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This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.
Road safety is a major concern in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Most accidents result from human error, while others result from reckless driving that places motorists and other drivers at risk of injuries and may result in fatalities.
Motorists can be their own enemies, and a change of attitude while practicing safe driving behaviors can help minimize the number of accidents on the road. However, many drivers often act with a reckless and carefree attitude. “Unless motorists choose to act responsibly on the road, traffic regulations and laws may not help much,” says personal injury attorney Arren Waldrep of Price Benowitz Accident Injury Lawyers, LLP law firm. The problem is not limited to drivers in the District, as there are a large number of bad-behaving drivers locally in Maryland and Virginia.
Virginia and Maryland Drivers Largely To Blame
In an article in the Washington Post, District officials expressed their frustration in the number of Virginia and Maryland drivers with unpaid tickets issued by the District. According to officials, the amount of unpaid tickets run well into hundreds of thousands. However, due to a lack of regional cooperation in enforcing automated tickets, the same drivers keep reoffending without fear of consequences.
By the end of May 2021, the number of outstanding photo tickets was 1.9 million. While addressing the issue, the District’s Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure (DMOI) Lucinda M. Babers, said the city has over $500 million in unpaid tickets and parking fees. According to Babers, Maryland motorists are responsible for over 40 percent of the unpaid fines, with residents of the District carrying a 25 percent share.
Taking Pride in Breaking the Law
What’s more disconcerting is that some offenders take pride in breaking traffic laws. This pride is evident in the number of people boasting of breaking D.C. traffic regulations while commenting on news articles addressing the District’s automation efforts to enhance road safety. Even when motorists may not like automated traffic law enforcement, every driver is responsible for abiding by the law.
It is Everyone’s Responsibility
There is a need for regional governments to take a serious look at collaboration to help bring offending motorists to justice.
Every person must play their part to make the roads safer for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. If every motorist realized that they have responsibility for themselves and the people around them, stopping risky driving behavior is possible. Some common risky road behaviors include distracted driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and road rage.
The District has a role to play too. There are too few enforcement officers on the ground. Getting more people on the ground can help locate offenders and have their vehicles towed until their owners comply and pay outstanding fines and fees, including other statutory fines for willfully evading justice.
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