Suffolk County is giving a break to drivers with traffic tickets through a new amnesty program.

Drivers with unpaid traffic, parking and red-light camera tickets in Suffolk can settle up -- without penalties -- at the county's Traffic and Parking Violations Agency. The newly announced amnesty program started Tuesday and runs until Feb. 20.

Paul Margiotta, the agency's executive director, says there are nearly 550,000 unpaid tickets in the county. He says under the amnesty program, which is the first major one offered in the county, Suffolk could collect up to $60 million.

People can also use the amnesty period to reinstate their driver's license that was suspended because of nonpayment of fines.

Officials say it will let drivers start over with a clean slate. But some people who spoke with News 12 say they don't know if it's enough to actually drive people in to pay up.

Once the amnesty window closes in February, officials say the county will begin a booting and towing enforcement program, going after the offenders with significant unpaid fines.