Traffic court fines and fees in Alabama can drive those already struggling financially off of the cliff. Policing decisions can result in exorbitant fines and fees, and some courts are jailing those who can’t pay. 

All too often low-income, and Black drivers are most often burdened with the mounting court debt, which can cripple families and leave them without access to transportation, stripping their ability to work and shrinking their lives. 

Federal grants intended to improve road safety more often give breaks to speeders and are instead used to heavily ticket drivers for regulatory infractions, who more often are low-income and people of color. The ticketing disparity is largest in Alabama’s more wealthy communities. 

Taken for a Ride looks at how those policing decisions and court outcomes can impact some of the most vulnerable Alabamians.