A warning to all VA drivers
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From: Maryland
The new laws are harsh, but I don't think that the main purpose is for tax revenue.
I spend a lot of miles on the NoVa, DC, MD roads and there has been an effort over the last few years to crack down on aggressive driving. Pretty much every day I see some car going 80+ (when I'm doing 70 with traffic) and will cut across 3 lanes of traffic to get around someone in the left lane and then go across the 3 lanes to get back in the left lane. This is all done with no signal, little braking and forcing 2-3 other cars to make sudden changes. Granted, the person on the left lane should not have been there when they aren't passing someone.
Last year I saw someone do this about 2 cars ahead of me. I was in the right lane (of 4) getting ready to exit. Some guy came up to fast in the left lane, where there was someone that was going slower than the flow of traffic and whipped over to the right and hit his right rear against the another cars front. He spins around and is going backwards not much more than a car length in front of me around 60-65 mph (I never new peoples eyes could get that big). I moved over to the right on the exit to avoid him, he whips around forward again just before hitting the jersey wall separating the roadway from the exit. No one was seriously injured, but several cars got wrecked (Not mine luckily). I always feel safer in my Chevy pickup versus the S2000.
A couple months ago on I-270 south of Frederick, MD, 2 people in their mid 20s were killed when another car was whipping back and forth between 2 lanes of traffic and hit their car and caused it to go off the road. The other car didn't stop but was reported to be a WRX. I don't know if the police located it. This happened at 8 AM on a work day when everyone is driving south to go to work. The road is full of cars but some people treat it like they are qualifying for NASCAR. The 2 people that were killed were in a Chrysler convertible, with the top down, neither wearing a seatbelt and both were ejected from the car. I didn't make it to my appointment that day, which seems minor considering the alternative.
I spend a lot of miles on the NoVa, DC, MD roads and there has been an effort over the last few years to crack down on aggressive driving. Pretty much every day I see some car going 80+ (when I'm doing 70 with traffic) and will cut across 3 lanes of traffic to get around someone in the left lane and then go across the 3 lanes to get back in the left lane. This is all done with no signal, little braking and forcing 2-3 other cars to make sudden changes. Granted, the person on the left lane should not have been there when they aren't passing someone.
Last year I saw someone do this about 2 cars ahead of me. I was in the right lane (of 4) getting ready to exit. Some guy came up to fast in the left lane, where there was someone that was going slower than the flow of traffic and whipped over to the right and hit his right rear against the another cars front. He spins around and is going backwards not much more than a car length in front of me around 60-65 mph (I never new peoples eyes could get that big). I moved over to the right on the exit to avoid him, he whips around forward again just before hitting the jersey wall separating the roadway from the exit. No one was seriously injured, but several cars got wrecked (Not mine luckily). I always feel safer in my Chevy pickup versus the S2000.
A couple months ago on I-270 south of Frederick, MD, 2 people in their mid 20s were killed when another car was whipping back and forth between 2 lanes of traffic and hit their car and caused it to go off the road. The other car didn't stop but was reported to be a WRX. I don't know if the police located it. This happened at 8 AM on a work day when everyone is driving south to go to work. The road is full of cars but some people treat it like they are qualifying for NASCAR. The 2 people that were killed were in a Chrysler convertible, with the top down, neither wearing a seatbelt and both were ejected from the car. I didn't make it to my appointment that day, which seems minor considering the alternative.
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From: Gie
Originally Posted by whiplash,Jul 5 2007, 01:23 AM
The new laws are harsh, but I don't think that the main purpose is for tax revenue.
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Basically, instead of raising taxes, the state is going to fine the crap out of traffic offenders. At least they are upfront about it, I guess...
Here's my $0.02. It wouldn't be so bad if the speed limits werent so rediculous on highways in Virginia (and many other states for that matter). There are numerous interstate highways and the speed limit is 65 everwhere. Honestly, and I truly feel this way, 80 MPH is a very safe and economical speed to travel on these highways. Most people travel in the 70-75 range already, and particularly on roads like I-95 and I-81, it isn't uncommon to see ALL traffic moving at 80+, including the random police officer. Anything over 80 and the gas mileage falls off. Anything under 80 and it feels like a snails pace.
They should let traffic flow at the pace it desires, within reasonably safety. A $3,000 fine for 80 in a 65 falls under the "penalty not fitting the crime" category in my book.
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From: Gie
[I]This is a general explanation of the new civil remedial fees. It has been prepared
by staff of the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court, which is the
administrative office of the Virginia court system. It has not been reviewed by the
Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia. It does not represent an order of or statement
by the Supreme Court of Virginia. This general explanation is meant neither as legal
advice nor as a
by staff of the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court, which is the
administrative office of the Virginia court system. It has not been reviewed by the
Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia. It does not represent an order of or statement
by the Supreme Court of Virginia. This general explanation is meant neither as legal
advice nor as a
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Joined: May 2007
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From: Central PA
i'm in PA and i heard it on a talk show on the radio last week. they said that the maximum fine for 15 mph over is $2500 and there is a mandatory $1000 added onto all traffic fines. they said it's a way to generate revenue since they decide not to increase tax. there are like 5 states that have similar law but Virgina has the highest fine amount.
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Originally Posted by hondaf1,Jul 5 2007, 07:20 AM
..... the statute states the purpose of these fees is “to generate revenue
from drivers whose proven dangerous driving behavior places significant financial burdens upon the Commonwealth".
from drivers whose proven dangerous driving behavior places significant financial burdens upon the Commonwealth".
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From: Potomac Falls, VA
Originally Posted by st_rage,Jul 4 2007, 10:43 AM
There's really only two ways to go about enforcing the law. The first is to catch every offender and give them a ticket (speed cameras, etc). The second is to make the penalty so severe that nobody would consider breaking the law. Looks like VA is trying the latter.
I'm curous how it will turn out. I'm sure more tickets will be fought and the court costs will skyrocket. All the sudden it's worth the time and money to go to court for Virginians.
The cost of the ticket has never been a deterrent for me. I live in GA and my last ticket was $160 for 65 in a 45. It's the commensurate increase in insurance on an already expensive car that's scary.
I'm curous how it will turn out. I'm sure more tickets will be fought and the court costs will skyrocket. All the sudden it's worth the time and money to go to court for Virginians.
The cost of the ticket has never been a deterrent for me. I live in GA and my last ticket was $160 for 65 in a 45. It's the commensurate increase in insurance on an already expensive car that's scary.
The not using your turn signal fine is failure to use your turn signal while driving wrecklessly.
The truth is, for most people as long as you're driving under 20mph over -- this law does not effect you. It really only targets the worst drivers.
I don't necessarily agree with the law, considering the fines for 1st/2nd/3rd time DUI offenders is exactly the same - while in most states with this law, the fines get extremely high for 2nd and 3rd time DUI offenders. It doesn't make sense for NoVA, where the traffic is the worst because you have a lot of Maryland and DC drivers on the road too. So a Maryland/DC driver can feel free to speed 20+ mph over but not VA? Seems like this law has some problems.
But, hopefully it will force some of the worst VA drivers in this area to slow down.
