Another Thing We Can't Afford: Traffic Tickets

Many of us have been there. We're zipping down the highway on the way to work, to school, to karaoke (hey, we're not judging), when we see the familiar red and blue lights in the rear-view mirror. When we hear the siren we think, "please be an ambulance ... please be an ambulance." Nope, it's a cop, and we're busted for speeding, or a broken taillight, or whatever. "We're really sorry, officer," we plead, to no avail. We are sorry, though, because we know that ticket is going to cost us $200.

Increasingly, people aren't able to pay traffic fines. The Palm Beach Post in South Florida paper found that in a recent week, about half of the 350 citations in that county came with letters from the offenders asking for fine reductions. To blame, according to the offenders? Layoffs and homes in foreclosure. Another part of the problem: rising fines implemented by a cash-strapped (aren't they all?) local government. Last year the penalty for going 15-19 miles per hour over the speed limit in Florida was $198; this year it's $233.

Since the city would rather get something than nothing from people who might ignore the citation entirely, the long-term unemployed and the homeless are likely to receive community service sentences rather than fines. Services hours with approved non-profits "pay" the equivalent of $10 an hour. That's a lot of hours for speeding, but sometimes it's the only option. A man named Jameir Cheeks recently appeared before the judge on a driving with a suspended license charge. As with so much lately, his plea was simply: "recession." He lost his job, fell behind on child support payments and then lost his license. His sentence: donate blood as a form of community service.

In Broward and Palm Beach counties, some people who prove financial hardship are granted payment plans so they can pay up over the course of 90 days rather than all at once. Those who do decide not to pay may have their licenses suspended, which is just asking for more tickets and a pricey reinstatement fee. Still others are requesting a trial to buy time before the payment comes due, a tactic officials don't recommend, since court costs will be piled on to those proven guilty.

I'm not saying the police shouldn't issue traffic tickets. Whether or not speeding tickets actually serve as a deterrent to speeding, getting unsafe cars and drivers off the road is important to all of us. But under our current system, people struggling to pay for car insurance and fill the gas tank must prioritize fines issued by the state — hmm, above groceries or below? When they can't pay, or can't pay right away, tickets function as a product of the poverty industry, an item that costs more in the long-run and disproportionately affects the poor. Some places in Europe charge fines based on income level, which not so long ago resulted in a $290,000 speeding ticket for a very, very rich man. Now there's an idea.

Photo credit: davidsonscott15