramatically improve the driving experience in the US. No more revenue and profit-driven enforcement. And, yet there would be meaningful deterrents to dangerous and unsafe drivers that would equally affect the poor, the wealthy, and everybody in between.
Let me know what you think about this “revolution!”
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THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY TO COLLECT FINES BESIDES SUSPENSION.THIS HAS CREATED A CLASS OF CRIMINALS WHO SIMPLY CANT OR WILL NOT PAY THERE FINES.HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS DRIVE WITH NO INSURANCE FOR JUST THIS REASON.THOUSANDS MORE FILL UP THE JAILS.I THINK ITS TIME OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE MADE TO CONFRONT THESE ISSUES IN A SYSTEM THAT IS CORRUPT AND FRAUGHT WITH INEQUITIES.WE WOULDNT NEED MORE JAILS,PROSECUTORS,COPS, TO CONTINUE EXTORTING MONEY FROM THE VERY PEOPLE THEY OWE THERE JOBS TOO!!! WHEN WILL SOMEONE WHO MATTERS WAKE UP AND TAKE A STAND ON THESE ISSUES.
There is no doubt that this is one of the major problems on the roadways in the United States. I spent 40 years as a commercial transport operator and a commercial motor coach operator and I can tell you that this threat to the drivers of all vehicles are effected in a negative manner by what I consider government at all levels to be corrupt and every thing they do is to increase the money they are able to control whether it be income tax, property tax, road use tax, sales tax etc, etc. I am amazed that another can see this scam that has been perpetuated upon the American public although it is far older than the global warming scam it has been a very expensive one and has been an instrument I believe in the premature deaths of a number of people not to mention the burden placed upon those earning a living behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle. Wouldn’t it be marvelous to return our law enforcement agencies back to concentrating on the public safety of the citizens they have sworn to protect. Fred
If the law is being broken they will enforce it. If you want to decrease the amount of money the government takes in from traffic fines simply reduce the number of traffic violations. As a commercial driver you probably drove as fast as you could get away with in order to meet your deadline for pick up or delivery. or to keep a schedule. If you complied with the speed limits and obeyed all the other traffic laws safety would take care of itself and the police could concentrate on other more important issues. Let me ask you, how many tickets did you recieve where you were in 100% compliance and you still recieved a citation? I do agree with you on the global warming being a scam though.
if i let a friend borrow my car and she got a speeding ticket does that make mine insurance go up
one thing for sure- if people fear higher insurance rates they must fear ticket costs as well. They’re both money.
In Europe fines are strictly civil- they can take the vehicle but not the driver, no arrest powers on civil matters. If money losses don’t deter then the only thing left is jail, which some don’t mind either.
Probably road design and flexible traffic controls are more effective overall at reducing risks. The suggested changes aren’t really changes from the driver’s point of view, but of course are well-advised as to removing the incentives to bad behaviour by LEO.
BTW- always register the vehicle out-of-state and in a company name. Can’t tell you how many tickets are avoided that way, all “business offenses” or paperwork violations are immunized. These only apply to in-state vehicles and to drivers with personal registrations.
i borrowed a family members car to take my father home today,as the car uses alot less gas than my truck and its a very long drive, a state patrol man pulled us over and said the car was loud (it was not)also said liscence plate light was out (it was)so he informs me my neice has 2 unpaid parking tickets and the plates are suspended,so i tell him the plates are good til feb 2009(i know this cuz i looked before i used the car as i am a responsible driver)and havent had a ticket in 14 years. so this idiot cop gives me a ticket for bad plates and no ticket/bad lights on plates, basically-i got a ticket for something i diddnt do and no ticket for what he pulled me over for.i hope they throw this out of court otherwise im gonna fight it-hate to waste tax payers money but what else can i do? i will take it to jury trial if i have too even if it costs me more money cuz i refuse to give the pri(k the satisfaction- dave wisconsin
I hate do this but Im about to rant and rave for a minute or two.
First of all I truly do respect police men and women. However the true corruption that goes on (and I’m not talking about every officer) ruins our respect and personally mine. The corruption in my town and the surrounding town is ludicrous including a lot of the state police.
My Uncle frank is an ex-MA statie. And of my good friends who is a cop want to quit because of the bullsh*t that is going on in the system nowadays. Yes officer Joe we do need you and want you to be there when shit hits the fan.
However, there is feeling that why should I trust an officer just because I now need his help. Slow response times and sh*tty please work isn’t solving anything!!!
I just read a recent study that guess how many accidents were caused by speed??? 50, 60, 70% no 4% just four.
Honestly tell me when a True traffic survey was done about reasonable and prudent speed limits which is required? Look at our Europeans palls this done at least every two years. But not us. Please tell me in a honest opinion that 75 or 80 miles per hour on a three or four lane highway is not reasonable and prudent.
Also what up this general speed limit settings just because of a population section where it is actually prudent to drive a different higher or lower speed limit (if that makes any sense).
Anyways I digress that look at the unfair judgment on speeding. Oh no its cool because you dont have a speeding record and youre ONLY going 90 in a 55. Oh wait Mr. I have two tickets on the books Ill charge you for 10 maybe even five over the speed limit.
Obviously people are going to speed when the speed limits are unreasonable!
I completely agree with this article that a point system not a monetary system is a much better reasoning for speeding etc.
The more tickets the higher youre Insurance rate goes up. Also though I think serious offenses like OUI and DUI should be STRICKLY enforced and with severe punishments HIGH fines and long I mean very long license suspensions aka years just for the first one. etc. This is just one example. Also the quotta is illegal but states have gotten around this. MA just 3 years started a system that every ticket a statie writes he gets an hour of overtime and half an hour of overtime for a written warning.
I know this is just a rant and possibly some good ideas but then again Im probably f*cked in the head by OJ’s standards (no offense). Obviously are system is F*CKED up and something needs to be done about it. At leat restate joe I do truly respect ya maybe not trust ya but respect ya. Im out for now. Peace and love