The cost of driving in Florida is getting ready to be dramatically increased beginning September 1. Rates will be hiked for everything from renewing your driver’s license to getting a title for your new car and the new costs are considerably higher. Rate increases will be anywhere from 54% to 1400% in one case. (read more)
The additional costs stem directly from the state needing to balance the budget and make-up for large shortfalls in revenue generation. What does this mean to you? Well it used to cost $20 to renew your Florida Driver’s License but it will now cost $48, an increase of 140%. Registering your SUV or larger car will now cost you over $71 instead of the $46 you used to pay. As if the auto industry wasn’t suffering enough already when it comes to new car sales, there is more bad news on that front starting September 1. Registering your new car will now cost over $400 which is an increase of 110% from the old fee.
Driving is expensive with these new fees and the price of gas increasing but when you add a traffic ticket to the mix it can be too much to handle. If you or a loved one has traffic ticket that you need help with, please contact David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at www.fightyourcase.com.
Monthly Archives: June 2009
Tickets From Sunpass Toll Violations Are Clogging Courts In Miami
We all love being able to bypass long lines of cars waiting to pay tolls thanks to Sunpass…well maybe not all of us. The courts in Miami Dade County are now being overrun with Sunpass toll violations due to a little-noticed tweak in the state law that now requires violators to appear in court if they want to avoid costly points against their driving record (read more). In Miami Dade County nearly 30% of all traffic citations last year were related to Sunpass toll violations. With the popularity of the program, things are only expected to get worse in the future.
Toll violations never used to require seeing a judge until recently. Violators just had to go to the clerk’s office and pay the ticket. During the 2007 legislative session, tucked inside a 142-page transportation bill, lawmakers deleted the provision allowing clerks to withhold adjudication. To avoid three points, scofflaws now have to attend court to make their case to a judge. Combine that with more efficient ticketing processing and Sunpass toll violations have become a major part of the daily business in traffic courts around the state.
If you or a loved one has a Sunpass toll violation or any traffic ticket that you need help with, please contact David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at www.fightyourcase.com.
Florida Seat Belt Law to Become Primary Enforcement
In order to collect over $35 million in federal funding, Florida Governor Charlie Crist recently signed into law a bill which allows Florida law enforcement officers to pull over motorists if they are not wearing their seat belt. Until the signing of this most recent bill, Florida law enforcement could cite motorists or passengers, but only if they stopped their vehicle for some other lawful reason. With the passage of this new law, Florida will be eligible to collect Federal highway safety dollars which will help fund law enforcement activity throughout the State of Florida. A seat belt ticket in Florida is not a moving violation, however the fine is just shy of $100.00 in most counties. According to a May 2009 Research Study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, The Increase in Lives Saved, Injuries Prevented, and Cost Savings if Seat Belt Use Rose to at Least 90 Percent in All States Florida could save over 175 lives per year if seatblet usage was around 90 percent. Currently, seat belt usage in Florida is around 79 percent. What these articles and publications on seat belt usage do not discuss the effect that this law will have on Florida motorists. Not unlike current Florida statutes on failure to maintain a single lane, failure to use a signal when changing lanes, or obscure tag laws, these new laws come at a price for our freedom and fiscal protection. Florida has extremely aggressive Ticket It or Click It campaigns and the new law should go far in padding the coffers of all state agencies. In addition, it is of utmost concern that the courts will see an increase in cases challenging evidence obtained from traffic stops which began as a result of a driver not wearing their seat belt. Since most DUI arrests occur at night, and the reason for the stop is almost always a possible defense, the stopping deputy or trooper should be 100 percent certain that the person they are stopping is not wearing their seat belt. A seat belt stop is akin to having one headlight out or a tag light out, as no “bad” driving is exhibited.
The Law Firm of Finebloom and Haenel has offices in Sarasota, Clearwater, Tampa, and Orlando and represents motorists across the State of Florida on any traffic related case. Our attorneys can be reached anytime by calling 1-800-FIGHT-IT.