Ahead of a public hearing on four bills aimed at cracking down on dangerous driving in D.C., lawmakers released several notable statistics that they believe show the city is behind on its goal of making streets safer.
On Wednesday, Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen, who chairs the council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment, and Ward 1 Council member Brianne Nadeau will host the hearing on the legislative proposals that also aim to reverse the trend of increasing traffic deaths.
There have been 42 roadway deaths this year, a 16-year high, according to a news release advertising the public hearing. Over 5,300 people have been hurt in crashes, and over 300 of them had serious injuries.
Almost 150 times each day, a driver is issued a ticket for going 20 to 30 mph over the posted speed limit, according to the release, and about 50,000 tickets are issued every year for driving at those speeds.
There’s also limited information sharing among agencies to identify drivers who have driven dangerously or recklessly, the release said.
Before the hearing, council members learned that eight people are enrolled in a program that’s required when someone is convicted of or arrested for driving under the influence. The District’s DMV has started the process of contacting over 300 more drivers to tell them they have to enroll.
The mandatory ignition intervention device program prevents somebody who has been drinking from turning their car on without first blowing into a breathalyzer device, the release said.
Some drivers who don’t live in D.C. are also racking up thousands of dollars in unpaid tickets, council members found, with one vehicle registered in Maryland facing $100,000 in unpaid violations. Forty-two vehicles have more than $50,000 in unpaid tickets.
A proposal giving D.C.’s attorney general more power to pursue such drivers in civil court could help address those issues, the release said.
The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.
