DENVER — Breaking the law while driving could soon cost you a lot more. State lawmakers taking the first step to increase fines on traffic tickets.

On Tuesday, a house transportation committee passed a bill that would double most state fines for moving violations.

“Our fines in Colorado are three times lower than states like Massachusetts and Vermont. We haven’t actually raised traffic fines in about 3 decades in Colorado,” says the bill’s sponsor, Buffie McFayden of Pueblo.

The State Patrol says it wants fines to go up on moving violations that cause crashes, like DUI, unsafe lane changes and speeding.

“We believe this is a tactic, a strategy we’ll employ to reduce our injury fatal rate,” says Terry Campbell, State Patrol legislative liaison. They hope higher fines will lower danger on the roads.

Drivers paying traffic tickets at Denver’s city and county building say the increases are a good idea. “That’s the first one in 8 years [a speeding ticket]. Being a new father with another on the way. I don’t have a problem with that,” says Erik Anderson of Englewood.

“I think I’d be more scared now to be driving or speeding, think I’d be more aware. I’d be like, ‘Oh my God. I have to pay this much,’” says Franci Moldanado of Denver.

“It does hurt the pocketbook. But it would deter me from speeding,” says Ellen Landy-Steward/Denver.

While most tickets would double, some would triple. Here are examples.

-Speeding 10 to 19 miles over the limit, the fine will increase from $50 to $135.
-Running a red light goes from $35 to $100.
-A first DUI conviction would go from a minimum $500 fine to $1,000.
-An unsafe lane change goes from $35 to $100.
-And careless driving jumps from $50 to $150.

The bill also increases from 50% to 75% the money going to the highway users tax fund if the violation happened on a state or federal highway. That money helps fund the State Patrol as well as work on state highways.

The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.

Tammy Vigil, MyFoxColorado.com Reporter

Locate an Traffic Lawyer in Colorado.

WINTER HAVEN , FLA – Mike Greene says the $261 ticket he got for speeding 10 miles over the limit in a school zone was uncalled for.

But the police and the city say the ticket was fair and square.

The disagreement boils down to whether the slower-speed school zone was properly posted.

Greene said he pleaded not guilty this week to the ticket in Polk County Court.

Police Capt. Lisa Albury said she doesn’t see where Greene has a legitimate gripe.

On Dec. 11, he dropped his son off at Denison Middle School.

Because he had a doctor’s appointment, he took a short path he normally doesn’t take, down Fourth Street Southeast toward Avenue C Southeast.

At that point, he said, he knew without question he was in a school zone.

Then he turned right, heading west on Avenue C.

He passed Grace Lutheran Church and approached Grace Lutheran Early Childhood Center.

There’s only one school zone sign after making the turn.

It’s near the end of the Grace school property and announces: End School Zone.

He said that’s where he got pulled over.

Greene, 42, said that when an officer gave him a ticket for doing 25 in a 15 mph school zone, the officer told him, “Children are a precious commodity.”

Green, in an interview, said he agrees.

“It’s true,” he said, “so why can’t they just put up a school zone sign to warn people turning onto Avenue C to keep it slow?”

He said he believes the lack of a sign is a money-maker for the city at the expense of child safety.

He said the $261 he may have to pay for his ticket should be enough to cover the cost of a sign.

“They know there’s a problem there, but they won’t do anything about it,” he said.

This is simple, said Capt. Albury.

“When you drive into a school zone, you’re in it until you see an end school zone sign” even if you make a turn, she said.

“There are all kinds of kids and a crossing guard there,” she said.

“I don’t see where there’s a problem.”

Albury said the city, not the police, put up signs.

At City Hall, spokeswoman Joy Townsend said Albury is correct about the signs.

“When operating a motor vehicle in a school zone, all drivers should assume they are still in a school zone until they observe an ‘end school zone’ sign,” she said.

Greene said he has a good driving record and doesn’t want this blemish on it.

News Article Rick Rousos – The Ledger

Florida Traffic Laws

MONTEREY, Calif.—Monterey Vice-Mayor Jeff Haferman insists he didn’t run a stop sign and he demands to go to trial over the $159 ticket.

Haferman is also suing the city.

He was given a traffic citation on July 26 for failure to stop Camino Aguajito and Fremont Street at the exit from northbound Highway 1.

The Monterey council member says the intersection is a “speed trap,” that city police have a ticket quota and that the city knew the sign was illegally placed in front of a traffic signal. The city has denied the allegations.

Besides wanting the traffic ticket dismissed, Haferman has asked the court for $3,000 in damages from the city.

Read about California Traffic Ticket Law

From AP Story & Monteray County Herald