OHTA.ca

Sometimes I feel lucky we live in Ontario.

AND IF YOU ARE FANTINO IT DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT FOR YOU TO DO WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO(make my life, and lives of those living, working, and driving here miserable)!!!

Virginia, about a year and a half ago, introduced a ticket, the total fines of which are $3550 US. There is a whole slew of offences, but 2 are for speeding: one for exceeding the speed limit by 20 mph (~32 km/h), and for driving faster than 80 mph (~130 km/hr), as well as Racing. All three offences land you a fine of $1000, as well as (only if you are a Virginia resident) 2 fine installments, payable per annum, of $1000 per installment. If you are only driving through Virginia, you do not pay the yearly "tax" if found guilty and convicted of such an offence.

The other thing is that the fine is so huge for such a seemingly small offence (I mean, what's driving 135 on 401 on Cambridge-London stretch? Everyone goes that fast!). It is actually cheaper to get a DUI, which will run you *ONLY* 2250 if you are a resident of Virginia.

Some other costly ($3000) penalties in Virginia are:

Operating after declared hab off (whatever this means)

RD - Generally (same)

Eluding Police

DUI causing bodily harm and/or death

DUI - 3-rd and susequent

DUI (drugs) - 3-rd or subsequent

Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle

RD - Operate improper brakes

RD - Improper control

RD - Pass on crest of hill

RD - View obstructed

RD - Pass 2 vehicles abreast

RD - Drive 2 vehicles abreast

RD - Pass at railroad crossing

RD - Pass a school bus (apparently, school buses are the fastest vehicles on the road in Virginia! That's the way the education should be!)

RD - Fail to give proper signal

RD - Drive too fast for condition (bear would love this one! Except I doubt the conditions get half as bad in Virginia as they do in Ontario.)

RD - Fail to stop entering highway (apparently they have to stop before getting out of their parking lot)

Injuring someone while racing

Fail to stop at the scene of accident

Operate with smoke screen (can't smoke in the car either I guess...)

2-nd and subsequent DUI offences

What a joke.

They're just making it a crime what people already do regardless.

Most of the southern states have speed limits of anywhere from 75 to 85 in the desert down in texas.

I was on the QEW last night everyone was going 130.

If you were in the left lane doing anything less than 125 you would have a traffic jam behind you of angry tailgaters.

No one drives 100. (without there 4 ways on that is or in a traffic jam)

Virginia is also 1 of 2 or 3 states that ban radar detectors.

I think they are illegal in Virginia and DC and i heard about them doing it in FL but it got rejected.

I should add that going 85 MPH or faster in Virginia, which is roughly 135 km/h, is usually a jail sentence. Usually they send you to the county jail for a week. Go too fast and the officer won't bother with a ticket, he'll just slap the cuffs on you and impound the car until you've made bail. They are very strict about traffic laws there.

Another state that is notorious for traffic enforcement is Ohio. Their interstates are covered by the Ohio Highway Patrol. And I mean covered. They will start ticketing at 2-3 MPH over the limit. The stupid thing is that they almost never police their undivided two-lane highways which, of course, is where most of the fatalities occur.

Virginia and the District of Columbia ban the possession of radar detectors. Some other states allow you to possess radar detectors but you are not allowed to use them while driving. Other states, such as Michigan, allow you to possess and use radar detectors while driving... but the police almost exclusively use lidar or use I/O radar and by the time the fuzz buster goes off the cop car is already pulling out to stop the speeding driver.

Yeah, doesn't justify Fantino's push for some of the ridiculous laws he's advocated, but some US states are just bent around the axle about traffic laws. One other thing... in Arizona, disobeying a red light is reckless driving. They'll throw you in jail for that.

The Virginia laws are similar to those in New Jersey, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas -- all designed to raise tens of millions of dollars for state transportation. Virginia legislators hope to raise between $65 and $80 million for transportation projects this year alone from the new fines.

Critics say that essentially makes it a regressive tax.

It's funny to see Virginia legislators readily admit it's mostly about raising money for the state. I'd like to see McGuinty come out and tell the truth like that.

Bookm wrote:. I'd like to see McGuinty come out and tell the truth like that.

Ontario gov't doesn't gets squat from tickets......all goes to Municipalities

The more the municipalities make, the less they need from the Provincial Government. Therefore, the Provincial government (in effect) profits as well.

Bookm wrote:The more the municipalities make, the less they need from the Provincial Government. Therefore, the Provincial government (in effect) profits as well.

So they can dish the money to their friends........wait that's the fed's

hwybear wrote:

Ontario gov't doesn't gets squat from tickets......all goes to Municipalities

Does that include the Licence reinstatement fee that is paid to the MTO?

BelSlySTi wrote:

hwybear wrote:

Ontario gov't doesn't gets squat from tickets......all goes to Municipalities

Does that include the Licence reinstatement fee that is paid to the MTO?

Is that a ticket though?

racer wrote:Is that a ticket though?

It's part & parcel of one if you're charged under section 172!