Idaho § 50-336 - TRAFFIC SAFETY EDUCATION PROGRAM - FEES

§ 50-336. TRAFFIC SAFETY EDUCATION PROGRAM - FEES

(1) Cities may by ordinance elect to offer a traffic safety education program to all drivers issued an infraction citation by a city law enforcement officer for a moving violation not involving a collision. Citations allowing the traffic safety education program alternative shall only be issued pursuant to section 49-1501 , Idaho Code, and as permitted by this section. Such traffic safety education program shall be for the purpose of educating drivers in traffic safety concepts. Drivers qualified under this section who desire to pay the fixed penalty and court costs in lieu of appearing in court on the citation may also elect to attend a traffic safety education program offered by a city under this section as an alternative to receiving violation points and insurance rating charges as provided in subsection (6) of this section. At the time of issuance of the citation, drivers shall elect whether they wish to attend the program and, if so, the citing officer shall record the election in the uniform citation. The citing officer shall provide to the driver a written notice of the available times, locations and the cost of the program or a written notice identifying a telephone number or internet website address where such information can be obtained. The driver shall have forty-five (45) days from the date of issuance of the citation to complete the traffic safety education program. A driver electing to attend the program shall pay the fixed penalty and court costs for the citation to the clerk of the court as provided in the citation and pay the program fee, if any, separately to the city at or before the time of attendance at the program. Any person who fails to complete the offered traffic safety education program within the forty-five (45) days after voluntarily electing to attend will not receive the relief provided in subsection (6) of this section. Before issuing a citation allowing the traffic safety education program alternative, the citing officer shall ensure that the driver is not disqualified under subsection (2) of this section.

(2) The traffic safety education program option allowed under subsection (1) of this section is not available to:

(a) Any driver holding a commercial driver’s license or any person driving a commercial motor vehicle; or

(b) Any driver having received within the last three (3) years relief from violation points under subsection (6) of this section or having received a point reduction as provided in rules of the Idaho department of transportation for completing any defensive driving or driver safety course.

(3) If the city imposes a traffic safety education program fee, such fee shall not exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00).

(4) If the city collects a program fee from a driver disqualified from the traffic safety education program alternative, the city shall refund the program fee to the driver no later than ten (10) days following the discovery of the error. If the driver has already completed the program, the city shall, no later than ten (10) days following the discovery of the error, so notify the clerk of the court and the driver and shall advise the driver that the relief provided in subsection (6) of this section is not available and shall pay to the driver twenty-five dollars ($25.00) as liquidated damages for the error, in addition to refunding the program fee.

(5) The city clerk or other authorized city official for the city in which the citation was issued shall within fifteen (15) days of the completion of the traffic safety education program by the cited driver transmit verification of the completion to the clerk of the county in which the citation was issued.

(6) When a person has successfully completed a traffic safety education program for an infraction citation, the infraction shall not result in violation point counts as prescribed in section 49-326 , Idaho Code, nor shall the infraction be deemed to be a moving violation for the purpose of establishing rates of motor vehicle insurance charged by a casualty insurer.

(7) The Idaho supreme court shall establish such rules as deemed necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

[50-336, added 2013, ch. 292, sec. 1, p. 769.]