I’m planning to introduce bipartisan legislation that will reform how we handle driver’s license suspensions and create alternatives to steep fines and indefinite suspensions that disproportionately affect lower-income residents.
Young drivers who fail to pay traffic fines are often faced with indefinite drivers’ license suspensions, for which the result is even higher fines if they get behind the wheel again.
According to a study by the Buhl Foundation, more than 150,000 Pennsylvania drivers ages 16-24 had their licenses suspended between 2014 and 2017, including almost 125,000 whose licenses were suspended indefinitely.
This is not just a case of kids forgetting to pay a ticket. These are fines on top of late fees and court fees on top of fines that can get very expensive and hard to keep up with. A traffic stop shouldn’t involve indefinite suspensions and being shackled by debt.
We need to provide alternatives, including community service, for drivers who cannot afford to pay fines and fees imposed for routine traffic violations.
