We believe that the Republican Party needs to expand its agenda to attract more urban and suburban voters — and we believe that motorist rights should be a key part of the Party’s agenda. Vehicles are a necessity for many Virginians, and our laws should set a high threshold that must be met before a vehicle can be seized or the owner barred from driving it. For too long, an alliance of government and corporate interest coalitions have used Virginia law to shake down unsuspecting motorists.
While tickets and tows are minor inconveniences for the affluent, unexpected charges can be very disruptive and even devastating to lower-income families. As the party of family values and opportunity for all, Republicans must oppose policies that needlessly trap people in poverty and push them into government dependency.
Therefore, we urge you to support a Motorist Bill of Rights, which would
- Abolish the car tax. Virginia has one of the highest car taxes in the county, and abolishing the car tax is overwhelmingly supported by Virginia voters. Throughout the last couple of years, many Virginia families have had to tighten their belts, and there is no good reason that local governments should not be expected to do likewise. This issue is especially important due to rising car valuations caused by the chip shortage.
- Ban traffic ticket quotas, as about 20 states have already done. Both the public and police officers oppose traffic ticket quotas. In fact, the Virginia Police Benevolent Association supports a quota ban.
- Ban the practice of using unmarked police vehicles for traffic enforcement. There are regular news reports of impostors posing as police officers and making illegal traffic stops with unmarked vehicles; this is a serious threat to public safety. Requiring marked vehicles for routine stops would make it harder for fake cops to endanger motorists.
- Ban red light cameras. Two red light camera companies have been involved in bribery scandals. One of these companies allegedly bribed officials in a dozen states, including Virginia. Furthermore, the yellow lights in two Virginia localities were shortened after red light cameras were installed. Obviously, if safety were the true concern, the yellow lights would have been lengthened rather than shortened.
- Ban speed cameras. The same crony capitalist companies that collect 25-35% of red light camera revenue also profit from speed cameras. As with red light cameras, speed cameras are often placed to maximize revenue rather than address real safety hazards.
- Rein in speed trap towns. To discourage taxation by citation schemes, Virginia should limit localities’ parking and traffic ticket revenue to no more than 1% of their general fund; any excess funds should go to the state.
- Allow motorists to contest traffic tickets by mail or online. Nine states already permit traffic tickets to be contested by mail. Many people, due to poverty or work or family obligations, have difficulty going to traffic court; but these people still deserve justice. Of course, this reform would also be convenient for police officers.
- Prohibit “court costs” and “convenience fees.” Court maintenance, court security, and government pensions should be funded from general taxes, not fees; most businesses do not charge extra fees for credit or debit cards, and the government should also stop the practice.
- Abolish interest and cap late fees on tickets; late fees on unpaid traffic tickets should be reduced to no more than $50. Tickets are to promote public safety, not to provide windfall profits to local governments. Capping late fees would also help prevent the poor from being buried in mountains of debt.
- Stop the practice of blocking car registrations over unpaid tickets and tolls. When vehicle owners are blocked from registering their vehicles, it makes it more difficult for them to work, to support themselves and their families, and to pay their debts. Keeping people, who may rely on their vehicle for employment and other critical transportation purposes, from registering that vehicle negatively impacts our most vulnerable citizens, while encouraging illegal driving.
- Restrict tolls and toll collections. Tolls and late fees for unpaid tolls should be minimized and strictly capped; and toll expenditures should be limited to paying for the maintenance and improvement of the toll road and any alternate routes (and reasonable profits for toll road companies).
- Allow the private sector to fully compete with the Department of Motor Vehicles as Arizona has done. The DMV miserably failed its customers over the past year; customers should have the choice of conducting DMV business at privately-run offices. The competition would result in better customer service, and taxpayer money would be saved.
- Reduce the number of mandatory inspections. Annual vehicle inspections should either be abolished or changed to 2-year inspections. Virginia is one of only 15 states that mandates periodic vehicle inspections; some of these only require biennial inspections; 16 states have abolished their inspection programs since the 1970s, and not a single one has reinstituted its program. Over 68% of Virginia voters support making inspections biennial.
