Relates to establishing a statewide multi-agency integrated data system for certain violations relating to motor vehicle registration and use

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Democratic5

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Andrew Gounardes says this is needed

The readability of a vehicle's license plate is crucial for toll collection, the issuance of fines, and the enforcement of various traf- fic laws. Unfortunately, the minimum penalty for the offense of an obscured, or "ghost," plate is just $100- a fee too low to deter uniden- tifiable vehicles escaping hundreds of dollars in tolls and traffic fines. This bill implements a graduated system of fines starting at $150 for a first offense to $1,000 for five or more offenses within 18 months. Increased penalties disincentivize repeat offenders and send a clear message that this type of unsafe driving will not go unpunished. Increasing fines is a necessary first step toward tackling fine evasion, but the difficulty also lies in the lack of a central source of informa- tion for street-level enforcers to access during traffic interactions. It's difficult for officers to determine if a vehicle has committed its first offense or its tenth when issuing fines for visually identifiable infractions rarely requires a search of license or vehicle history. For example, an outdated registration sticker or late inspection is evident to a traffic enforcer by their view of what is or isn't displayed on a car's windshield. For ghost plate enforcement, an officer would just write a ticket based on the missing or improper plate, but they wouldn't necessarily need to look up the Vehicle Identification Number or other identifier of the car. Without this, there's no way to know if a vehi- cle or license is associated with past obstructed plate offenses or license suspensions and thus a graduated fee schedule would see little enforcement. A centralized database solves this by providing real-time information on a vehicle's traffic offense history and outstanding fines for enforce- ment agents to access immediately. Additionally, agencies like the DMV and tolling authorities would be able to share data related to prior ghost plate violations, ghost plate-related license suspensions, unpaid tolling and parking liabilities, and more with municipalities. When ticketing agents are equipped with the information and context they need to find prior violations, they can properly implement a graduated fine schedule and keep our streets safe.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.