Virginia's new fines against worst drivers seem to be working

As of July 3rd this year, the Commonwealth of Virginia enacted a new fine schedule that really hits the worst drivers hard in the pocket. People convicted of serious offenses such as drunk driving, reckless driving, and driving on a suspended license face hundred or even thousand of dollars in new fines in an effort to raise tax money for new road work while shifting the burden onto those who pose the greatest risk to other citizens.

I love and applaud this. Contrary to the lies spread by it's critics, it doesn't affect people who commit "minor" infractions like basic speeding, running red lights, not wearing seat belts, etc. It only punishes those who commit the more serious wrongs or those who ring up a significant number of lesser offenses. (People with a lot of negative points on their license face new fees at renewal time as well.)

One such offender caught recently was Jessica Hodges, profiled in today's Washington Post. Jessica was stopped and cited for driving 57 mph in a 35 mph zone. That's Reckless Driving in VA and the new fine will sock her for an additional $1050.00 on top of the regular $100 violation fee. If I had any sympathy at all for Jessica, it disappeared when I read the story. Apparently she was having what she thought were labor pains so she jumped in the car and raced off to the hospital. She wasn't in labor of course and I suspect that it was probably a convenient lie made up on the spot when she got stopped. When I worked as a cop, I heard them all, including that one. So she went to court and rather predictably lost when she admitted that she was speeding and claimed that her being pregnant was more important than obeying the law.
Yeah, ok Jessica...tell that to the parents of the kid you mow down while speeding along. After all, the only thing that should matter in life is you, right?

She then whines that now her husband will have to work overtime to pay for her ticket. Well to be honest, he should be working overtime anyway if he's responsible for a family. The fact that he apparently does not do so now doesn't really impress me, nor does the fact that Jessica apparently had enough time on her hands to call up the Post's reporters then go sit in her car with her baby and pose for pictures.

But enough about that immature (and unattractive) woman. I want to commend Virginia for taking the lead in road safety and I support them in their efforts to enact and defend this policy which puts the financial burden where it should go--on the backs of the worst drivers alone.