This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
State lawmakers are being asked to look at tightening regulations for traffic schools after a legislative audit found at least one Utah city was using a legal loophole to bypass the courts system and pocket cash that would normally make its way to state coffers.
Police officers in South Ogden had been issuing invitations to traffic school rather than simply issuing citations, according to an audit released Tuesday. Those who declined the invitation to attend traffic school were cited.
By allowing some drivers to avoid court in favor of the locally operated traffic school, the city brought in about $100,000 a year — money that might otherwise have been shared with the state, the audit states.
"While this practice was found in only one city, there is the potential for other municipalities to do the same," the audit states. Court officials said South Ogden officers have since stopped the practice.
The audit found wide gaps between the cost and quality of the different traffic schools, most which are operated by municipalities. "The Legislature should consider tightening regulations for traffic schools to ensure traffic schools are consistent in providing quality information and state resources are safeguarded," auditors suggested.