Registered drivers in Washington, D.C., will no longer be blocked from renewing their licenses if they have unpaid traffic fines, thanks to a new bill passed by the city council on Tuesday.
The newly passed bill ends the district’s yearslong practice of prohibiting drivers from renewing their licenses if they have outstanding fines related to traffic violations, such as speeding or running red lights. Council members sought to end the rule, arguing it unfairly affects low-income residents who can’t afford to pay off their fines.
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“Are we just going to be punishing poor low-wage folks with tickets while wealthy reckless drivers can pay them off and keep being reckless drivers?” said Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, who voted in favor of the bill. “We know dangerous driving needs to be tackled by a systemic investment in roadway design … rather than trying to penalize or ticket our way to safety.”
However, some city lawmakers argued to keep the law in place, instead voting for an amendment that would’ve narrowed the existing law to withhold license renewals only from drivers with at least three unpaid tickets. Without such policies, the district will put pedestrians at risk, they argued.
“Make no mistake: we are sending a message that will go out and tell people they can run red lights, they can go significantly over the speed limit, and nothing will happen to them. They won’t have to pay their tickets,” said Councilmember Mary Cheh. “We’re inviting dangerous drivers. We’re making our streets less safe.”
Because the district is not a state, it does not have the same jurisdiction over traffic violations that other states have. For example, the city does not operate with a point-based system that causes a driver to lose their license after receiving too many violations, and D.C. police have been encouraged not to chase drivers who are caught speeding.
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As a result, most traffic enforcement is left up to the automatic cameras posted in different D.C. neighborhoods, several of which are located in low-income neighborhoods.
The bill, which passed by a 9-4 vote, now heads to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s desk for signature.
