The District raked in nearly $2 million in three months under an amnesty program for drivers who haven’t paid their traffic tickets. But that’s only a small fraction of the amount yet to be paid — nearly a third of a billion dollars. Drivers paid 35,357 long-overdue tickets and coughed up $1,902,665 since the program started, according to the city’s Department of Motor Vehicles.
But that take is dwarfed by traffic fines yet to be paid — $355 million as of Sept. 1.
“The city of Washington cannot countenance this, and the motoring public shouldn’t wink at this, because a growing number of motorists with open traffic tickets are openly flouting the law,” said AAA Mid-Atlantic’s John Townsend. “If you have unpaid tickets, not only are you a scofflaw, but it can lead to your driving privileges being suspended, and that poses an even greater problem for you.”
Public safety is also a concern, Townsend said, because drivers who don’t pay tickets may end up having their licenses suspended.
The District’s problem is small compared to New York City’s, where drivers have yet to pay $680 million in parking fines.
Drivers who don’t pay District tickets on time have their fines doubled after 30 days. Depending on the type of ticket, they may also have their licenses revoked or their vehicle booted.
But they still have a chance to pay old tickets without the hefty late fees — amnesty continues through Jan. 27, 2012. Tickets issued before Jan. 1, 2010 are eligible for amnesty.
So far, drivers in Maryland have paid the most — 17,387 tickets costing $931,024. District residents paid 9,928 outstanding tickets, shelling out $559,311 to the city. Virginia drivers paid 5,968 tickets worth $302,894.
The District’s last round of ticket amnesty was in 2001, when it collected $2.02 million from previously unpaid tickets.
