Drivers who are caught speeding or violating traffic laws by automated cameras located throughout Washington, D.C., could see additional penalties to their driving records, according to a new proposal.
Under a new bill introduced by D.C. Councilwoman Christina Henderson on Monday, the district government would revise its penalties for traffic violations caught by cameras to issue not only fines to drivers but also add points to their driving records. The bill comes as the district has withdrawn its reliance on police officers to regulate traffic enforcement over the last several years, turning instead to traffic cameras to dole out consequences.
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“In some views, it is a less biased system because someone is not pulling you over because of the color of your skin, they’re not pulling you over because of your gender,” Henderson told the Washington Examiner. “But if we’re going to do that, then we have to have a system in place by which those tickets mean something to push people to change their driving behavior.”
Under the proposed legislation, drivers who are caught speeding will have one point added to their license for each violation, with two points being incurred if the violation occurs in a school zone. For those who accrue more than five points, the bill requires the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles to send a biannual report to insurance companies detailing the infractions as an additional method of enforcement, “especially for out-of-state drivers.”
That’s because under current law, Washington, D.C., does not have a method of ticket reciprocity — meaning there is no enforcement to pay fines on speeding tickets issued by traffic cameras for drivers with Virginia or Maryland license plates.
“I was having a conversation, like who else — what are the other stakeholders who care about a driver’s record? Who else in our stakeholder ecosystem would care about how you are following laws or not, if you’re getting into accidents?” Henderson said. “It’s insurance companies.”
More than 1.4 million traffic tickets were issued from enforcement cameras throughout the district from Oct. 1, 2020, through Sept. 31, 2021, according to the most recent data from the District Department of Transportation. Most unpaid tickets were issued to Marylanders, who made up roughly 48% of all outstanding ticket fines. Virginians came in second, making up about 27% of all unpaid tickets.
Between the two states, drivers owe more than $53 million in traffic tickets. District residents owe about $10.7 million and make up about 16% of total unpaid tickets.
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The proposed bill is the latest effort by lawmakers to address a rise in traffic-related fatalities after the district established new speed limits on some of the city’s busiest roads, reducing speed limits from 30 mph to 25 mph. Other busy roadways are expected to see reduced speed limits in the coming weeks.
The Automated Traffic Enforcement Effectiveness Amendment Act of 2022 has been referred to the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, where it will undergo consideration before being introduced to the full D.C. Council. A hearing for the bill has not been scheduled.
