I-85 Drivers In Georgia Warned

Posted on February 2, 2009 by georgiatrafficlawyer

The lanes — and speeds — on portions of Interstate 85 in north Coweta will soon be dropping.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is shifting southbound traffic on I-85 starting at Exit 51/Sharpsburg-McCollum Road and extending to Exit 47/Bullsboro Drive beginning Feb. 8.

This traffic shift was originally scheduled to take place this weekend, and it’s subject to change again based on weather conditions.

Beginning at Exit 51 on I-85 southbound, the previous three lanes of traffic will be reduced to two travel lanes. This shift will extend southbound to Exit 47. In addition to the traffic shift and lane reduction, the posted speed limit of 60 miles per hour will be reduced to 50 miles per hour — and it will be strictly enforced, according to DOT District 3 Communications Officer Kimberly Larson. Message boards, signs, barricades, barrels and cones will be utilized to alert and channel motorists through the area.

The scheduled completion date for the I-85 widening project through Coweta is Dec. 31. Motorists should expect shoulder and lane closures on a continuing basis and are advised to use extra caution in construction work zones.

“We’ll be out there,” said Lt. John LaChance of the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s a very narrow corridor they will be driving in, with no room for error.”

“I would like to remind motorists to slow down in the work zone,” said Larson. “Commuters might be surprised to learn they are 85 percent more likely to be injured driving through a work zone than the workers themselves. Not to mention the sting of a pricey speeding ticket, which can go as high as $2,000.”

The northbound traffic shift in the section from Exit 47 to Exit 51 has already gone into effect.

“So far, we’ve had no major problems with the lane shift,” said LaChance.

LaChance advises motorists who will be entering the Interstate northbound from Bullsboro Drive to use caution and remember that they are required to yield to oncoming traffic. They also need to be aware of the other drivers behind them on the on ramp to avoid being rear-ended.

“Use caution approaching the end of the lane,” said LaChance. “People need to drive with eyes in the back of their head and in front of their head.”

There will be emergency pull-offs and breaks in the concrete barrier wall in the construction zone every 6,000 feet.

“If we do catch a traffic violator, we will wait until the end of the lane shift to pull them over,” said LaChance. “We will not turn our blue lights on until we reach a safe spot.”

“Motorists don’t always understand that when we are in the road, we’re actually trying to help them get where they need to go safer and faster,” Larson continued. “But, the speed limits are as much for their safety as that of our workers.”

The construction that will take place in sections from Exit 47 to Exit 61/Senoia Road in Fulton County is more than halfway complete, according to Larson.

The southbound lane shift next weekend will place motorists on the new lanes in order to complete work on the other travel lanes and shoulders. The DOT says it will not reopen lanes as the work progresses so that motorists don’t have to maneuver multiple lane closures.

“We have been asked if we would remove the barrier walls so that motorists could utilize all lanes,” said Larson. “We felt that this would be a safety concern because motorists would have to maneuver between the lane closures. So, the concrete barriers will remain in place until all lane work is complete.”

The remaining portion of the project stretching into Fulton County is continuing its paving operation and median barrier wall placement. Northbound traffic along this portion should see a traffic shift between milepost 57 to Exit 61 sometime in late February, according to Larson.

A separate portion of the widening work in southern Coweta County that stretches 14 miles from Exit 47 to Meriwether County is approximately 78 percent complete, according to Larson. She reports that all southbound concrete paving is complete in that portion of the project, except for a small section on the ramps of Exit 35 and 41.

“The contractor is continuing to work on raising bridges along this corridor,” said Larson of the southern project. “This is because of the increased height of the new concrete slabs.”

At the Exit 47/Bullsboro Drive interchange, work is about 35 percent complete. “This work is not behind schedule because the bridge work could not occur until the old northbound bridge was removed,” Larson continued. “Motorists will see a lot more progress in this area in the coming months.”

The DOT urges travelers to call 511 for updated information about this or any other construction project on interstates and state routes. Georgia 511 is a free phone service that provides real-time traffic and travel information statewide, such as traffic conditions, incidents, lane closures and delays due to inclement weather. Callers also can transfer to operators to request assistance or report incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More information is available at www.511ga.org .

Article by Elizabeth Richardson from the Newnan Georgia Times Herald

Traffic Violation in Newnan Georgia?

