02.01.02

By Geoffrey Rowland

A woman is running late for work in Fairfax one morning. In a rush to drop her daughter off at school, she fails to buckle the child's seat belt. To avoid rush-hour traffic, she races through the streets of a residential neighborhood. Then she sees the lights of a patrol car behind her.

The driver may be in for a shock: Besides the speeding ticket, she would be hit with an additional $200 in mandatory fines if two legislators get their bills passed.

House Bill 168, sponsored by Delegate J. Chapman Peterson, D-Fairfax, would impose an automatic fine of $100 for any person going more than 15 mph above the speed limit in residential areas.

Delegate Michele B. McQuigg, R-Woodbridge, has proposed a bill to fine drivers a mandatory $100 if they have passengers under 16 who are not restrained by a safety belt or car seat.

Both of these bills were under review by the House General Laws Committee last week. The panel approved the two bills and sent both to the full House for consideration, despite opposition from the National Motorists Association.

"We believe," Peterson said, "that this bill would greatly reduce the likelihood of motorists speeding through residential districts."

The committee had many questions despite Peterson’s arguments.

"What is the total value of this bill?" Delegate Scott L. Lingamfelter, R-Woodbridge, asked. "It seems that this bill may just be there to provide more (resources) to the police. Would this bill have any real impact?"

"We believe that the bill would have an impact," Peterson responded with the support of a few members of the Fairfax City Police Department backing his bill.

The National Motorist Association definitely did not agree with the delegate’s views.

"The speed limits on these roads in Fairfax," Jim Kaddison, the National Motorists Association’s spokesman, said, "are clearly under posted and are speed traps."

The National Motorist Association also opposed McQuigg’s bill, which would double the penalty for violating the state’s child restraint laws.

House Bill 254 provides for a mandatory $100 civil penalty for violations of the state's child restraint law.

"We believe that this bill, with a one-point driver's penalty, would effectively make people think a little more about getting into their car and making sure that their children buckle up," McQuigg said.

A few delegates questioned the bill’s validity.

"If a person's love for their child does not get them to buckle their kids up," Delegate Bill R. Janis, R-Oilville, said, "then do you think that this penalty would actually make them decide to do so?"

Once again, Kaddison made his way to the podium to voice the National Motorists Association’s disapproval.

"Legislators have never been given the ability to give out driving (demerit) points," Kaddison said."Why should they start now?"

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