Although many drivers are hit with the odd speeding fine, one Audi Q5 driver in Washington D.C. racked up an extraordinary number of outstanding tickets, valued in excess of $260,000—worth far more than the value of the used Audi. The reckless run of this driver finally came to an end this past week when the D.C. Police Department impounded the vehicle. Although the department shared the news as a win for the rule of the law, one wonders why it took so long to impound a vehicle that was involved in close to 900 violations.
The Country’s Most Hazardous Audi
DC Police Department/X
According to a report by WCNC, the driver of this Q5 racked up 29 fines over the last two months alone. The vehicle, which was towed in D.C. but wears Maryland plates, was reportedly caught speeding at between 11 and 20 miles over the speed limit in the last two months. It’s not known if the 893 outstanding violations are all related to speeding. In Washington D.C., you can be fined up to $200 for exceeding the speed limit by 20 mph.
“Repeated disregard of traffic law is unacceptable,” said the police department. “We’ll continue to track down scofflaw vehicles to keep DC roadways safe.”
Yesterday, MPD’s Traffic Enforcement Unit and our partners at @DCDPW impounded a vehicle with 893 outstanding tickets, totaling over $260,000 in fines!
Repeated disregard of traffic law is unacceptable. We’ll continue to track down scofflaw vehicles to keep DC roadways safe. pic.twitter.com/ugrxMPtJto
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) April 9, 2026
The case coincides with an increase in crackdowns on drivers with high numbers of unpaid fines in the country’s capital. Drivers with unpaid tickets from out of state are also being targeted. This follows a 2024 law that gave the city greater power to penalize repeat offenders across state lines. In one instance, a driver was ordered to cough up over $77,000 in unpaid fines. In 2025, the first full year when the law went into effect, authorities witnessed a drop in traffic fatalities of 52%.
Related: These Are the States with the Fastest Highways
D.C. Doubles Down on Cameras
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According to Washingtonian, D.C. has significantly increased the number of cameras over the last few years. There were just over 100 of them in 2020, rising to 477 in 2024 and 546 currently. That 2026 total is made up of 212 speeding cameras, with the remaining number being red-light and stop-sign cameras and some truck-restriction cameras. There are also over 200 Metrobuses with cameras to catch drivers who block bus lanes.
“It seemed like nothing was working, and then all of a sudden we added more traffic cameras and it’s easier than people thought it would be to reduce traffic deaths,” says Ankit Jain, DC’s shadow senator. “I think we’re going in the right direction.”
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The abundance of cameras in D.C. isn’t reflected in all other states, though. In Texas, for instance, red-light cameras have been banned. One reason was that these cameras caused many drivers to brake hard when the light changed, increasing the number of rear-end collisions.
While many motorists dislike D.C.’s cameras, the figures suggest they’re doing their job of reducing fatalities. The authorities now need to find a way to clamp down on repeat offenders more quickly, as nobody should be able to rack up unpaid fines of over $260,000 before their vehicle gets impounded.
Related: These New Speed Cameras Still Catch You Even If You Slow Down
