Many people with traffic tickets in Georgia are asking Gwinnett County speeding ticket attorneys if police departments are issuing more traffic tickets than they used to. Some recent studies are showing that there really is a relation between the recession and the increase in traffic tickets issued.
The studies tracked the relationship between the number of traffic tickets issued by police departments and the financial health of their local governments. In both studies, cities and counties with budget problems were more likely to turn to drivers as a source of new revenue.
A 2006 study looked at the number of traffic tickets issued in each county of North Carolina between 1990 to 2003. The study found that a one percent point increase in the local unemployment rate leads to a 6.4 percentage point increase in the number of traffic tickets.
One predictable finding of the study was that once the police start issuing more tickets, they keep doing it. The study found no evidence that a better economic times resulted in a drop in the number of tickets.
The second study suggested that more tickets could be a good thing. Not necessarily for the ticketed driver, but for all the drivers in general. This study argues that an increase in the number of traffic tickets leads to a decrease in the number of traffic accidents. The researchers confirmed that cities and counties with budget problems issued more tickets, but they also found that these cities' streets had fewer accidents.
The study also noted that it's dangerous to drive anywhere if your an out-of-towner. Out-of-town drivers made up 66% of drivers stopped, and 69% of drivers who received a traffic ticket.
Source: Forbes "It's Not Your Imagination. Recessions Do Lead to More Traffic Tickets" August 19, 2010
