Washington Traffic Law Blog : Washington Traffic Lawyer & Attorney : Jon Zimmerman Law Firm : Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma

In perhaps the largest targeting of red-light runners in the State of Washington, Seattle will soon add red-light cameras at 18 more intersections in 2008, more than quadrupling the number of intersections added in 2006-2007. Last year, the City gained more than $1 million from red-light cameras. Some Seattle officials think that stepped-up enforcement will make people safer, even though a City study noted that accidents per intersection INCREASED even after the City added cameras at four intersections in 2006, although mainstream media outlets such as the Seattle Times and the Seattle PI have failed to report this fact, according to thenewspaper.com , a journal of the politics of driving. What is clear is that the City stands to make millions of dollars off of red-light tickets this year. Unhappy about this? City Council Member Nick Lacata wants citizen tax dollars to pay for an additional 24 cameras in 2009 (why not an even hundred Nick?!?!?!). Seattle is not alone - Puyallup will add the cameras in February, with monetary penalties beginning in Puyallup in March. Lakewood and Lynnwood already use cameras for enforcement.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Last week the AP picked up a story from the Southwest Washington Columbian newspaper about the WSP's increased frequency of issuing speeding tickets to motorists in Washington. Not only is the WSP issuing more traffic tickets, the WSP has incentives to do so:  some of the money from ticket fines are used to fund the agency and the agency won an award from the International Association of Police Chiefs for the best state police agency of its size when the WSP's speeding ticket total exceeded the total from the previous year. Some interesting statistics found in the article:

• Snohomish County and Clark County have the highest number of tickets issued per mile on state and federal highways (it's unclear whether these counties beat out other states or if state highways refer only to Washington)
• The WSP issued 280,000 speeding tickets in Washington in 2006, an increase of 55,000.  These tickets are also only for speeding.  These numbers do not include other types of traffic offenses and this number does not include the hundreds of thousands of tickets issued by municipal police departments and  county sheriffs' departments.
• In the first half of 2007, troopers issued more than 165,000 speeding tickets
• Although tickets are up, fatalities were up 23% on Washington highways in the first eleven months of 2007.
• Troopers in Asotin County, in the far southeast corner of the state, issued only 155 tickets for the first half of 2007.
• Spokane County ranks 7th highest among Washington counties for speeding tickets issued.
• Of all Washington counties, Adams County has the highest number of WSP speeding tickets per 100 residents.
• King County and Pierce County are in the bottom third of Washington counties for WSP speeding tickets when number of residents is considered.
• Motorists now receive speeding tickets in 60%-65% of traffic stops, up from 44%, a 36%-48% increase.
• The WSP is aggressively searching to fill 86 vacancies for its "field force" - the troopers who give traffic tickets to motorists.

The bottom line is that a higher number of speeding tickets means more more people will probably pay their tickets, resulting in increased insurance premiums and tarnished driving records. This is why it's critical to have an experienced traffic attorney fight to keep your driving record clean and your insurance costs low.  If you received a speeding ticket or ticket for another type of traffic offense, call me today - help is only a phone call away.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

Recently the Washington Department of Transportation released data collected January 1 - March 31, 2007, that ranked the top locations for vehicles moving faster than 90 MPH based on the highest number of vehicles traveling 90 MPH or quicker. Of the top 10 locations, 6 of them were in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties, in places including Issaquah, Fife, Seattle, and Tacoma. It is unknown whether every inch of state highway was tested, or whether western Washington was specifically targeted, or whether the top locations have a higher number of vehicles traveling 90 or over because more cars cross that area or if the vehicles traveling 90 or over actually amount to a higher percentage of speeding cars versus all cars that are traveling a given section of roadway. What is clear is that the State Patrol is stepping up enforcement (this means speeding tickets and other citations for traffic offenses such as negligent driving and reckless driving) in areas that it believes has a higher number of vehicles that speed.  This makes economic sense for the State Patrol - after all, the more tickets issued, there is arguably a better chance at committed findings and fines, all other things being equal. It is best for drivers to take notice of these stepped-up enforcement locations and if the unfortunate happens and you get a traffic ticket, give me a call, I can help.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

