D.C. would have the authority to boot and tow vehicles repeatedly caught speeding by cameras under new legislation unanimously passed by the city’s council Tuesday.
Council member Charles Allen introduced the Strengthening Traffic Enforcement, Education, and Responsibility (STEER) Act of 2024. The bill would also allow for “speed governors,” devices that can prevent drivers from exceeding a certain speed, to be installed in certain vehicles.
Passage of the STEER Act comes after the District saw 52 traffic deaths in 2023, an increase from 35 in 2022.
“It’s obvious right now that a significant number of drivers do not fear accountability for speeding, driving recklessly, or driving drunk. And why should they? Nothing about their experience tells them there are consequences,” Allen said in a news release. “That’s about to change now that the Council has spoken clearly.”
The STEER Act would establish a new points system for vehicles repeatedly caught speeding. If a vehicle accumulates 10 points in a six-month window, it immediately becomes eligible for booting and towing. Under the bill, points are accumulated as follows:
- Speeding 11-15 mph over the limit — 2 points
- Speeding 16-19 mph over the limit — 3 points
- Speeding 20+ mph over the limit — 5 points
- Reckless driving — 5 points
- Aggravated reckless driving — 10 points
Allen’s office said in a news release that D.C. cameras issued more than 1 million tickets for cars going 11-15 mph over the speed limit.
The point system would apply to any vehicle, regardless of where it’s registered.
“Speed governors” would come into play for drivers whose license was suspended or revoked because of excessive speeding, including reckless driving. The first time a driver is required to enroll in the program, they would have to use the device for one year. The length of enrollment increases by one year for each subsequent conviction, with a fourth conviction resulting in lifelong enrollment.
The STEER Act would also empower D.C.’s Office of the Attorney General to bring civil suits against drivers from anywhere who have large balances of unpaid moving violations.
“We must redouble our efforts to crack down on dangerous drivers who put pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers at risk,” D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said.
It was revealed in November that 335 drivers who should have been enrolled in D.C.’s Ignition Interlock Program did not have the devices installed in their vehicles. Allen’s office said the bill would address the Department of Motor Vehicles’ notification failures that led to offending drivers slipping through the cracks.
“Dangerous driving is far too common in every DC neighborhood,” Allen said in a news release. “The bill approved today will create real, common sense accountability measures to reduce speeding and reckless behavior in our neighborhoods and close loopholes blocking accountability.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser and Congress still need to sign off on the legislation before it becomes law.
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