news-record.com

Two years ago, the General Assembly thought it was getting tough on serial speeders and drivers ticketed for going 25 mph over the limit.

It hasn't worked out that way. The hoped-for results never materialized and only a handful plead guilty as charged. Instead, many strike deals with busy prosecutors. By pleading to a non-speeding offense, such as "improper equipment," speeders sidestep license points that raise insurance rates.

In April, this page reported that Guilford County prosecutors often agree to plea bargains that reduce speeding charges.

They aren't alone. A recent Charlotte Observer investigation reveals that, statewide, chronic repeaters often get off with a slap on the wrist.

During 2004-08, just one in six tickets issued in the state ended up "guilty as charged." In more than half of 100 counties, the Observer reported, the conviction rate was less than 50 percent. The rate for the worst offenders has stayed the same.

Several factors come into play. The sheer volume of traffic cases can overwhelm court dockets. Prosecutors interviewed by the Observer said they don't have time to try even a small percentage. Some said they lacked the technology necessary to check speeders' driving records.

As in Guilford, other counties are turning to behavior modification by requiring ticketed offenders to attend court-approved safe-driving classes. That option saves time while allowing courts to continue collecting from defendants the fees and costs that keep the wheels of justice turning.

However, the jury is out on whether that benign approach will produce desired results. The Observer concluded that data clearly show drivers with multiple tickets are a greater danger and more likely to get in wrecks.

The stakes are high. Speeders kill more people on state roads than do vigorously prosecuted drunken drivers. The leniency gap must be closed.

For starters, the legislature needs to revisit the "improper equipment" loophole. What amounts to free passes allowing chronic violators to stay behind the wheel and avoid higher insurance premiums can't be justified.

Yet more is involved than fine-tuning the law. Crowded courts need to be adequately staffed and funded.

Finally, voters must hold judges and prosecutors accountable and make it clear that cutting deals is intolerable.