“Huge California Traffic Ticket Fines Effective 1-6-2011”

That’s the subject line for an e-mail that’s making its way around the Internet, but it’s wrong and probably something someone started just to upset or scare people.

In checking with Christine Gentry, court operations manager for the Sonoma County court system, the ONLY increase in fines for traffic violations that went into effect at the start of the year was a $4 fee for air ambulance services. The $4 fee, approved last year by the Legislature under Assembly Bill 2173, provided for increased Medi-Cal funding of emergency air ambulance transportation.

Now, traffic fines are costly in California, especially after all of the fees and surcharges levied by the state and county are added in.

For example, the base fine for illegally using a cell phone while driving is $20. But once you add all of the extra fees, including the new air ambulance fee, the total is $160 in Sonoma County. And that’s for your first offense. Do it again and the base fine climbs to $50 and the grand total skyrockets to $280.

So, actually, part of the e-mail is right: The cost of a traffic ticket is downright scary.

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