Northern Virginia lawmakers are touting a plan to get “bad drivers” to help pay for building new roads that could ease congestion in the state, according to Landline magazine on November 23. Bill supporters say the state could raise $140 million a year for roads, bridges, tunnels, and transit by creating additional fines for repeat speeders and motorists driving on suspended licenses or those involved in hit-and-run accidents. The proposal is modeled after a similar system in New Jersey, which imposes surcharges on motorists who accumulate three speeding tickets or other infractions over three years. The program has raised an estimated $300 million over the past two years, the Washington Post reported. Under the proposal, motorists convicted of a serious traffic offense would pay extra fees in addition to the criminal fines imposed by a court. The plan sets the fees, charged annually for three years, at $200 for driving with a suspended license, $250 for reckless driving, and $300 for driving while intoxicated. Drivers who have six points deducted from their licenses for other types of traffic violations would pay $100 per year, plus an additional $50 for every point beyond six.
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