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Fayette County Teens Wary Of Cel Phone Ban

Posted on January 8, 2009 by georgiatrafficlawyer

Rep. Ramsey says law against using a cell while driving a matter of ‘safety vs. inconvenience’

A local legislator who wants to outlaw cellphone use by drivers under 18 took his case to that very age group Monday night in Peachtree City.

Matt Ramsey told the Youth Council Serving Fayette County that he also has had a bill drafted that would ban text messaging for drivers of all ages, and he is currently gauging whether there would be enough support from legislators to pass it this year. Ramsey said he is undecided about whether he will introduce that bill this year.

“Study after study shows text messaging in particular is incredibly dangerous,” Ramsey said. “The number of times you take your eyes off the road for text messaging is about eight times what it is when you’re using your cellphone just to talk. It’s incredibly dangerous.”

Eliminating cellphone use for drivers under 18 would limit the most common distraction for young drivers while they’re still learning to drive, Ramsey said. Recent studies have shown that 60 percent of all teens text while driving and 90 percent of teens talk on the phone while driving, Ramsey said.

Distractions, Ramsey said, are the number one cause of teenage auto crashes.

Ramsey’s proposal would forbid any cellphone use among drivers under 18, even if they use a hands-free device. Violators face a $175 fine and a one-point license deduction for a first offense and a $500 fine and a two-point reduction for additional offenses.

Also, any driver found at fault in a motor vehicle crash while using a cellphone would receive a mandatory 90-day license suspension.

During Monday’s give-and-take session at City Hall in Peachtree City, Ramsey also got feedback from the crowd.

One concern about the teen driver cellphone ban was the possibility of teen drivers hiding their cellphone use, perhaps exacerbating the danger.

Another concern was whether the law would apply to teens on golf carts as well. Ramsey said that was not his intent though he has asked for clarification on the matter from legislative legal staff.

Golf carts are considered motor vehicles under state law, but Ramsey said his proposal would add restrictions to a different code section, the one that governs driving restrictions for new drivers.

Some of the justification for Ramsey’s bill comes from a study conducted by Ford Motor Company that tested 16-year-old drivers and adult drivers in a driving simulator while they used hands-free cellphone devices. When confronted with dangerous situations, the teens made mistakes five times more often than the adult driver, Ramsey explained.

Ramsey said he had a close call a few months back when a teen using her cellphone nearly ran into his car. He avoided a crash by driving into the median on Peachtree Parkway south of Booth Middle School.

Ramsey said his bill is aimed at drivers under 18 so the cellphone ban would coincide with existing driving restrictions on that age group under the Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act.

When those restrictions were adopted in 1997, it reduced by 40 percent the number of fatal crashes for 16-year-old drivers in a five-year period, he said.

Had cellphone use in autos been so rampant then it certainly would have been banned under that legislation, Ramsey said.

One teen complained that the fine was much higher than for other moving violations. Ramsey said it has to be high enough to gain the public’s attention. As an example, he said a similar ban in Nevada didn’t work because the $25 fine was not enough to discourage cellphone use while driving.

“As you know, with one or two tickets in your school, one of your classmates gets dinged with a $175 fine and they violate it again and get dinged with a $500 fine, people are going to start talking,” Ramsey said. “Word’s going to get out, people will talk. It will serve as a deterrent, in my opinion.”

Ramsey said he knows the bill would not make teen driver cellphone use go away.

“Teens are still going to use their phones while they drive, but if we can reduce the number, I think we’ve done a good thing,” he said.

One teenage audience member suggested the state needed to produce an informational campaign instead of enacting the teen driver cellphone ban. Ramsey noted that the state has undertaken just such a campaign for the past five years, but no one in the audience said they had even heard of it.

New Fayette County Sheriff Wayne Hannah, who attended the meeting, was asked how the law would be enforced. He said that most likely deputies would enforce the law after pulling a driver over for another traffic violation.

As for some teens’ complaints about the need to make non-emergency calls while driving, Ramsey suggested there’s always a place to pull off the road to safely make a phone call.

“If it’s truly an emergency there are exceptions in the bill,” Ramsey said. “… If you’re talking about inconvenience versus safety for you and safety for others on the road, I think we need to come down on the side of safety over inconvenience.”

Ramsey said the bill is not guaranteed to pass this year as he has heard concerns from fellow legislators. One legislator was quoted in the Atlanta paper recently as saying she thought the proposed fine was too high.

The prospects of Georgia adopting a cellphone ban on drivers of all ages is not feasible at this time, Ramsey added.

