Va. Drivers: Prepare for New Traffic Penalties

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VIRGINIA DRIVERS should beware: Traffic violations from speeding to drunk driving to driving without a license are going to hurt a lot more. So-called "civil remedial fees" for all misdemeanor and felony traffic violations will be imposed by the commonwealth on top of fines judges might give reckless drivers. As The Post's Tom Jackman reported on Saturday, the new fees will go to help fund $1 billion in transportation improvements approved as part of a legislative package OK'd by lawmakers earlier this year.

Let's take a look by the numbers at what Virginians might be facing if they find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

» $300: The fine first-time drunk drivers should expect from a judge.
» $2,250: The commonwealth's fee first-time drunk drivers must pay.
» $900: The commonwealth's fee for driving without a license.
» $75: The fee drivers will pay per point if they're assessed more than eight points on their driver's license.

» $130 million: The amount New Jersey raises from its traffic violation "surcharges."
» $65 million to $120 million: The projected dollar amount Virginia expects to raise from its civil remedial fees.

Drivers from outside the commonwealth would not be subject to the extra fees.

» "Hefty Fees In Store for Misbehaving Va. Drivers" [WaPo]

Photo by Robert A. Reeder/The Washington Post