Virginia Laws: Stiff Fines added July 1st

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Hail2theskins

I received a wreckless driving for failing to use my turn signals 4 years ago. All i did was change lanes to get into the turn lane and bam ticketed me, at the time i was still under 18 so i ended up having to go to court and all that jazz, it was ridiculous. Some of the driving laws in VA are insane. You know what else really gets me, this is to raise funds to improve the roads right? how much improvement do you think northern virginia is really gonna see... practically none, all the fat cats down in richmond will make sure those roads are real nice around richmond while the rest of us in Nova, which pays the overwhelming majority of taxes in VA suffer through the worst traffic in the country and the VA govt does nothing about it.

In Va. its not reckless driving for failing to use a turn sig. If you went to court the judge should have throwing it out as its minor violation of not using a turn sig.

[724Skinsfan]

Originally Posted by firstdown

In Va. its not reckless driving for failing to use a turn sig. If you went to court the judge should have throwing it out as its minor violation of not using a turn sig.

Actually, I think it is considered reckless driving but only as a way of categorizing the offense. Reckless driving has a pretty broad defintion.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by 724Skinsfan

Actually, I think it is considered reckless driving but only as a way of categorizing the offense. Reckless driving has a pretty broad defintion.

It may have been the way he changed lanes which was the issue and not just that he didn't use his turn signal.

[BigSKINBauer]

Originally Posted by 724Skinsfan

Actually, I think it is considered reckless driving but only as a way of categorizing the offense. Reckless driving has a pretty broad defintion.

My aunt got reckless driving for backing up into a car in a parking lot. It wasn't a normal parking lot (not rows and rows of parking). I guess it is a U shaped parking lot with the open space in the U being pretty big. So she is on the sides and backed out and hit a car that was coming into the parking lot. She backed up like 15 feet so they called it reckless driving.

[Sammy Baugh Fan]

This will hammer the poor folks. Poor folks are the ones struggling to keep their car up and are the ones who will bear the brunt of these fines.

I still don't believe this can really hold up in court. Politicians pass stuff all the time that don't fly. This has to be one.

I'm suprised it's me a Republican screaming and not some of you left wing ACLU card carrying members flipping out about the poor folks. lol

Where's the love man?!?!??!!

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Sammy Baugh Fan

This will hammer the poor folks. Poor folks are the ones struggling to keep their car up and are the ones who will bear the brunt of these fines.

I still don't believe this can really hold up in court. Politicians pass stuff all the time that don't fly. This has to be one.

I'm suprised it's me a Republican screaming and not some of you left wing ACLU card carrying members flipping out about the poor folks. lol

Where's the love man?!?!??!!

So if your poor its ok to drive a dangerous car on the roads and to top it off speed and drive bad?

[Sammy Baugh Fan]

Originally Posted by firstdown

So if your poor its ok to drive a dangerous car on the roads and to top it off speed and drive bad?

You never heard me say that or can quote me so don't try and put words in my mouth.
These fines are wrong for everyone. My point could be taken to say the cops won't be sitting at the luxury mall paking lots but at Walmarts and strip malls where more folks of lower income tend to be.

The fact is you will be punished TWICE. You pay the regular Ticket fine and for 3 more years you mail them additional fine money just to raise tax money THEY WASTE LIKE IT'S FREE Money already. Spend what you are jacking me in the arse with properly and you won't need more money.

Sorry for screaming
peace

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by Sammy Baugh Fan

You never heard me say that or can quote me so don't try and put words in my mouth.
These fines are wrong for everyone. My point could be taken to say the cops won't be sitting at the luxury mall paking lots but at Walmarts and strip malls where more folks of lower income tend to be.

The fact is you will be punished TWICE. You pay the regular Ticket fine and for 3 more years you mail them additional fine money just to raise tax money THEY WASTE LIKE IT'S FREE Money already. Spend what you are jacking me in the arse with properly and you won't need more money.

Sorry for screaming
peace

See, the problem should not be how to pay for MORE government. Let's CUT Gov't spending, and then we do not need greater fines at all. I can then traverse the sacred parking space lines at will!

[Sammy Baugh Fan]

Originally Posted by Hog1

See, the problem should not be how to pay for MORE government. Let's CUT Gov't spending, and then we do not need greater fines at all. I can then traverse the sacred parking space lines at will!

Hog1 For President!!!!!!!

Or at least Govenor of Virginia

[70Chip]

No one should be surprised to hear that the legislator behind this is a lawyer specializing in traffic cases.

[hooskins]

It shouldnt matter for good drivers but the fines are excessive. I can't wait to see the reaction by citizens in a couple months when they all start getting decked 1k for driving across a parking lot.

[MTK]

Use your turn signals, don't cut across parking lots, and you'll be fine. I honestly don't see what the big deal is, unless you're a bad driver who doesn't follow the rules of the road and use common sense.

[Gmanc711]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Use your turn signals, don't cut across parking lots, and you'll be fine. I honestly don't see what the big deal is, unless you're a bad driver who doesn't follow the rules of the road and use common sense.

Common, seriously? Cutting across parking lots? Who really cares...I mean if you really want to pull someone over for driving in compleltey open space, than fine....but A THOUSAND DOLLARS????

People on this board cant tell me they dont make turns occasionally without using their signals...I'm not saying they do that everytime, but common we have to be realistic. I actually agree with SBF here (for once), this is rediculous. Why not jack up the fines for the idiots who go 80 in a 55 or do some REAL bad driving...cutting across a parking lot???? A PARKING LOT!?

And my other problem with this is their reasoning behind it...you are going to fine someone 1000 extra dollars to help raise money for the state? Thats the best you can come up with? If you want to raise the penalties a tad, maybe 50, hell even 100 dollars, than do what you have to do....but that is beyond rediculous, imo.

[firstdown]

I think the parking lot fine is for someone who cut across a parking lot to avoid waiting for a light. Like at a corner 7/11.

[CooleyAsCanBe]

I agree the fines are high, but the $1000 penalty only usually attaches in cases where the violator is a felon or the action in question leads is the proximate cause of someone's death (you cross a parking lot illegally and run over granny). In most cases they are $300 or $350 fines, which are still high, but not nearly as nasty as $1000.

I haven't read the law, but hopefully it includes channeling provisions for the revenue created so that a good portion has to come north to fund the projects we desperately need. As painful as a fine like this is, I prefer it to an across the board tax increase.