“If we introduced a bill for everybody, it just wouldn’t pass. No question,” Ramsey said.

After the meeting Ramsey said he was encouraged with the turnout by the teens, and he urged them to stay in contact with him, Sen. Ronnie Chance of Tyrone and the governor’s office about this issue and others that might affect them.

Also after the meeting a junior at Fayette County High School said he supported the concept for the teen cellphone ban.

“I think it is a great bill because as teenagers are growing up they have to learn certain responsibilities,” Jacob Heard said. “… just like the drinking age — you can’t drink until you’re 21 — it allows us to grow up some more and learn from mistakes that a lot of teenagers like myself make.”

Article by Jon Munford, TheCitizen.com

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Cameras Sought at Dicey Crossing in Jackson County Georgia

Posted on January 2, 2009 by georgiatrafficlawyer

At any given time, three Jefferson police officers are patrolling the Jackson County city’s 26 square miles, so Chief Joe Wirthman is looking for electronic help to keep an eye on the most dangerous intersection in town.

Wirthman has proposed installing red-light cameras, now used in more than 120 Georgia cities, to catch drivers who disobey traffic signals at U.S. Highway 129’s interchange with Interstate 85.

The idea has drawn the ire of some Jefferson residents who say the chief is more concerned with raising money than improving driver safety.

“I don’t get why people are complaining,” Wirthman said. “If you plan on obeying the law, then you don’t have anything to worry about.”

The Jefferson City Council plans to vote at 7 tonight on whether to negotiate a contract with red-light camera installer LaserCraft and whether to pursue state Department of Transportation approval for the project.

The interchange features two of the most heavily traveled intersections in Jackson County and ranks among the most dangerous. In 2008, 69 wrecks have been recorded at the spot – most caused by people running red lights. During a brief study in October, cameras caught 46 drivers running red lights during one 10-hour period.

Although most agree the police department should do something to make the interchange safer, some citizens remain leery of the cameras.

“I don’t really agree with the cameras part of it,” said Brandon Kouba of Jefferson. “I feel it’s an invasion of privacy. Ideally, I’d like them to just put more cops out there. … If there are cops there, you know a cop is watching you. With a camera, you don’t know who’s watching.”

While several transportation studies show red-light cameras can lead to more rear-end wrecks, they do prevent drivers from running red lights, said Athens-Clarke police Maj. Mike Shockley.

The Athens-Clarke Police Department added red-light cameras at the intersection of Lexington, Gaines School and Cherokee roads in Southeastern Clarke County in 2005, and put up a second set at the Westside intersection of West Broad Street, Alps Road and Hawthorne Avenue at the beginning of 2007.

Since then, the number of wrecks at the Lexington-Gaines School-Cherokee intersection has dropped drastically, Shockley said.

When police install cameras at one intersection, drivers assume they’re everywhere, he said.

Athens has seen fewer red-light runners and fewer collisions across town, even though those two intersections are the only two equipped with enforcement cameras, Shockley said.

“We have seen a reduction in accidents, and we’ve seen a reduction in violators,” he said. “That’s just kind of common sense, because once you get a ticket in the mail, you’re less likely to run the light.”

Police don’t yet know how many tickets the camera at West Broad Street tallied this year, but they expect to see fewer citations and crashes when they audit the numbers in January, Shockley said.

Together the cameras at the two intersections were responsible for more than 14,000 citations during 2007. Athens-Clarke charges $70 for a camera ticket and doesn’t report the violation to the state Department of Drivers Services or to a driver’s insurance company.

About 90 percent of drivers send in a check to pay the fine, while others sign an affidavit swearing they weren’t driving when the car ran the light. Some ignore the ticket, and a judge issues a bench warrant for the person’s arrest.

Detractors say it’s those hassle-free $70 fines that are driving Wirthman to invest in the cameras.

That’s certainly part of it, Wirthman concedes.

Athens-Clarke’s cameras generated more than $1 million in revenue from 2005 through 2007. After paying for the cameras, their annual maintenance and a clerk to prepare the citations, the police department made nearly $570,000 during those three years.

That money went into buying new communications equipment for Athens’ patrol officers. Depending on how the local ordinance is written, a city or county can use the revenue to cover any government expense, Shockley said.

Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Monday, December 22, 2008, Article by Merritt Melancon

Speeding ticket in Jackson County Georgia?

