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By Roger Chesley The Virginian-Pilot May 1, 2012 First, motorists in Virginia Beach didn't obey traffic lights. Now, they're disrespecting the law even further. So I'm not surprised that city officials cracked down on driverswho refused to pay for red-light-running violations. The onlymystery is why officials took so long. The Pilot's Aaron Applegate recently reported that about 1 in 4people who got the $50 photo-red tickets hadn't been paying up. ThePolice Department had few ways to collar the delinquents. Last month, though, the treasurer's office got involved. It canplace liens on paychecks or bank accounts, as it does to collectother debts. And - voila! More people with overdue tickets are finally gettingreligion - or a conscience. A little history: The Beach and several other localities in Virginia operated thecameras until a pilot project ended in 2005. The General Assemblylater passed legislation allowing more communities to use thesystems. Virginia Beach restarted the cameras in 2009. Chesapeake and Newport News also monitor certain intersections withthe cameras. Norfolk has received a bid from Redflex TrafficSystems to start a program but still needs state approval before itlaunches, a city spokeswoman said Monday. The cameras improve safety by reinforcing the quaint notion thatdrivers should stop at red lights - instead of flooring it. In Virginia Beach, statistics from the past two years reveal theprogram is working as officials had hoped. Thirteen intersections are monitored in Virginia Beach. In 2011,with the same number of cameras and intersections monitored, thedepartment issued 11 percent fewer citations than in 2010, MasterPolice Officer Brian Walters, coordinator of the program there,told me. That means more drivers are abiding by the rules. Walters said he believes only about 10 percent of violators actually ignore theirtickets. Car owners don't always alert the state Department ofMotor Vehicles when they change their addresses, and Walters saidhis office gets five to 10 notices a day that are returned asundeliverable. However, the added teeth from the treasurer's office definitely hasgiven the program more bite. The worst offender had 19 violations, and the city is working out aplan with her, said Tom Musumeci, a deputy treasurer. Anothermotorist had 18 tickets and has paid through liens, Musumeci toldme Monday. Why do folks ignore the tickets? Some felt that if no agencypursued them, there was no penalty in not paying. The ticketsaren't reported to the DMV, so they don't affect driving records orinsurance rates. One scofflaw, Walters said, had five violations but finallyrelented. "Yep, you guys called my bluff," Walters quotedthe driver as saying. It's unfortunate that the honor system didn't always work. I'm glad police asked for help. It's another reason for motorists to put safety first. Roger Chesley, 757-446-2329, roger.chesley@pilotonline.com , pilotonline.com/chesley. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as China Natural Handmade Soap , Sea Salt Body Scrub Manufacturer, and more. For more , please visit Body Care Toiletries today!
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