The stiff financial penalties Virginia drivers will pay beginning Sunday for any of a slew of traffic violations should make the commonwealth’s roads safer, Gov. Tim Kaine said Tuesday in response to mounting public criticism of the toughened sanctions.
The fines, expected to generate $65 million annually, are part of the massive transportation funding plan legislators and the governor approved in April. The “civil remedial fines” will be tacked onto the existing penalties for misdemeanors and felony traffic offenses.
“My hope is that we do not raise much money from the fees,” Kaine told The Examiner in a Tuesday interview. “I think the fees offer strong incentives for folks to be better drivers and make the right decisions when they are behind the wheel.”
As the law imposing the new fines nears its effective date, Virginia motorists are expressing outrage at the steep costs. Unlike traditional penalties, the new fees must be paid annually for three years. The first payment will be sent to the court handling the driver’s case, and the next two will go to the Department of Motor Vehicles over the following two years. The fines could total between $750 and $3,000.
“Our government on all levels is out of control,” George Young, a South Riding resident, told The Examiner. “The state of Virginia should not be permitted to use fines as a way to collect revenue to generate funds for roadways.”
Only Virginia drivers will pay the fees, however, because they are administered through the state’s DMV. That is another point of contention for the commonwealth’s motorists. During this year’s legislative session, the state Senate supported several funding plans that included methods, such as a higher gas tax, that would have forced out-of-state drivers to contribute to transportation financing. The House of Delegates, generally considered to be more conservative than the Senate, adamantly opposed higher taxes for roads and mass transit.
The new law also will impose annual penalties on drivers who accumulate at least eight demerit points on their records after Sunday. The offending motorists will pay an additional $100 fine plus $75 for every demerit point over eight.
New fees
A sample list of new fees that will be imposed on Virginia drivers beginning Sunday. The fees will have to be paid every year for three years.
» Vehicular manslaughter $1,000
» Felony DWI $1,000
» Felony failure to signal $1,000
» Felony speeding above 80 mph $1,000
» Misdemeanor DWI $750
» Misdemeanor failure to signal $350
» Misdemeanor speeding 20 mph above limit $350
» Attempting to elude police $300
» Driving without insurance $300
» Driving with suspended license $250
