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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesDrivers Take Note: Traffic Fines Now Increased

Drivers Take Note: Traffic Fines Now Increased

New and increased traffic fines for 80-plus offenses, ranging from parking on a curb to burning rubber, took effect when Gov. John deJongh Jr. signed them into law Tuesday.

The new fines are not extreme by stateside standards. Passing a school bus would carry a fine of $75 for the first offense, $100 for the second and $125 for the third.

Reckless driving would have a minimum fine of $300, while speeding by more than 30 miles per hour is $75 the first time, $150 the second and $300 the third offense. Failure to wear a safety belt is $100 the first time, $150 the second and $300 for the third offense.

Under the old fine schedule in V.I. law, using a cell phone while driving carried a variable penalty, from $25 to $100 for the first offense. Now the fine is $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second and $300 for the third.

Parking overtime or on a curb merits $50 for the first offense, while driving an unsafe vehicle risks a $30 fine.

Parking in a handicapped zone bears a minimum fine of $1,000 for the first offense, unchanged from before.

Taxicabs are subject to each of the violations listed in the new schedule but are partly exempted from the new fines. Instead of paying the specified fines in court, taxi drivers who violate either traffic laws or Taxicab Commission rules or regulations will pay fines to the Taxicab Commission. For taxis, a first offense is $50, $100 for the second, $500 for the third and $1,000 for each subsequent violation. The commission may revoke an operator’s taxi license for four or more offenses.

While the fines are increasing, as a practical matter, police enforcement will continue on as it has, with no dramatic changes in store, according to V.I. Police Department Public Information Officer Melody Rames.

"Offices will continue issuing tickets for the safety of motorists on the road. However, the fines go into the government’s General Fund, so there are no additional provisions for the police department to do."
See the entire schedule of fines here: (link)

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