Driving laws set different standard for Virginians
Posted on August 27, 2007
Friends Dena Gaunt and Nazly Shafagati have a lot in common. They’re both seniors. They both live off campus. And they both have cars at school. However, if they were both pulled over for reckless or aggressive driving in Virginia, Shafagati’s fine would be hundreds of dollars more expensive than Gaunt’s.
The controversial abusive-driving fees, effective July 1, 2007, only apply to drivers registered in Virginia. The fees range from $750 to $3,000 for drivers convicted of reckless-driving charge, according to The Washington Post.
Virginian Shafagati doesn’t think the fees are fair.
“I think that if you are driving on Virginia roads the rules should apply to you, regardless of which state you live in,” she said. “A lot of speeding or driving issues are not caused by Virginia residents but out-of-staters who speed and refuse to follow rules.”
Gaunt said that the fines are too much and is glad they wouldn’t apply to her.
“I think that’s a ridiculous price to pay,” she said. “Drivers should obey the laws, but everyone makes mistakes from time to time.”
The dramatically increased abusive-driver fees were intended to make the roads safer by targeting reckless driving while raising revenue for transportation. Virginia State Police issued 100,000 reckless driving citations last year and local departments have issued thousands more, according to the Post.
The Post also reported that more than 170,000 people have signed an online petition to repeal the law and at least three people have sued the state to challenge the statute’s constitutionality. The lawsuits focus on the exemption of non-Virginia motorists.
Senior David Morrow said that people should be treated equally under the law.
“Where do you draw the line?” he asked. “If where you’re from applies to where you stand under the law we’re back to where we were 50 or 60 years ago.”
Junior Rachel Stevenson is from Delaware, and while she says she sympathizes with Virginia, she isn’t as concerned when she gets into her car.
“I don’t feel affected by it at all,” she said. “I won’t be changing my actions much.”
Sophomore Tyler Charnock is a resident of Virginia and finds the abusive-driving fees ridiculous.
“It doesn’t make sense that it doesn’t apply to everybody,” he said. “Even if you’re not from here you’re driving here.”
On Aug. 22 Republican leaders in the Virginia General Assembly said they intend to introduce a plan to apply the fees to out-of-state motorists as well. If the Republican Party is still the majority in the House of Delegates and Senate after the Nov. 6 election they plan to implement these new additions when the legislature convenes in January, according to the Post.