I’ve been seeing some “minimum fine” signs like the one below, and it made me curious.
Other common ones are “Red light violation: minimum fine $438″ or “Blocking the intersection: minimum fine $297.”
I was curious:
- If that’s the minimum fine, what is the maximum?
- What determines any fine amount above the minimum? Sir, the court finds you guilty of premeditated handicap parking…
- Who decides the amount of the fine?
- Do these signs really work as deterrents?
And here’s what I found:
The minimum fine is generally assessed for first time offenders. Habitual handicap parking violators, for example, can see increasing fines or even be sentenced community service. The fine is substantially greater if you’re caught with a fake disability permit. I guess it’s risk and reward… you’re less likely to get cited, but if the officer checks your disability credentials and they come back negative, it’ll cost you.
I’ve also heard the rumor that if the parking lot is otherwise full, it is OK to park in one of the handicap spots. I could find nothing to confirm that, so don’t do it. As soon as one of the other spots opens up, the cop will never know.
The fine assessed is determined by the ticketing officer, and is also dependent on the “severity” of the offense. For example someone caught blocking an intersection during gridlock traffic would likely be given the minimum fine. It was probably an honest mistake, he thought he had enough room. But the driver that blocks an intersection during gridlock traffic and then for some reason abandons his car there would be given a steeper fine.
I couldn’t find any data on the deterrent effect of such minimum fine signs. I imagine they are fairly effective though. If someone was trying to save a few seconds by parking illegally in the handicap spot, they would probably think twice about it after learning about the risk of a $250 fine. Personally I’ve gone through some Livermore intersections as the yellow turned to red, looked up to see that $438 fine sign glaring me in the face, and slammed on the brakes at the next intersection. Slamming on the brakes is probably the less safe of my two choices, but less likely to result in a fine… kind of messed up.
Also I imagine the deterrent effect of the minimum fine signs varies with income. To a millionaire, $250 stings a little but really is meaningless. To a minimum wage earner, it could be a week’s pay.
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Tags: driving
