Traffic courts
Traffic courts are specialized judicial venues designed to address routine traffic violations, such as speeding, parking infractions, and other minor offenses related to road safety. Their establishment plays a crucial role in alleviating congestion within the broader justice system, preventing the overwhelming of traditional criminal courts with cases that are often viewed as minor. With over 150 million licensed drivers in the United States and millions of traffic incidents occurring annually, traffic courts are essential for managing the legal process surrounding these infractions without the need for full criminal trials.
Traffic violations are categorized as civil infractions, meaning they do not require the same legal procedures as misdemeanors or felonies, such as the right to an attorney or a jury trial. Instead, the act itself is sufficient for establishing guilt, and penalties usually involve fines rather than incarceration. The overarching goal of traffic enforcement and the courts is to promote safer driving behaviors and reduce accidents, which has shown to be effective in decreasing traffic fatalities over time.
The success of traffic laws is evidenced by declining death rates on highways, indicating that strict enforcement and efficient handling of cases in traffic courts contribute to improved public safety. Studies suggest that the likelihood of being caught rather than the severity of penalties plays a significant role in deterring traffic violations. Overall, traffic courts serve a vital function in maintaining order on the roads and enhancing the safety of all drivers.
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Traffic courts
SIGNIFICANCE: Traffic courts alleviate crowding in the justice system, for if traffic violations led to full criminal trials, the system would be overwhelmed with juries, lawyers, and convictions. Costs would be enormous, and many persons would be upset with the police and justice system for the vigorous enforcement of what are perceived to be insignificant crimes.
Traffic courts were established to handle routine traffic violations, such as speed law violations, driver and vehicle safety code infractions, parking tickets, and offenses against other rules of the road. Traffic crimes did not fit well into traditional state criminal court systems.
There are more than 150 million licensed drivers in the United States and a total of more than 25 million automobile accidents every year, more than 50,000 of which involve fatalities. The costs of these accidents reach more than $30 billion a year. The purpose of traffic law enforcement and traffic courts is to reduce the number of accidents and deaths. One result is that more than 20,000 traffic citations are filed every day in the United States.
Routine traffic violations are handled differently from more serious offenses such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI). For crimes such as speeding or running through a traffic sign, there is no need to prove criminal intent, as is true with other types of crimes. Simply committing the act is proof of guilt. Traffic courts were established specifically to handle proceedings involving what are legally called “traffic infractions.” Most U.S. states have three types of criminal acts: misdemeanors, felonies, and infractions. Infractions are dealt with by civil rather than criminal procedures. The right to an attorney or trial by jury may not apply in cases involving infractions. Convictions do not result in prison or probation, and fines are often held to $50 or less. More serious traffic crimes, such as driving under the influence, are handled in more traditional court proceedings, in which defendants have the right to an attorney and a trial by jury.
Creating Order on the Highways
Highways can be very dangerous. Traffic laws have done a good job in creating order out of potential chaos. Drivers generally respect speed laws, traffic signs, and traffic lights, even when no police cars are visible. The success of the system is illustrated by the fact that the long-term trend has shown a decrease in traffic fatalities. The National Safety Council reported in 2024 that traffic deaths fell in 2023 to 1.36 deaths per 100 million miles traveled. The effect of traffic law enforcement by police and courts is demonstrated by the success of state laws requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets. Prior to passage of laws requiring helmets, only 50 percent of cyclists wore helmets, but after vigorous enforcement by the police and judges, that number grew to almost 100 percent, and the number of deaths in motorcycle accidents dropped dramatically. In the three states that refused to pass such laws, the number of fatalities remained at a very high level.
The strict enforcement of traffic laws and efficient procedures in traffic courts have, according to many studies, led to fewer accidents and better driving habits. Studies of speed law enforcement have shown that it is not so much the severity of the penalty as the likelihood of being caught and convicted that reduces violations. On the other hand, studies have not indicated that there is any real benefit to sending traffic law violators to traffic school.
Bibliography
Haas, Carol. Your Driving and the Law: A Crash Course in Traffic Tickets and Court, Auto Accidents and Insurance, and Vehicle-Related Lawsuits. Bountiful, Utah: Horizon, 1991.
"Preliminary Semiannual Estimates." National Safety Council, 2024, injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/overview/preliminary-estimates/. Accessed 10 July 2024.
U.S. Department of Transportation. Traffic Safety and Crime: Keeping Pace. Washington, D.C.: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1996.