Increasing fines should be a deterrent
By Sean Mulhair
The Collegian
Hefty citation fines will make
careless driving costly for bad drivers in the Central Valley.
If getting killed isn’t enough motivation to drive safely, Valley
police have an expensive surprise for some of us. It’s funny that
we value financial loss over our own mortality.
Noreen Strickland of the Fresno Traffic Bureau said running a red light
camera could cost a minimum of $380. Speeding carries a $125 price tag
and can continue to rise depending on the speed reading over the limit
and prior convictions. DUIs carry a fine of $1,570 to $4,605, a revoked
drivers license and possible prison time.
Strickland said if drivers have previous violations ticket prices would
inflate drastically. A delinquent citation fee is an additional $250.
Fresno Traffic Police Sgt. Eric Eide said more than 85,000 citations were
issued last year in Fresno County. The highest risk demographic is 18-to
25-year-olds.
Eide said the concentration of traffic violations reflect population density.
Freeways and major artery roads tend to be a higher risk.
DUI violations are growing at an alarming rate. DUIs are expensive. They
can cost you your driving privileges, your life or the lives of others.
If you thought your speeding ticket was expensive, some fines can get
much worse.
The Fresno Traffic Bureau said high minimum fine violations include driving
on railroad tracks $2,000, giving false information to officers $3,000
and transporting more than one kilogram of narcotics (felony) $250,000.
Now that drivers are buying less gas at the pumps; maybe they’ll
be less psychotics behind the wheel since their four-wheeled ignorance
is starting to drain their savings accounts.
Be a safe, courteous driver and you’ll never have to worry about
bank-busting fines or incarceration. Not many people drive in prison,
or in a grave.
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