Possible traffic violation fine, what do I do?

[Tonish]

Last week, due to much squabbling and fighting going on in the back of my car, I took a wrong turn onto the 528 (I think) and came off again at the next exit ramp. Unfortunately, at the end of the ramp, instead of a toll booth, the exit was obviously for sunpass users only. I had no choice but to drive through; I couldn't reverse back up the ramp.

The sign said there was a 100 dollar fine for misuse and it was enforced with a camera. I have no problem paying the fine, but there was nothing at the exit giving any instructions about what to do. I had meant to tell Dollar when I returned the car, but we were late for our flight and had to run. I'm home now and I assume I will get something from the car hire company, which I'll be happy to pay if it arrives.

I'm more concerned that it doesn't arrive and causes me problems the next time I'm over. Has anyone any experience of this type of violation and what happens?

Tonish

[E. Cosgrove]

I would imagine that if the fine is enforced, then dollar will deduct it from your credit card, and providing it is paid there shouldn't be a problem.
Somewhere on your car rental documents it says that you are liable for speeding fines and traffic violations.
Why not ring dollar or e mail their customer service dept just to put your mind at rest.

[flyrr100]

I wouldn't worry. I have a sun pass and now and then it doesn't 'go off'. I've never received a citation. I received a new transponder once! I guess they thought mine was faulty! Really the sticky had become un-sticky and it was in my glove box! It has to be on the windsheild to work.

[Ana]

We once went through an unmanned toll on the 417 and had no change to pay. We looked up the no. for the police and told them what had happened. They said they don't usually do anything to first time "offenders" as they appreciate that us tourists sometimes get things wrong!

[chrizzy100]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Tonish
Last week, due to much squabbling and fighting going on in the back of my car, I took a wrong turn onto the 528 (I think) and came off again at the next exit ramp. Unfortunately, at the end of the ramp, instead of a toll booth, the exit was obviously for sunpass users only. I had no choice but to drive through; I couldn't reverse back up the ramp.

The sign said there was a 100 dollar fine for misuse and it was enforced with a camera. I have no problem paying the fine, but there was nothing at the exit giving any instructions about what to do. I had meant to tell Dollar when I returned the car, but we were late for our flight and had to run. I'm home now and I assume I will get something from the car hire company, which I'll be happy to pay if it arrives.

I'm more concerned that it doesn't arrive and causes me problems the next time I'm over. Has anyone any experience of this type of violation and what happens?

Tonish
[/quote]

We've gone through the odd toll........and never had a fine yet......so I'd not worry that much......sometimes we've had to drive through because a coin did not show up after putting it in the basket....so having no more we just had to drive on...

[jo-anne]

This happened to us when we had mix up with change at the toll and couldn't pay.
We then got lost and went through another toll without paying (that was when we tried to get off the toll road due to lack of change and found another toll at the end of the slip road.)
We thought we'd be in big trouble but when we rang the authorities to appologise and to pay the tolls they were so lovely.
They said they were used to tourists and that they were patient for quite a number of times before they would follow up a non payment of tolls by a tourist.
The next time we were on a toll road we threw loads of extra change into the bucket to ease our conscience!!
Jo-Anne

[pieman790]

When we were travelling from the airport to the villa this year we came off the 417 at the junction of the Osceola Parkway. The toll booth is unmanned but somebody have jammed the bucket where you throw your coins. We tried everything possible to make payment (Cost us about $5 in coins) but the machine would not register but kept on taking our coins. In the end we drove through it and havent heard a thing from the car rental company. We had 7 witnesses to say to tried to make payment. When would you find out if there is a violation?

[fredkohlhofer]

Unfortunately all those people who are saying don't worry about it may well be totally wrong. If you have a look at the Orlandosentinel website today - an authoritative source on Florida - you will see:

"Thousands of Central Florida drivers are being slapped with tickets, fines or suspended licenses after the state in May launched a zero-tolerance policy for motorists who go through automated tollbooths without paying.

But the policy is, in many cases, penalizing drivers for honest mistakes -- and even for equipment glitches that are the toll system's fault.

Just last month, an estimated 5,000 citations were issued in Lake, Osceola, Orange and Seminole counties. That compared with about 600 in April, just before the new policy took effect."

[tonireece]

hi everyone,
this happened to us this year at 417 also, showing up change given, but no-one there, we went to the court house (which took ages to find, off 192), they said it takes a photo of the number plate, and they can tell if it keeps happening, we never got a fine. Dont worry.

[fredkohlhofer]

That was then, this is now. The Orlando Sentinel is usually correct, if they say it is NOW zero tolerance then it probably is.
If you do get fined the car rental company will sort it out, and charge you the fine plus a handling charge. You signed for this when you rented the car.
I hope it doesn't happen, fingers crossed and Good Luck, keep us posted.