Brooklyn Magazine covers the class action filed by Steve Vaccaro to end the DMV’s unlawful penalties for bicyclists.
Cyclists who have been found guilty of a moving violation and decide to just plead guilty and pay the fine online, have been hit with an additional $88 surcharge as well as racking up points on their driver license. This is happening because the DMV’s online system doesn’t recognize when an offender is a cyclist or a motorist, and so treats them the same way. And in case you’re thinking this is just an innocent mistake on the part of the perpetually computer unsavvy DMV, think again. Lawyer Steve Vaccaro writes on Streets Blog NYC, “this is no simple computer glitch either. Judging from the pre-printed traffic forms supplied by the DMV, you’d think it’s trying deliberately to trick cyclists into overpaying their fines. The form states: “included in the total amount for each violation (except equipment) are mandatory surcharges in the amount of $88. Equipment violations include mandatory surcharges of $58.”
Click here for the full report.