Conventional wisdom held that the combination of more fuel-efficient vehicles and a gas tax that hadn’t been raised in 20 years would make the highway upkeep fund go broke, spelling big trouble for drivers on Interstate 5 and Highway 395. But, as is often the case, conventional wisdom may have been wrong.

Researchers at The University of Michigan discovered that overall fuel efficiency incased a whopping 0.8 percent in the last two decades. They explained that, since the average passenger vehicle stays on the road for about 11 years, it takes a very long time for fuel efficiency changes to take root in the entire fleet of cars and trucks. Moreover, they found that the law of diminishing returns applies: whereas a change from 40 to 41 miles per gallon saves seven gallons of fuel per year, a change from 15 to 16mpg saves 50 gallons.

According to the Census Bureau, gasoline tax revenue exceeded $41 million in 2012, which was a record high.

A Reasonable Balance

No one likes to pay gasoline taxes, but everyone likes free interstate highways, so we grudgingly pay the extra dollar or so per gallon. In a similar way, no one likes penalty assessments, but everyone likes well-trained police forces. The problem is that California’s add-ons are much more than a dollar or so.

High penalty assessments do not affect just poor people. According to the government, about half of American households would struggle to pay a $400 emergency expense. So, the hundreds of dollars in direct add-ons, not to mention the hundreds more in indirect costs, is simply more money that most folks can pay.

The best approach is to get ahead of the problem and reduce the fines before the bill comes due. In addition to the fine reduction, an attorney can often get the points reduced and appear for you in traffic court, so you can stay on the road.

Getting Legal Help

The aggressive lawyers at Bigger & Harman, APC, are committed to giving individuals a voice when dealing with speeding and traffic tickets. Call today at 661-859-1177 or email attorney@markbigger.com to receive the personal professional attention you deserve. En español, llame al 661-376-0214.