As local suburbs become strapped for cash, police are issuing more traffic tickets, especially speeding tickets. Take Fircrest, for example. Fircrest is a 1.5-square-mile Tacoma suburb of approximately 6,000 people situated between Tacoma and University Place. Unfortunately for drivers, Fircrest's elected officials are supportive of an increase in traffic citations. According to the Tacoma News Tribune, police issued a record number of traffic citations - upwards of 3,400 - from 2005 to 2006. Criminal citations are up a whopping 90 percent in the same time period! Officers, such as Police Chief John Cheesman (yes, that's really his name), are supported by $47,000 in overtime pay so that they may continue their extra patrols. Yes, officers are actually paid extra money to issue traffic tickets. Chief Cheesman recommends that speeders need to "slow down or go around" Fircrest. Apparently he is not very business-friendly and will not be heading Fircrest's Chamber of Commerce any time soon. Fircrest Mayor David Viafore is also "extremely proud" of the patrol program. If you have been one of the unfortunate recipients of a speeding ticket or other traffic citation in Fircrest, give me a call, I can help.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (3)
• Trackbacks

Most people don't make a federal case out of a traffic ticket, but some people have no choice: Sahneewa Trimble is once such person. If you are issued a traffic ticket on federal property, such as at Fort Lewis Army Base in Tacoma, you will have to go to federal court if you wish to fight the ticket. In some cases, you will have to appear in federal court even if you don't want to fight the ticket. That is because federal traffic matters are often not infractions that one might receive on state highways, but many federal traffic citations are "petty offenses," for which an offender could serve up to 6 months in jail. In Ms. Trimble's case, she received six citations (some of them fairly serious). A U.S. Magistrate Judge in Tacoma dismissed two of the six citations, but the Magistrate imposed $25 penalties on three of the remaining ones. Not only had Ms. Trimble believed that she was excessively charged - more than other drivers who did the same thing on federal property that day - but she believed the $25 penalties were excessive, especially when others appearing in court on the same day were not assessed these penalties. Ms. Trimble appealed to a U.S. District Court Judge, who overruled her objection. Then, Ms. Trimble filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit over an amount in controversy of $75. Last Wednesday, the Ninth Circuit reversed the District Court. Judge Berzon, writing for the majority, wrote: "We reverse - demonstrating, again, that our Constitutional principles protect against monetary injuries large and small." In Ms. Trimble's case, the penalty fees were imposed on her arbitrarily based on the type of form on which the ticket was printed, and therefore the fees violated the equal protecton principles incorporated into the Fifth Amendment. As Judge Berzon observed, the imposition of the fees were arbitrary enough that it would be akin to this: people who were issued with tickets on Wednesdays or who were issued tickets with black ink had to pay the fees, but people who got blue-ink tickets or tickets on Fridays would not have to pay the fees. Such an abitrary imposition of fees is irrational, and violates an individual's Fifth Amendment protections. The case is United States v. Trimble, No. 06-30298, and the ruling in this case is one more reason why you should fight your traffic ticket!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission recently obtained a $600,000 federal grant, coupled with another $1.2 Million for police officers to cite drivers for seat belt violations at night, the Tacoma News Tribune reported. If we can't get money for bridges and roads, then at least the police can get money to issue drivers tickets. Beginning this past Monday night, that means more police officers issuing seat belt citations to occupants of vehicles at night and more traffic stops. And what's more, some officers will be working in groups of 8! Yes, you could be pulled over by a SWAT team! 75 law enforcement agencies around the state will be taking part in targeting drivers and passengers so that the police can issue tickets. These agencies include, but are not limited to, police in Federal Way, Lakewood, and Puyallup. What's important for drivers to remember is that unlike the cell-phone and text-messaging tickets that drivers will begin to receive in 2008 - which will be secondary offenses (see previous blog post) - a seat belt violation is considered a primary offense, so a law enforcement officer does not have to witness another violation in order to pull you over. Welcome to Washington, wear your seat belt.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks