Not Found, Error 404

The page you are looking for no longer exists.

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.


	October 14, 2005 California State University, Fresno