A slew of new traffic laws went into effect in the District Tuesday, including a new provision that gives Attorney General Brian Schwalb the authority to sue out-of-city drivers who rack up unpaid traffic fines.
Maryland and Virginia drivers have racked up thousands in unpaid tickets from the District in recent years.
In fiscal year 2022, drivers with those plates received 757,268 citations for over $151.2 million in unpaid fines, and in 2023, they got 808,933 citations for $160.7 million in unpaid fines, according to WTTG-TV.
Other provisions going into effect thanks to the STEER Act Tuesday include allowing the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles to install speed governors in the cars of people convicted of criminal reckless and aggravated reckless driving, limiting how fast they can go, according to the law’s sponsor Councilmember Charles Allen, Ward 6 Democrat.
Owners of stolen cars will also no longer receive tickets for offenses committed by other people driving them, fixing communications lapses between the Metropolitan Police Department, the D.C. DMV and the city Department of Public Works, Councilmember Allen said.
“It’s important, I think, to send that strong signal that the attorney general is going to be coming after you, that we are going to make sure we put teeth into that reckless driving and making sure we get those drivers, hold them accountable, and get them off our streets,” Mr. Allen, who is also the head of the D.C. Council’s Transportation Committee, told WTTG-TV.
Other portions of the STEER Act will go into effect once they are funded in future city budgets, including allowing D.C. residents to waive some of the costs of their traffic infractions if they complete a safe driving course and assessing points to a driver after they are caught by automated traffic enforcement.
The existing points system is only applied if a driver is given a ticket by law enforcement.
Another communications lapse between the courts and the D.C. DMV that allowed several drivers with DUI convictions to keep their licenses and stay on the road will also be closed.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.