Proposal to Stop Enforcing Speeding Tickets

[Anonymous]

So let’s recap:

After the Council’s 11-0 vote (assuming Bowser doesn’t veto), anyone can renew their license regardless of how many speeding, camera, or parking tickets they have.

Drivers who accrue speeding tickets issued by the MPD - but not parking or camera tickets - acquire points that may lead to the loss of one’s license. However, as the MPD rarely undertakes speed enforcement, the risk of a driver losing their license through accruing too many points is very small.

A car with too many tickets may still be booted. However, this risk is infinitesimal given that the city only has two boot crews.

A car with too many tickets may also not be able to re-registered (presumably). However, in the absence of a non-infinitesimal risk of the car being booted or towed, all the owber has to worry about is accruing additional fines for non-registration. But, as the owner cannot be blocked from renewing their driver license as a result of not paying these fines, they have no real incentive not to pay them.

Removing one of the few meaningful sanctions for not paying traffic tickets was a terribly lazy move on the Council’s part. This will not help improve traffic safety issues in DC - which disproportionately affect BIPOC EOTR - one iota.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand. What benefit is there to this proposal, for anyone? Do they just want to be re-elected?

Traffic laws should be strict and strictly enforced. Pedestrian lives matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand. What benefit is there to this proposal, for anyone? Do they just want to be re-elected?

Traffic laws should be strict and strictly enforced. Pedestrian lives matter.

11 Council members wanted to demonstrate that they sympathize with the plight of poor people. But only the type of poor people who have difficulties adhering to traffic regulations and get caught not doing so. Not the type of poor people who get killed or maimed or have their property damaged or destroyed by bad drivers.

Either that or they just don’t want to pay their own tickets. Brooke Pinto (license plate: “CMWARD2”) has hundreds of dollars in outstanding tickets. Other Councilmembers with less conspicuous license plates probably do too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand. What benefit is there to this proposal, for anyone? Do they just want to be re-elected?

Traffic laws should be strict and strictly enforced. Pedestrian lives matter.

11 Council members wanted to demonstrate that they sympathize with the plight of poor people. But only the type of poor people who have difficulties adhering to traffic regulations and get caught not doing so. Not the type of poor people who get killed or maimed or have their property damaged or destroyed by bad drivers.

Either that or they just don’t want to pay their own tickets. Brooke Pinto (license plate: “CMWARD2”) has hundreds of dollars in outstanding tickets. Other Councilmembers with less conspicuous license plates probably do too.

This is ridiculous. She has $740 in outstanding tickets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone see this? There’s a bill going forward for Bowser’s signature that would end the practice of requiring people to pay existing speeding tickets before re-registering their car. Apparently, it’s an economic hardship to expect people to drive the speed limit. If Bowser signs this, I guess she may as well give up on her “safe streets” initiative. I can’t believe we’re actually considering allowing dangerous drivers to just speed recklessly with zero consequences.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/07/12/dc-drivers-tickets-licenses/

Just another nail in the coffin of Democrat controlled cities across America. Consider their ultimate goal, as Democrats continue to vote for this.

Wow you are a Johny one note. How is Texas working out for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is great news. The state shouldn't be able to take away the ability of hard working people to get to their jobs. This is another nail in the coffin of generational poverty for BIPOC.

As a hard working person who takes the bus to work and has to cross busy streets to get to the bus stop, I have no problem with people who refuse to obey traffic laws from being prevented from driving if it means I won't be killed by a driver. There are other people in the world besides drivers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand. What benefit is there to this proposal, for anyone? Do they just want to be re-elected?

Traffic laws should be strict and strictly enforced. Pedestrian lives matter.

11 Council members wanted to demonstrate that they sympathize with the plight of poor people. But only the type of poor people who have difficulties adhering to traffic regulations and get caught not doing so. Not the type of poor people who get killed or maimed or have their property damaged or destroyed by bad drivers.

Either that or they just don’t want to pay their own tickets. Brooke Pinto (license plate: “CMWARD2”) has hundreds of dollars in outstanding tickets. Other Councilmembers with less conspicuous license plates probably do too.

That's just breathtakingly STUPID.

Why is no one speaking up here? The number of pedestrian fatalities have gone up in recent years. Children fatalities have made the news.

Sigh. What a mess of a country we live in.

