“The University of Michigan Department of Public Safety has almost tripled the number of motor vehicle violations it writes annually over the past five years – and some drivers are angry about it, since some of the increased enforcement is happening on city streets.

The number of motor vehicle violations issued by DPS increased from 540 in 1999 to 1,545 in 2003, according to U-M. By comparison, the city of Ann Arbor writes more tickets per month, about 2,000 to 3,000, than DPS writes in a year. […]

U-M spokeswoman Diane Brown said the increased enforcement was due to the mandatory seat belt law, which went into effect in March 2000. She said the law for the first time allowed officers to pull over motorists for not wearing a seat belt.

The university doesn’t receive any money directly from the additional tickets. Fines from tickets written as state violations go to the state while the city captures court costs.

The city would only receive court costs for a speeding ticket for 1-10 mph over the limit written as a state code violation. That can range from $29 to $44. For a speeding ticket for 1-5 mph over the limit written as a city code violation, the city would get $80 of a $120 fine, according to the city. …”

> From AANews: “U-M police tickets irk off-campus drivers”

Author: Rob