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Some Insurance Rates On Cars To Rise In Georgia

Posted on December 13, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

Some Georgians will see their private passenger car insurance rates go up soon, and a change in Georgia laws regulating those increases continues to put the state insurance commissioner at odds with legislators and the insurance industry.

Several companies have informed the commissioner’s office they’ll be raising rates on auto insurance, though five others say their rates are coming down. And Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine says the Legislature has stripped his power to block any increases with a law that took effect Oct. 1

“I can’t even do an investigation afterwards and say ‘you were charging too much.’ … The law specifically prohibits me,” Oxendine said this past week

Others disagree, saying Oxendine’s office can no longer block the increases, but he can still require companies to lower rates after the fact, if they’re deemed to be excessive.

“The standards still say the rates can’t be ‘excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory,’” said Gould Hagler, executive director of the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia.

The new law changed Georgia from a “prior approval” state, where the insurance commissioner approves rates before they go into effect, to a “file and use” state. That means the rates can take effect after a company inform’s the commissioner of its intent.

The law is meant to broaden competition, but it remains to be seen how it will affect future rates. For now, rate changes are coming that Oxendine questions.

That includes a company Oxendine’s office already approved increases for this year, before the law changed. Now 21st Century Insurance Company wants another increase, for a total of 16.5 percent, Oxendine said.

“And that’s something that we wouldn’t let people do (under the old law),” Oxendine said.

State Sen. Cecil Staton, R-Macon, sponsored a separate insurance bill dealing with uninsured motorist rules, and the change was tacked onto that bill, which quickly passed the Legislature. Staton noted that the cost of required minimum coverages still can’t increase without Oxendine’s approval. Oxendine counters that 90 percent of Georgians have more auto insurance than that.

Though most of the changes are increases, Geico, which operates a large call center in Macon, will lower various rates. It’s small, an average of .9 percent, but will be accompanied by another decrease in January, said Shawn Burklin, the company’s Southeastern regional vice president.

“The legislation just allows us to be able to put in new rates faster,” Burklin said. “Our rates would be the same regardless.”

Of the 19 companies that have filed for rate changes lately, 14 plan average increases and five average decreases. Several of the companies seeking an increase are owned by AIG, which was recently the recipient of billions in federal bailout dollars. Individual changes vary widely based on the company, the type of policy and the type of driver.

For example: One company wants to increase rates for a 28-year-old male with a DUI by more than 80 percent, but the average change across the company’s various policies is actually a small decrease.

The average changes for the 19 companies vary from a 10 percent decrease to an 11 percent increase.

It’s not clear what the long-term effect of the change in the law will be. But these most recent increases are higher, for the most part, than increases approved for the same companies before the law changed, according to figures provided by the commissioner’s office going back to Jan. 1, 2007.

Burklin said the new law will “create better competition in Georgia,” because it allows rate changes to take effect faster.

Oxendine, who is running for governor in 2010, said he doubts that. And he complained that the Legislature approved the change quickly, quietly and without consulting him.

“No one ever included the department,” he said. “No one ever reached out to the public.

Article by Travis Fain, Macon.com

Fight that Georgia traffic ticket with experienced legal help.

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Georgia Law Enforcement Wrap Click It Or Ticket

Posted on November 29, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

Law enforcement officers are wrapping up Click-it-or-Ticket during the most traveled weekend of the year.
Georgia State Patrol is in full force and say they’re more aggressive over the holidays when more travelers are on the roads.

During this busy travel weekend, the state patrol is seeing thousands more drivers on Georgia roads and they’re not afraid to give tickets.

While there’s a number of things they’re looking for, they catch most people for speeding.

“Every trooper in the state is out on roads in force.  We’re always looking at seatbelt use, aggressive drivers. Seems like when the holidays come around, they come out.  I’m not sure about why they speed more during the holidays, guess they’re trying to get to where they’re getting,” said Georgia State Patrol Trooper Brandon Brown.

Officers enforce seatbelt laws 365 days a year, but they say the Click-it-or-Ticket program, which they usually run about 3 or 4 times a year, makes drivers more aware of the importance of buckling up.

“I think the signs on the expressway showing that they are going to give you a ticket is very good because you are aware of it as you should be aware of it,” said traveler Linda Phillips.

“If they’re scared they’re going to get a ticket just for not wearing a seatbelt, they’ll probably put it on,” added Alycia Delmar.

