New fines for teen speeders in MA come in one size: XXXL
Based on recent moves in Indiana, Virginia, the PSA's in Australia, and now Massachusetts, speeding of the teen and adult varieties is the latest headline-grabbing menace to society. Massachusetts' Junior Operators' License Law, which outlines the punishments meted out to traffic offenders under the age of 18, was recently strengthened.
One of the first victims was Jackie Crawford, four weeks shy of her 18th birthday, who was given a ticket for going 35 in a 25. First came the $100 fine. Then came the 3-month license suspension. Then came mandatory attendance in the State Courts Against Road Rage program, as well as a driver attitude retraining course -- both of which her mother had to drive her to because Jackie's license was suspended. Then came the $500 fee to have her license reinstated. But she won't actually get her license back until she retakes both the written and the driving tests again... and pays the fees for those as well. In MA, 25 means 25, especially if you're under 18.
Thanks for the tip, Dylan!
[Source: Worcester Telegram via Car Advice]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jeremy 5:15PM (7/20/2007)
That is absolutely ridiculous. Road rage? for going 10 over? Give them a normal speeding ticket and be done with it. If they get 2 more then take the license away for 3 months. That's what happened to me and I haven't gone over the speed limit yet. What's sad is they aren't even doing it for the people driving, they're doing it to increase tax revenue. We have lost the right to be stupid!
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stealth 5:19PM (7/20/2007)
thats how it is in taxachuttes. everything is run by the damn buerocrats. its a nice state, but the laws suck ass.
Viv 6:32PM (7/20/2007)
This robbery in broad daylight by elected officials. If any of you are a resident of the stupid state please don't re-elect any of the idiots that voted for these rules.
Torqued 8:31PM (7/20/2007)
I am a resident, and I don't plan on reelecting any of the morons in the current gov't. The problem is the people who oppose them are just as bad.
What we need is a "none of the above" option. If that wins, we re-do the election with all-new candidates on the ballot.
Don 7:54PM (7/22/2007)
Boy, it sure sucks to be a kid there.
Joe 5:21PM (7/20/2007)
Whole thing smells like a cash factory for the state.
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Billy Bob 5:21PM (7/20/2007)
Imagine putting a Hayabusa Engine in a 1500 pound Smart Car. WOW!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPQIizRp9ck
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Adam500 5:40PM (7/20/2007)
Cool Vid!
paul34 5:45PM (7/20/2007)
screw you, spammer.
CheezeDog 9:28PM (7/20/2007)
Thats gotta be the first Smart car i ever wanted to own. It's strange, you think it being so top heavy, it want to flip over, but it just awsomes parking lots. So I guess the motor is heavy enough to keep it planted, and with driver being so far up is easy enough to feel the tip through the doughnuts...
I wonder what is the G force, handling like.
Amber 11:27PM (7/20/2007)
Nice Smart car. So much fun to drive that car. Autoblog should do a article on it.
MikeW 5:25PM (7/20/2007)
Since she already had her licence before the law was passed. The implementation should be that anyone who doesn't have their licence as of the initiation date, and then goes and gets it after the fact is then subject to it.
She is 'grandfathered' in. She should fight this to the highest court. Stop runaway government.
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Eric Smith 5:44PM (7/20/2007)
It's very possible there was no grandfather exception when this law was enacted. I'm pretty sure grandfather exceptions must actually be stated in the laws themselves, they are not implied.
MikeW 12:44PM (7/21/2007)
Well what if the law when she got her licence was the you would receive a suspension if you got 4 tickets before age 18. So she was careful enough to only get 3.[underposted speed limits, and other BS, etc.] Now the new law is 2 tickets, and you get a suspension. Are they going to retroactively apply the new statute on someone who isn't under its juristiction? It sounds like they did just that.
Idiots in the secretary of states office. [or the equivalent in taxachusetts}
Dave 5:25PM (7/20/2007)
The AARP (the largest voting bloc in the USA) has officially outlawed fun.
If they can't have it, no one can.
Especially those blasted teenagers.
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Billy Bob 5:31PM (7/20/2007)
The largest voting block in America is not AARP its WUSC.
It stands for White Uneducated Southern Christians.
You can brainwash these guys into voting for anything.
dan 8:01PM (7/20/2007)
Yeah, those WUSCs really run things in Taxachusetts... moron.
Ward 5:31PM (7/20/2007)
I think I'd prefer a bunch of teenagers going over the limit to a bunch going under the limit.
If we had sensible speed limits instead of municipalities trying to cash in by keeping them artificially low, maybe people would take them seriously. But as it is most people drive 5 or 10 over, and usually that's ok, unless the wrong officer sees you in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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Winterbolts 9:39PM (7/20/2007)
Ahhh yes..good ole' Massachusetts. Finding a way to steal more money and time from its citizens. No wonder why this state is losing so many people and jobs as the cost of living is stratospheric! This just adds to that reasoning. Keeping kids under control is the intent of this law, but to be realistic, I'd make a statement on the local level, stake out some of the Senator and Rep's homes, pull over their kids when they speed.. see what happens.. thats unfortunately what will bring a repeal of this idiotic law.
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Ian 6:53PM (7/20/2007)
Total overkill and not the way to foster relations between kids and the Police. OK penalise someone for speeding and throw in some drivers education, but the long list is OTT IMHO.
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