‘Lot of people are very unhappy,’ as new law hits drivers with quadruple fines up to $1,000 for common mistake | 88I24H8 | 2024-05-12 12:08:01
'Lot of people are very unhappy,' as new law hits drivers with quadruple fines up to $1,000 for common mistake | 88I24H8 | 2024-05-12 12:08:01
A LAST-minute change to a major road rule imposing some of the strictest-in-the-nation fines put lawmakers at odds.
Drivers are looking at a $1,000 fine if they make a common mistake that has proven extremely dangerous to children.
Passing a school bus after it has stopped and opened its stop sign is illegal.
The dangerous move has put thousands of children's lives at risk.
Studies looking into over 90,000 school bus drivers in 33 states found about 25.8% of buses had cars pass illegally when stopped.
Georgia's House of Representatives passed a law that aims to protect school children by increasing fines on drivers, according to Atlanta-based NBC affiliate WXIA-TV.
The House narrowly passed Addy's Law, a bill named after Adalynn Pierce.
Pierce was eight years old when a car struck her as she crossed the street next to a school bus.
She passed away from her injuries.
The new road law quadruples the minimum fine for the infraction to $1,000.
Rep. Lauren Daniel, one of the bills sponsors, supported the bill after it went through massive changes.
"The hour is late. This bill is not what it originally was," she said.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> Initially, the bill was scheduled to address public debt.
However, after several rewrites, the bill didn't address debt and instead raised the school bus fine.
Some lawmakers gawked at the increased fines.
"A lot of people are going to be very unhappy with this legislation," Rep. Don Parsons said before the vote.
"A thousand-dollar fine can prevent someone from paying their rent, making their house payment, putting food on the table."
</div> </div> Daniels said the bill was a moderate fine compared to other states, claiming that Indiana had $10,000 fines for the infraction.
However, a judge in Indiana said fines for the illegal school bus passing is discretionary to the case's magistrate, according to WXIA-TV.
Motorists can be charged as little as $1 for the infraction.
Daniels still said the fine was commenserate to the harm produced by the driving error.
"A thousand dollars is obviously a fine that is going to make people upset," she said.
"It is much cheaper than having to pay for a child's funeral."
More >> https://ift.tt/Hv5SthZ Source: MAG NEWS
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