[Anonymous]

The irony is that the people irresponsible enough to rack up multiple unpaid speeding and parking tickets are probably the same people who don't even bother to vote.

The Council is essentially pandering to a null set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand. What benefit is there to this proposal, for anyone? Do they just want to be re-elected?

Traffic laws should be strict and strictly enforced. Pedestrian lives matter.

11 Council members wanted to demonstrate that they sympathize with the plight of poor people. But only the type of poor people who have difficulties adhering to traffic regulations and get caught not doing so. Not the type of poor people who get killed or maimed or have their property damaged or destroyed by bad drivers.

Either that or they just don’t want to pay their own tickets. Brooke Pinto (license plate: “CMWARD2”) has hundreds of dollars in outstanding tickets. Other Councilmembers with less conspicuous license plates probably do too.

This is ridiculous. She has $740 in outstanding tickets.

Sounds like they need to vote themselves a raise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They need to
a.) enforce
b.) refuse to renew registrations AND licenses
c.) get VA and MD to enforce given a huge percentage of traffic and violators aren't even from DC

Good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is great news. The state shouldn't be able to take away the ability of hard working people to get to their jobs. This is another nail in the coffin of generational poverty for BIPOC.

Gotta love the idea that BIPOC can’t possibly just drive safely or follow the law. Casual racism displays itself in many ways.

This. Years ago, I was offered a ride by immigrant Hispanic neighbors I knew from our kids' school. I was young and stupid and not strictly inclined to use my seatbelt, but they politely asked me to belt up so they wouldn't get stopped by MPD (or wouldn't be found to have violated any rules if they were stopped for some other reason). They were right about safety but also right to insist on basic precautions to avoid citations they couldn't afford. I don't understand why this can't be a basic expectation for everyone. People who can't moderate their speed shouldn't drive, and should expect consequences if they do.

[Anonymous]

My guess is it's an insurance thing. Someone who has no license can't be insured, uninsured hits someone they have a lot less ability yo get covered (suing the uninsured motorist doesn't really help because they likely have no money). They rightfully predict people will drive anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My guess is it's an insurance thing. Someone who has no license can't be insured, uninsured hits someone they have a lot less ability yo get covered (suing the uninsured motorist doesn't really help because they likely have no money). They rightfully predict people will drive anyway.

It’s also just true that more speed cameras are placed in Black neighborhoods which results in Black people who have the least ability to pay disproportionately getting the most camera tickets.

https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/65/6501.asp

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is great news. The state shouldn't be able to take away the ability of hard working people to get to their jobs. This is another nail in the coffin of generational poverty for BIPOC.

Gotta love the idea that BIPOC can’t possibly just drive safely or follow the law. Casual racism displays itself in many ways.

This. Years ago, I was offered a ride by immigrant Hispanic neighbors I knew from our kids' school. I was young and stupid and not strictly inclined to use my seatbelt, but they politely asked me to belt up so they wouldn't get stopped by MPD (or wouldn't be found to have violated any rules if they were stopped for some other reason). They were right about safety but also right to insist on basic precautions to avoid citations they couldn't afford. I don't understand why this can't be a basic expectation for everyone. People who can't moderate their speed shouldn't drive, and should expect consequences if they do.

And yet it’s been empirically proven that cameras are placed disproportionately in predominantly Black communities.
https://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2018/dc-policycenter.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is great news. The state shouldn't be able to take away the ability of hard working people to get to their jobs. This is another nail in the coffin of generational poverty for BIPOC.

Gotta love the idea that BIPOC can’t possibly just drive safely or follow the law. Casual racism displays itself in many ways.

This. Years ago, I was offered a ride by immigrant Hispanic neighbors I knew from our kids' school. I was young and stupid and not strictly inclined to use my seatbelt, but they politely asked me to belt up so they wouldn't get stopped by MPD (or wouldn't be found to have violated any rules if they were stopped for some other reason). They were right about safety but also right to insist on basic precautions to avoid citations they couldn't afford. I don't understand why this can't be a basic expectation for everyone. People who can't moderate their speed shouldn't drive, and should expect consequences if they do.

And yet it’s been empirically proven that cameras are placed disproportionately in predominantly Black communities.
https://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2018/dc-policycenter.pdf

I’m confused. Is your argument that speed cameras are causing black people to speed? It’s very simple, don’t speed, and you won’t get a ticket. The speed camera being present doesn’t change that.