TL;DR – Acworth lawmaker pens House Bill 390, which greatly reduces the severity of punishment for rolling stop penalties, with a maximum fine of $100 and zero points added to the violator’s driver’s license
I’m just going to assume that this dumb state rep either got a ticket for rolling through a stop sign himself, has a family member that got a ticket for rolling through a stop sign, or knows someone close who got a ticket for rolling through a stop sign. And one or more of the violators are suffering the slight financial belt-tightening that comes from the insurance hike on account of points on a license. And although HB 390 won’t be able to retroactively go back and remove said transgressions from the violator(s)’s records, it’s still an action taken addressing the perceived unfairness and racial bias – of a fucking stop sign.
And that’s just it, a stop sign says “stop,” not “slow down to a crawl while simultaneously looking out for opposing traffic and proceed ahead unless there’s a cop in which you come to a complete stop.” Absolutely anything other than a complete stop is a violation of the law, and should most certainly be punished as any other moving violation. Reducing punishment not only implies a lack of concern for the potential hazards of rolling stops, it’s basically turning down free money for the state by reducing the fine associated with them.
If anything at all, if I were a lawmaker, not only would I oppose HB 390, I’d propose HB 093 which doubles down on the punishment for rolling stops, featuring larger fines and more license points for rolling through a stop sign, because that, would most certainly make a driver think twice about rolling through a stop sign, and probably actually stop, which slows all drivers down, which makes the state a safer place to drive. And those who don’t, that’s more revenue to the state. I fail to see the flaw in such a proposed bill.
I also love the race card pulled in this article too, as if rolling stops are only associated with black men. As if white women, Hispanic teenagers or every single Indian immigrant on the planet weren’t capable of rolling through stop signs; believe me, I’ve witnessed enough of all of the above do it on too regular of a basis to laugh at the notion that rolling stop violations targeted black men more than anyone else.
My first ever ticket wasn’t just one ticket, it was two; one for speeding; 40 in a 25 zone, and one for rolling through a stop sign. I beat the speeding ticket, because I had proof that I had a malfunctioning speedometer and was following the flow of traffic, but there’s no beating a rolling stop. I remember getting slapped with over $100 in court fees and fines, and having points on my license barely days after turning 16. I am not a black male, nor did I feel “targeted;” I simply got caught by a vigilant cop. In an unmarked car.
Stop signs exist for safety reasons. To slow cars down, and to make it safe for people not in cars to actually be able to move about outdoors without fear of getting hit and/or run over by maniacal drivers. They do not exist to troll drivers, weed out black men or generate money for law enforcement. Diminishing punishment for violation of the law not only diminishes the importance of the law, but slaps the face of societal norm that dictates that when you see a stop sign, it’s now merely a slap on the wrist as much as a bad behavior that needs to be corrected, if you roll through it.
The bottom line is that this is idiotic. If this bill passes, Georgia has taken a step back in the wrong direction when it comes to both enforcing safety and generating revenue. Two things that should probably be headed in the opposite direction that this proposed bill is moving in. But because some lawmakers and/or black men feel slighted by rolling stop violations, the law apparently needs to be changed. Fuck that.
