arrested at some traffic ticket someday in the future, spend several days in jail trying to raise bond, or a judge, car towed and the fee is too high to get it out, lose job, lose apartment, become homeless, spend a year or more trying to get back on your feet.

These huge fines are killers for the people barely treading water.

or the alternative is to not text and drive. Considering that I share the road with those other drivers (particularly as a pedestrian or bicycle rider) I hope that is the decision the driver makes.

and add on fees that can wipe some people out, while meaning little to others.

I have never texted myself, but some of these traffic fines are getting out of hand.

so I do understand your point. I tend to lean towards an amount that is consistent with a ticket for speeding or running a signal light. It needs to be sufficient to impact behavior without it being overly burdensome.

about the electronic red light sensors, or interstate speeding sensors, and especially the fines on the "move over" law, which I hope have been reduced.

Here is an old 2007 article about Virginia, I hope it is outdated now, or perhaps an inaccurate story in the first place.

https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/20/2032.asp

My daughters and I almost got run over in our neighborhood by some fool kid on his phone while we were walking. Walk against traffic doesn't do a bit of good if someone crosses into the other lane behind you.