ATLANTA, March 22, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Motorists who zip past the Georgia 400 toll booths ignoring the 50 cent charge may be rationalizing their behavior, believing that they won't get caught or that they shouldn't have to pay anyway.
That's the observation of Georgia State University's Dean Dabney, a faculty member in GSU's Criminal Justice Department and an expert in criminal behavior. According to Dabney, people cheat on tolls for the same reasons they steal a handful of grapes at a grocery store, cheat on their taxes or on tests in school.
"Most will deny that there is any real injury involved in this form of cheating," explains Dabney. "They rationalize by thinking, 'Why should I have to pay this toll, when I can drive on other Georgia roads free?' They don't think they will get caught and to them the consequences are always very distant. When they are eventually confronted with their violations, they once again rationalize by thinking, 'Don't these people have anything better to do?'"
Dabney's observations come on the heels of the Georgia State Road & Tollway Authority's efforts to crack down on toll violations by offering a 90-day amnesty program that provides violators an opportunity to pay their tolls in full with reduced penalties. Details of the program can be found on the SRTA web site at www.georgiatolls.com or by calling 404.893.6161. The program runs March 1 to May 31. After the amnesty period, a new law will go into effect that allows for habitual violators who do not pay their tolls and fines to face the loss of their vehicle registration.
"With today's technologies including a combination of computers and cameras, most violators will get caught," says Dabney. "However, in their rationalization, they don't think about the consequences nor do they logically process the fact that paying a toll is the law and they can't selectively choose to obey it or not."
"Again they rationalize their actions by thinking, 'In the overall scheme of things, I'm a good person, so what harm is there in me doing this one little thing?'"
According to SRTA, more than 84,000 toll-violating Georgians are playing long-shot odds that they won't be accountable for their actions and the collective $6.5 million they have racked up in toll violations and penalties since 1998.
"The odds are against them as we are going to collect money due the state," explains Rosa Rountree, Executive Director of SRTA. "And if they don't pay, they will suffer the consequences of their actions. The new law for those who are habitual violators after January 1, 2007 allows for SRTA to suspend vehicle registration if necessary. If people think they won't be held accountable, they are wrong."
According to Ms. Rountree, 84,105 drivers, many of whom have multiple violations, have failed to pay their tolls. These persons have been identified and notified that they owe the state money. A $25.00 administrative fee is added to each toll violation, bringing the exact amount owed the state to $6,519,165.70.
The amnesty period is only for violations which occurred prior to January 1, 2007, the date a state law changing the way that SRTA can enforce penalties for toll violations went into effect.
Following the SRTA amnesty period, violators with multiple violations who do not pay the amount they owe will be referred to a collection agency. For those with habitual violations after January 1, 2007, they will be referred to the Office of State Administrative Hearings (OSAH) where they will owe up to $70.00 per violation as well as potentially losing their vehicle registration.
During the amnesty period SRTA will waive a portion of the $25.00 administrative fee due on an escalating scale depending on the number of violations:
-- Nine or fewer violations: The amount due would be the full amount
of the 50 cent tolls plus one-half of the total administrative fee.
For example if a driver had four toll violations that person would
owe $52.00. That includes four 50 cent tolls plus one-half of the
$100.00 total administrative fees for four violations.
-- 10 - 24 violations: SRTA will accept 60 percent of the total
administrative fee and the full amount of all unpaid tolls.
-- 25 or more violations: SRTA will accept 75 percent of the total
administrative fee and the full amount of all unpaid tolls.
Ms. Rountree says the authority has no plans to extend the amnesty program beyond May 31, 2007 and that her agency will aggressively pursue outstanding violators.
Payments, which must be postmarked by May 31, 2007 may be made to SRTA by check or money order and sent to Post Office Box 2105, Atlanta, GA 30301-2105. Credit cards may be received over the phone with an additional $2 processing fee.