Some of the increases in fines seem reasonable to me. For example,…
The fine for hitting a cyclist would increase from $50 to $500; a driver failing to yield to a pedestrian while turning right on red would incur a fine of $200 rather than $50; and the penalty for parking in a bike lane would go up from the current $65 to $200 for private cars and $300 for commercial vehicles. Swinging open a parked car’s door into the path of a cyclist would cost $100 instead of $25.
That being said, it seems that the city is using the gawd awful automated ticket generators which mean that at least a good hunk of the money will leave the city and go to the manufacturer of the device. It also means that the city will use the money at the very least to buy more equipment which they would not have had absent of the increased ticket revenues.
Therefore, unless the city was planning on buying the equipment with faery dust and unicorn farts, it is definitely about the money.
Your extract of reasonable fine increases suggests you might be a bicyclist. As a longtime bicyclist myself, I “see where you are coming from,” but nevertheless have misgivings. Too often, flashy new laws to protect bicyclists are accompanied by busybody harassment of bicyclists, eg for rolling through stop signs at deserted intersections. (“If bicyclists are to be protected like motorists, then they should be forced to drive like motorists.”)
50 years on the road have given me a preference for King Log. Bicyclists travel slow enough (or should) so that prudence and simple courtesy (eg.consistently yielding to those with the right of way) should keep them out of serious trouble.
You are correct that I am a cyclist. I have been hit by cars while riding responsibly, with the traffic and abiding by all the traffic laws. (I even have an earth magnet under the bike frame for intersections.) I have actually taken my life into my hands and ridden on the streets of Washington.
In my years of riding I have learned that I am responsible for almost everything. In a crash between me and a truck, I lose. In a crash between me and a car, I lose. In a crash between me and pedestrian, I still lose. So trust me when I say I am extremely careful. I yield to everyone.
My point was that some of the fines seem low. I wonder what the fine is for a door that is opened into the path of a car for example because I can’t see it being as low as $25. (I admit I could be wrong.) It just seems low to me.
Certainly some of the fines seem ridiculously high to me as well.
I suppose the real question is “what is the purpose of fines to begin with? Is it to punish? Is it to teach? Is it to raise money? A combination of any of the three?
I hate excessive fines. I hate fines that are too low. I hate mechanical ticket generators.
Dang. It almost sounds like I am a professional hater.
@gitarcarver: “I wonder what the fine is for a door that is opened into the path of a car for example”
In DC, it’s the same law (18-2214.4) whether you open it into the path of a car or a bicycle or a pedestrian, or whether you just leave it open longer than you need to, as far as I can tell. Although if you open it into the path of a car, you also aren’t going to have a door anymore, which may serve as a deterrent.
@Hugo: “Too often, flashy new laws to protect bicyclists are accompanied by busybody harassment of bicyclists, eg for rolling through stop signs at deserted intersections.”
I have no sympathy. It’s not like cars don’t have to deal with that. And if the police saw you, exactly how deserted was it, really?
And by the way… they actually decreased some fines not long ago. Some of them even seem to be the same ones they’re now increasing. I guess they can’t make up their minds.
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Iso it’s not about the money – it’s about something else, say, getting people to pay attention to traffic laws?
Then why not make the fine $100,000?
Wouldn’t that draw a lot more attention?
Of course it’s about the money.
I agree, it’s about the money. DC’s problem is too many people with diplomatic immunity.
Congress may have something to say about it, especially if a critical mass of Congressional staffers are victims.
If it’s not about the revenue, then the increased fine revenue can be turned in to the Federal treasury.
Some of the increases in fines seem reasonable to me. For example,…
The fine for hitting a cyclist would increase from $50 to $500; a driver failing to yield to a pedestrian while turning right on red would incur a fine of $200 rather than $50; and the penalty for parking in a bike lane would go up from the current $65 to $200 for private cars and $300 for commercial vehicles. Swinging open a parked car’s door into the path of a cyclist would cost $100 instead of $25.
That being said, it seems that the city is using the gawd awful automated ticket generators which mean that at least a good hunk of the money will leave the city and go to the manufacturer of the device. It also means that the city will use the money at the very least to buy more equipment which they would not have had absent of the increased ticket revenues.
Therefore, unless the city was planning on buying the equipment with faery dust and unicorn farts, it is definitely about the money.
@GC–
Your extract of reasonable fine increases suggests you might be a bicyclist. As a longtime bicyclist myself, I “see where you are coming from,” but nevertheless have misgivings. Too often, flashy new laws to protect bicyclists are accompanied by busybody harassment of bicyclists, eg for rolling through stop signs at deserted intersections. (“If bicyclists are to be protected like motorists, then they should be forced to drive like motorists.”)
50 years on the road have given me a preference for King Log. Bicyclists travel slow enough (or should) so that prudence and simple courtesy (eg.consistently yielding to those with the right of way) should keep them out of serious trouble.
Hugo,
You are correct that I am a cyclist. I have been hit by cars while riding responsibly, with the traffic and abiding by all the traffic laws. (I even have an earth magnet under the bike frame for intersections.) I have actually taken my life into my hands and ridden on the streets of Washington.
In my years of riding I have learned that I am responsible for almost everything. In a crash between me and a truck, I lose. In a crash between me and a car, I lose. In a crash between me and pedestrian, I still lose. So trust me when I say I am extremely careful. I yield to everyone.
My point was that some of the fines seem low. I wonder what the fine is for a door that is opened into the path of a car for example because I can’t see it being as low as $25. (I admit I could be wrong.) It just seems low to me.
Certainly some of the fines seem ridiculously high to me as well.
I suppose the real question is “what is the purpose of fines to begin with? Is it to punish? Is it to teach? Is it to raise money? A combination of any of the three?
I hate excessive fines. I hate fines that are too low. I hate mechanical ticket generators.
Dang. It almost sounds like I am a professional hater.
@gitarcarver:
“I wonder what the fine is for a door that is opened into the path of a car for example”
In DC, it’s the same law (18-2214.4) whether you open it into the path of a car or a bicycle or a pedestrian, or whether you just leave it open longer than you need to, as far as I can tell. Although if you open it into the path of a car, you also aren’t going to have a door anymore, which may serve as a deterrent.
@Hugo:
“Too often, flashy new laws to protect bicyclists are accompanied by busybody harassment of bicyclists, eg for rolling through stop signs at deserted intersections.”
I have no sympathy. It’s not like cars don’t have to deal with that. And if the police saw you, exactly how deserted was it, really?
And by the way… they actually decreased some fines not long ago. Some of them even seem to be the same ones they’re now increasing. I guess they can’t make up their minds.
http://dmv.dc.gov/release/dmv-decreases-some-ticket-fines-beginning-april-1-2013