California unveils amnesty program for unpaid tickets (2015, insurance)

[bmw335xi]

California unveils amnesty program for unpaid traffic tickets - SFGate

Why reward people who have been racking up tickets and not paying for them. I say if this becomes reality, we should all get a 50% refund on every ticket we've paid.

[shooting4life]

They do this every few years. Why pay for your ticket now when you can get 50-80% off in a couple of years!

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by shooting4life

They do this every few years. Why pay for your ticket now when you can get 50-80% off in a couple of years!

I should have thrown my tickets away but I paid them like a sucker lol

[sourdough]

If their license is suspended. What kind of auto insurance are they holding? None! No wonder my insurance is so high even without a ticket or accident.

[2sleepy]

They do it because there are too many people driving around with suspended driver's license because they can't afford the absurdly high cost of traffic tickets. What they need to do is get rid of the local assessments that quintuple the cost of a traffic citation. And quit suspending driver's licenses for non-payment, treat them like any other civil obligation, they can send them to collections or have the Franchise Tax Board collect them, they have the power to attach wages or seize assets.

[shooting4life]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

They do it because there are too many people driving around with suspended driver's license because they can't afford the absurdly high cost of traffic tickets. What they need to do is get rid of the local assessments that quintuple the cost of a traffic citation. And quit suspending driver's licenses for non-payment, treat them like any other civil obligation, they can send them to collections or have the Franchise Tax Board collect them, they have the power to attach wages or seize assets.

People would need assets for them to be seized. Suspending licenses is actually very successful means to get people to pay tickets. Usually when they need a license for a job.

I agree that tickets prices are too high, but that is because of laws passed by the legislator. We shouldn't be giving discounts to scoff laws, we should reduce the price for tickets for everyone. Also, when tickets were lower the same amount of people didn't pay.

Plus other non monetary punishments are available, like work programs.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by shooting4life

People would need assets for them to be seized. Suspending licenses is actually very successful means to get people to pay tickets. Usually when they need a license for a job.

I agree that tickets prices are too high, but that is because of laws passed by the legislator. We shouldn't be giving discounts to scoff laws, we should reduce the price for tickets for everyone. Also, when tickets were lower the same amount of people didn't pay. Plus other non monetary punishments are available, like work programs.

Do you have any proof that the number of people not paying citations hasn't increased with the cost of the tickets? Because I really, really doubt that. When a person's drivers license is suspended two things can happen to them; their car can be impounded and they can be arrested and put in jail. Unless we are talking about DUI or Reckless driving that is absolutely insane. Here's some interesting facts:

Currently, more than 4 million Californians have had their driver's licenses suspended solely because they have not paid full fines for minor infractions, according to the authors of the report, who analyzed Department of Motor Vehicle data. That accounts for more than 17 percent of adult drivers in the state. For many, the trouble begins when people miss an initial deadline or court date for a traffic infraction, which results in significantly higher fees and penalties. The initial violation could be something as minor as failing to wear a seat belt, not fully stopping at a stop sign, or lacking proof of insurance.

Once people miss payment deadlines or court dates, local traffic judges and commissioners not only suspend their driver's licenses, but also issue a $300 civil assessment, which is added to whatever amounts are already owed, the report explains. These individuals subsequently cannot get their licenses reinstated until they have paid off the full amount, and while the debts are outstanding, they also lose their rights to a hearing. That means many individuals, after missing one court date, are barred from even bringing their cases in front of a judge until they can pay hundreds of dollars.

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/SevenD...ple-in-poverty

[nightlysparrow]

Better some than none when it comes to revenue.

[shooting4life]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

Do you have any proof that the number of people not paying citations hasn't increased with the cost of the tickets? Because I really, really doubt that. When a person's drivers license is suspended two things can happen to them; their car can be impounded and they can be arrested and put in jail. Unless we are talking about DUI or Reckless driving that is absolutely insane. Here's some interesting facts:


http://www.eastbayexpress.com/SevenD...ple-in-poverty

When people get a license they agree to the terms of said license.

I do not have an issue with licenses being suspended, their are a couple of steps before that happens. So the only reason it would happen is because someone ignored multiple contacts from the court to pay your ticket.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by shooting4life

So the only reason it would happen is because someone ignored multiple contacts from the court to pay your ticket.

You are incorrect. If you don't pay your ticket or enter a plea by the date on the notice to appear a $300 administrative fee is added to the citation and your license is suspended. Most courts no longer mail you a courtesy notice, the only notice you get is the copy of the citation you receive. Sixty days after your scheduled appearance date the court sends a reports of an unpaid ticket to DMV. DMV suspends your license. (so much for the 'multiple' notifications) Until June 8th of this year if you missed the notice to appear date on your ticket and tried to appear in court after that date you were not allowed to do so unless you paid the full amount of the citation first plus a $300 administrative fee.

If you think it's a great idea for a person to lose their license, have their car towed and possibly go to jail for not being able to pay a $800 + ticket then you probably ought to get out and mingle with the unwashed masses once in a while because to some people $800 is more than three weeks take home pay. People can fight traffic tickets without paying fine first, Judicial Council says - LA Times

A citation issued in 1993 that cost $100 now costs $480 plus a $300 fee if you are late paying it. The minimum wage in California in 1993 was $4.25 in 2015 it is $9.00. This system is completely out of control The goal of traffic enforcement should be to encourage safe driving, not to rob people.

As recently as 2005, a ticket for drivers going from one to 15 mph over the speed limit in California would cost $99. This would include a base fine of $25 and additional charges of $74 to be shared with the state, the county, the courts and other programs. Only nine years later the same ticket would include a base fine of $35 and another $203 to be divided among the usual suspects for a total of $238. Currently, a ticket with a fine of $120 will cost the motorist about $627 by the time all the additional charges are added. These penalty assessments are running more than four times the base fine.