Traffic tickets are more expensive than you thought
By: Irma Haldane
With California steeped in massive debt, increased traffic tickets are one way our State government is generating a few extra bucks. Many motorists remain unaware that roughly $28 in penalty assessments are added to every $10 of a base traffic fine in Ventura County, according to county records. That’s a 180 percent markup to the original ticket.
As Christina Egan recently experienced, a $100 citation, with mandated penalties, can run as high as $446. Astonishingly, a $20 cell phone ticket adds up to $97 and many times reaches $143. A $35 ticket for driving up to 15 mph over the speed limit will end up costing $217, including traffic school.
According to Automobile Club of Southern California, over the past few years traffic penalties have increased up to seven times the cost of the base fine.
In Ventura County, about 55 percent of the overall ticket revenue goes to the county, 34 percent goes to the state, 6 percent is allocated between the city and county — depending on where a ticket is issued — and 5 percent goes to crime victims.
Hopefully this will serve as motivation to slow down a bit, come to a full stop and obey traffic laws.
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