Law enforcement agencies work together to make the program a success.  Georgia State Patrol focuses mostly on the interstates and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office watches seatbelt use in neighborhoods and city roads.

“Unfortunately we see people not wearing seatbelts while driving,” said Deputy Jim Carroll.

As of noon on Friday, more than 1,000 wrecks have been reported since Wednesday night — with 262 injuries and four people killed.

“We’d like to see no injuries and no fatalities, but unfortunately that doesn’t happen,” said Brown.

Click-it-or-Ticket ends on Sunday, but keep in mind that officers will write a ticket any time they see a driver without a seatbelt on.

Article by Liz Foster, WMGT.com

Traffic Ticket in Georgia?

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Click Or Ticket Kickoff in Georgia

Posted on November 24, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

ALBANY, GA (WALB) – As one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season approaches the Governor’s office of Highway safety is trying to make it a safe one.

In Georgia, failure to use safety belts is a major contributing factor in more than half of Thanksgiving holiday traffic deaths.

As law enforcement across the state gear up to enforce the state’s seat belt law, they hope the increase eyes on the road will result in fewer fatalities.

Authorities may be telling you that in person beginning Today as the Governor’s Office Of Highway Safety kicks off their Click-It-or-Ticket safety campaign.

“We have been given instructions to especially look out for those not wearing their seat belts, because it is a law now in Georgia,” Cpl. Elbert Slappy, Georgia State Patrol.

Last year the four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend, 26 people were killed on Georgia roads, nearly 1,100 more were injured in crashes.

Wainright Jeffers – WALB TV 10 News

 

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DeKalb County Traffic Tickets Misplaced

Posted on November 16, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

Great article from the newspaper.

The DeKalb County Recorders Court —- one of the busiest traffic courts in the state —- has lost track of hundreds of thousands of citations, costing the county and the state possibly tens of millions of dollars in uncollected fines, according to internal court e-mails.

The breakdown also let people ignore citations and not face punishment —- and no one has been looking for them.

The e-mails, obtained through the Georgia Open Records Act, show that a two-year communications failure in the court’s computer systems has caused citations to sit unresolved in case databases. It’s the electronic equivalent of being stuffed in a closet and forgotten.

No one knows how many unresolved citations exist, but an internal memo from a consultant estimated the value of uncollected fines at $90 million to $135 million. Both R. Joy Walker, the chief judge of the court, and Vernon Jones, DeKalb’s outgoing CEO, disputed those figures, though both said they had no idea what the number is.

Court Administrator Troy Thompson, who took over his job in March, said the situation he inherited is deeply flawed.

“I want to be able to say that for anybody who runs from justice, we have made every effort in DeKalb County to hold them accountable,” he said. “And I can’t say that today.”

When a person is issued a citation, the information is put into the court’s central computer system. When the court date arrives, clerks in the courtrooms are supposed to record the outcome of the case, including whether a person showed up for court and how the case was resolved and any fines paid. All that should be sent to the central computer. Though primarily a traffic court, the system also handles petty crimes such as shoplifting and misdemeanor drug offenses.

Each month, that computer sends key traffic information to the state so it can be added to drivers’ histories. Police look at these histories whenever they pull someone over. Insurance companies look at this information when setting customers’ rates.

But the software in the courtrooms and the software at the courts’ main data center have not been communicating with each other or with state driver history databases —- as required by state law. Also, poorly trained staff have incorrectly entered data or never updated some people’s files, say e-mails by consultants hired to address the problems. Much of the data is so old the county may never be able to collect money it’s owed, according to many of those involved.

“The systems were not implemented effectively,” Thompson said. “People were not trained effectively. … The results speak for themselves.”

Walker, who was appointed chief judge by Jones in 2002, is responsible for the court’s budget and computer systems. She said the court computer systems have had problems since they were installed in 2006. She said no one knows the amount of uncollected fines but that estimates of $90 million to $130 million were “impossible.” She said many citations listed as unresolved have in fact been paid, but the computer information is inaccurate.

“I am not trying to negate the problem,” she said. “There is a systems problem.”

Walker said the county is considering ending its contract with Southern Automated Systems, a small company in Muscle Shoals, Ala., that provided software for the main court system. Walker said she has not been happy with the software, but switching to another system would be costly and difficult.

“We don’t have backup mechanisms in place to shut this down and start new,” she said.