- Crack down on predatory towing. Predatory towing companies should be required to immediately return vehicles to their owners when they show up to claim them — rather than allow these companies to hold vehicles for ransom as current law allows. The status quo results in many low-income drivers permanently losing their vehicles without any due process, which is completely unacceptable. Predatory towing often leads to angry disputes that sometimes end in violence, and even death; much of this violence could likely be avoided if vehicle owners were able to retrieve their vehicles immediately without payment and have a judge rule on the legitimacy of a tow after a presentation of evidence. Towing companies should also be required to wait at least 15 minutes before a vehicle can be towed to allow drivers time to discover they have parked in the wrong space, to retrieve a visitor hang tag, etc.
- Set up a statewide trespass towing database as Utah has done. Such a database would make it easier for motorists to locate towed vehicles and would also provide a valuable source of information on the size and scope of the predatory towing problem in Virginia.
In the recent elections, Virginia voters were given a chance to vote for change or for the status quo; and they voted for change, which is what they deserve. If the Republican Party delivers for the roughly 6 million motorists in Virginia, we believe you will be rewarded at the polls next year.
Sincerely,
Puneet Ahluwalia
Former State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
Nancy Almasi
State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
Matt Ames
Former Chair
Fairfax County Republican Committee
Linda Bartlett
Past President
Virginia Federation of Republican Women
Melissa Beaudoin
Former 11th Congressional District Chair Republican Party of Virginia
Phil Bell
Former President
Republican Club of Greater Reston
Jessi Blakely
State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
Jack Blakely
State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
Martha Boneta
President
Vote America First
Chris Bowen
Former Hunter Mill District Chair
Fairfax County Republican Committee
Matthew Chappell
11th District Congressional Candidate
Willie Deutsch
Vice Chair
Prince William County Republican Committee
Jeff Dove
Former 11th District Congressional Nominee
Laura Ramirez Drain
Hispanic Outreach Chair
Fairfax County Republican Committee
Cliff Dunn
State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
Will Estrada
Former Chair
Loudoun County Republican Committee
Mike Ginsberg
State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
Eve Marie Gleason
Former State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
John Guevara
Former Sully District Chair
Fairfax County Republican Committee
Dustin Howard
Former Executive Director
Prince William County Republican Committee
Richard McCarty
State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
Ron Meyer
Former Loudoun County Supervisor
Amanda Morris
Former Vice Chairman for Operations and Party Development Fairfax County Republican Committee
Steven Moseley
Former Fairfax County School Board Candidate
Jacob Mosser
Former Occoquan District Chair
Prince William County Republican Committee
Ryan Nichols
Former Chair
Loudoun County Young Republicans
Rosie Oakley
Dranesville District Chair
Fairfax County Republican Committee
Vinson Palathingal
Former State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
Srilekha Palle
Former Fairfax County Supervisor Candidate
Adam Perry
Former Corresponding Secretary
Chesapeake Republican Committee
Erin Porch
Former State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
Sean Rastatter
Vice Chair
Fairfax County Republican Committee
Ryan Rauner
Former State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
Christian Raymond
Former Chair
Appomattox County Republican Committee
Gerrie Smith
Former Dranesville District Chair
Fairfax County Republican Committee
Bobby Stephens
Sully District Chair
Fairfax County Republican Committee
Mauricio Tamargo
Former State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
Zia Tompkins
Co-Founder
OpenFCPS
Thomas Turner
Chairman Emeritus
Young Republican Federation of Virginia
Joe Underwood
Former Chair
Fairfax County Republican Committee
Julie Williams
Former State Central Committee Member
Republican Party of Virginia
Michael “Spike” Williams
Former Fairfax County Chair Candidate
Valerie Wohlleben
Mt. Vernon District Chair
Fairfax County Republican Committee
Ron Wright
11th Congressional District Representative State Central Committee Republican Party of Virginia
For more information about the rationale for these reforms, please check out this longer piece on a Motorist Bill of Rights. https://therepublicanstandard.com/featured/op-ed-virginians-deserve-a-motorist-bill-of-rights/trs-op-ed/2021/12/
Click here to sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/virginia-state-house-ban-traffic-ticket-quotas-in-virginia
Richard McCarty is the Founder of Coalition for Motorist Rights.
