WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) -- Washington traffic enforcement officers collected more than $3.3 million in 2006 using mechanical "boots" to immobilize cars with outstanding fines.
District boot crews outfitted more cars with the devices than similar projects in Baltimore, Philadelphia and San Francisco, at a pace of 18 boots per day, the Washington Times reported Wednesday.
District officials said the boots are the most efficient way to get out-of-state drivers to pay outstanding parking fines.
"Parking tickets received in D.C. by drivers from Maryland and Virginia never need to be paid because those states do not require D.C. parking tickets to be satisfied before renewing the driver's license or the vehicle's registration," Washington budget documents state.
As many as 40,000 vehicles eligible for booting pass through the district every day.
D.C. Department of Public Works spokeswoman Linda Grant said booting crews have special cameras in their vehicles to identify the license plates of cars with unpaid tickets.
"The city wouldn't need a parking-enforcement program if everyone parked legally," said Grant. "And we wouldn't need a booting program if everyone satisfied their parking tickets."