J. Delilah Webb, president of Southern Automated Systems, did not want to discuss her dealings with the court in detail but said: “Our stance is the software is fine. It’s a management issue.”

Walker said she had sought additional funding for warrant officers and other court needs, but county commissioners have always rejected her requests. She also said the court has increased revenue from fines for the county’s general fund since she has been in office.

Jones said of problems at the court “the buck stops with me.” He said the estimate of tens of millions of dollars in uncollected fines was “an outright lie” by consultants eager to get extended contracts with the county.

“Nobody knows how much it is,” he said. “But if we are losing $1, that’s too much … that’s unacceptable.”

After being contacted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jones asked Thompson to set up an upcoming meeting with officials of Southern Automated Systems. He invited the AJC to attend.

“The truth hurts,” he said. “But I think you are doing the right thing by bringing this to light.”

CEO-elect Burrell Ellis declined to comment for this story. Shelia Trappier Edwards, his deputy transition manager, said that after being contacted by the AJC, Ellis directed his team to look into the matter.

Earlier this year, DeKalb commissioners discovered what was happening and hired consultants to uncover the problems, just as DeKalb police launched a criminal probe of an alleged ticket-fixing scandal at the court that led to charges against five court employees and six others. The court administrator, Terry Phillips, was reassigned to the county’s police services department, and Thompson was brought on. Phillips could not be reached for comment.

Since then, the magnitude of the problem has taken shape.

The Recorders Court handles citations written by DeKalb police, sheriff’s deputies and smaller departments including MARTA police.

Most weekdays, hundreds of people line up in front of the Recorders Court off Memorial Drive. At 2 p.m., they file in to appear before a judge. Many pay or contest fines because they fear warrants or points on their license.

Clarence Solomon, 25, was in line Monday for the second time in so many weeks on two expired tag tickets and a speeding ticket. His fines total $550, he said. He is contesting the speeding ticket and said he has documentation proving he bought his tags. The tickets have cost him two days of work. He said he knows people who haven’t paid fines, and if they are not punished “that’s not fair.”

He said he came to court because he was afraid the judge would issue a warrant for his arrest. “I don’t know about not showing up,” he said. “That’s risky.”

In fact, it hasn’t been risky for thousands of scofflaws. Internal e-mails reveal a host of problems with court computers, including:

> In a Sept. 18 memo, consultant B.J. Van Gundy said he estimated 107,000 failure-to-appear cases and an additional 283,000 cases haven’t been processed by the court system. He estimated the uncollected revenue of the failure-to-appear cases at $50 million to $75 million. He estimated uncollected revenue for the other, unprocessed cases at $40 million to $60 million. In a Sept. 8 e-mail, consultant Ken Harris described one large database as plagued by “poor data discipline and old dates.” Van Gundy and Harris would not comment for this story.

> In the same memo, Van Gundy wrote that consultants had found sloppy recordkeeping totaling tens of thousands of tickets, including 18,447 tickets in which the fine amount was not listed; 12,500 cases that were probably paid but not entered into the system; about 1,200 cases in which the fine is recorded, but either no name or address was listed.

> In August, Thompson and the consultants wrote a “Recorders Court Progress Report” that outlined “major operational weaknesses” at the court, stressing “current court systems are not integrated.” The report stated the rate of closed cases —- one in which fines were collected —- “is significantly below other like-type courts within the Metro-Atlanta area.”

Few reported to state

In August, Gregory Dozier, commissioner of the state Department of Driver Services, sent Walker a letter about long-standing “reporting problems.”

He estimated the court should be sending the state about 3,000 traffic citations a month, but for the past two years, it has sent virtually none.

Jennifer Ammons, general counsel for the state department, said an unknown number of people should have had their licenses revoked from DeKalb, but the information was never reported so the licenses are still valid.

“We have no idea how big the problem is. All those people who skipped court, if DeKalb does not report, those are also people who have dodged a license suspension,” she said. “We are monitoring that problem very closely.”

Ammons said the department hadn’t been tracking the citations being sent in from the counties until they were made aware of DeKalb’s problems earlier this year. Now officials have started tracking citations from all of Georgia’s counties. So far, the department has found DeKalb to be the only major county with problems.

Thompson, the administrator, said the court recently sent warning letters to some people who failed to show up for court, and a good portion of people came in to pay their fines. He is trying to expand his approximately $3.7 million budget to correct all the computer problems, retrain staff and send out more officers to serve warrants on people who don’t come to court. He thinks he can bring in millions more into county coffers. The court this year brought in roughly $17 million in revenue.

