OSP gives some motorists vouchers instead of tickets

The next time you’re pulled over, instead of a ticket, you might be handed something you actually want.

Oregon State Police are starting the second year of their “car care program.”

In 2016, OSP troopers gave out more than 20,000 warnings or citations for equipment violations. Nearly 80 percent of those were because the driver did not have the required lighting.

The car care program allows troopers to give vouchers instead of, or along with citations. So instead of a ticket that costs money, motorists could save money.

“If you bring in your little card that they give you, you get 20 percent off of the item that’s needed to repair your car or get it fixed,” Joshua Thody, manager at Baxter Auto Parts, said Wednesday. “Any item that’s a repair-type item, we’ll take care of it for you.”

OSP says it’s the first law enforcement agency in the nation to offer this type of program.

Capt. Bill Fugate said the department had to take a step back and look at the bigger picture of not only getting people in compliance with the law, but also helping people in need. He said people often don’t make repairs because they simply cannot afford them, and this leads to a snowball effect.

“So we issue them a ticket for that equipment violation, then they can’t pay the ticket,” Fugate said. “These are working families, and the next thing you know, their license is suspended because they didn’t pay for the ticket. And then usually what happens when we stop suspended drivers is we tow the cars, and that’s the method for that family to bring home income.”

This year, the program has expanded to tackle another issue, distracted driving, using the same philosophy.

“Those people holding the phone to their ear or texting on the phone, a lot of times, they don’t have a Bluetooth device or even a corded headset. So that voucher is also being handed out to those folks to go get them in compliance,” Fugate said.

Vouchers can be given to people for lighting or other minor repairs, instead of a citation. But because stopping distracted driving is one of the OSP’s top priorities, people using the phone can still expect a ticket.