California Institutes Amnesty For Those Who Can't Afford Traffic Fines
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Drivers in California struggling to pay off traffic fines are going to get a break thanks to a new ticket amnesty program that goes into effect Thursday.
"They can bump up to $230 dollars to like $550 plus," said Alfredo Ramos of Sherman Oaks.
He admits that, like many, he speeds when he can.
Ramos says he's received seven traffic tickets, mainly for speeding, over the previous five years and the tickets are expensive.
Traffic fines have skyrocketed in the state since lawmakers have tried to offset budget cuts during the recession.
The result?
Nearly five million Californians have lost their driver's licenses because they were unable to pay a ticket.
"You're just throwing your money away," Ramos said.
But under amnesty program that starts Thursday drivers will get a chance to settle for a fraction of what they owe.
The program only applies to tickets before 2013. Depending on a driver's income, fines could be reduced by either 50 or 80 percent. Some drivers would also be able to make payments in installments.
The program, however, does not apply to reckless driving, drunken driving offenses, or local ordinance infractions like parking tickets.
"It's a great start but we still have a long way to go," said Ray Dorr of Ticket Rescue.
Dorr warns there are consequences with the well-intentioned program.
"You're still getting the point violations on the DMV record, which means that for every point that you're taking, you're still taking a 30 percent insurance increase over the next 39 months that that point remains on your record," he said.
Ramos says he's already taken care of all his tickets and is now paying a lot more attention to the speed limit.
"Luckily, I've eased down a lot," he said.
The amnesty program runs through March 2017.