“I am working zealously daily with the consultants to nail these issues down,” he said. “Can this be rectified? Of course.”

Thompson said he hoped to fix problems in the coming year so future cases wouldn’t be lost.

He wasn’t sure when or how the county will go after the backlog of the outstanding tickets.

Walker promised that ultimately, all scofflaws will be brought to justice.

“We have taken efforts in the last three months to correct the problem,” she said. “The people who have been able to circumvent the system will be caught.”

Article by Cameron McWhirter

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Traffic Ticket in DeKalb County Georgia?

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Success Rate Touted for Local Georgia DUI Court

Posted on October 28, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer
Courts that combine traditional sentences for drunken driving with treatment for repeat offenders have succeeded and the state should invest more funding in the initiatives, supporters said Friday.

A report released Friday said the rate of recidivism was 9 percent for graduates from three of Georgia’s earliest DUI courts, based in Athens, Chatham County and Hall County, compared to 24 percent for offenders in different counties that didn’t have the courts.

“Treatment with supervision works with hard-core drunken driving offenders,” said Clarke County State Court Judge Kent Lawrence, who handles Athens’ DUI court.

In the DUI court system, offenders are incarcerated for a while, but then enter a treatment program under court supervision. If the offender violates the terms of the treatment program, he or she can be jailed again, for progressively longer stays with each violation.

Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Monday, October 27, 2008

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Georgia State Patrol Releases Statistics for Sept-October

Posted on October 17, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

State Troopers from the Swainsboro Post of the Georgia State Patrol investigated 17 traffic crashes during the month of September in Emanuel County. Sergeant First Class Young said the traffic crashes resulted in 19 injuries and no traffic deaths. They also investigated 13 traffic crashes in Emanuel County during the month of August, resulting in 13 injuries and no traffic deaths.

SFC Young said troopers from Post 19 also issued 257 traffic citations in the county during August, including 12 arrests for driving under the influence, 78 citations for speeding, 21 seat belt violations, and 22 child restraint violations. They also issued 232 warnings. In September, they issued 199 traffic citations in the county, including 12 arrests for driving under the influence, 73 citations for speeding, 16 seat belt violations and 24 child restraint violations. They also issued 237 warnings.

In other counties, the troopers from Post 19 investigated no traffic crashes in August or September. They also issued 39 citations in August, including 28 citations for speeding and 2 child restraint violations. In September, they issued 29 traffic citations out of the county, including 3 arrests for driving under the influence, 12 citations for speeding, one seat belt violation and one child restraint violation. They also issued 20 warnings in August and 27 warnings in September.

Article from TheBladePlus.com Swainsboro, GA

 

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Taxi Driver Gets Traffic Ticket In Georgia For Honking Horn

Posted on October 13, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

RIVERDALE, Ga. — Metro Atlanta taxi driver Andrew Pless is ready to put his foot down — not on his brake pedal, but on a law that is unknown to most, which penalizes drivers for blowing their horns on a highway.

“I just did beep, beep,” said Pless. Pless said he received a traffic citation for blowing his horn on Highway 139 in Riverdale.“I don’t think I should be paying $140 for improper horn use, what they call it,” said Pless. Pless said it all started at a traffic light. He said the car ahead of him didn’t move when the light turned green.

“I waited a few seconds, about 8 to 12 seconds, and then I was like what’s up, you know, and I did like this beep beep,” Pless explained.

Then he said he was pulled over by police.“I asked him why they stopped me and he said ’cause I blew my horn back there…and I looked at him like what,” said Pless. Most people at City Hall hadn’t heard of such a law, and neither did residents who talked to Channel 2.“I don’t think it is right for getting a ticket,” said Charles Brown.“I’ve blown my horn before. I never got a ticket,” said Denise Altman.

After conducting research, the assistant police chief told Channel 2 that the officer used Georgia traffic code 40-8-70 to cite the taxi driver.The law states a driver of a motor vehicle shall give audible warning with his or her horn but shall not otherwise use such horn when upon a highway. Since Pless was on Highway 139, he was cited.

Pless said he disagrees with the law and wonders how he was supposed to get the driver’s attention otherwise.“She was slow pulling off at the light, and I just went beep beep,” he said. Pless said he will challenge the ticket.

From WSBTV.com

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