Are traffic violations or other such offenses considered a debt that must be paid? And must the family of the deceased pay them on his behalf?

Regulating and controlling traffic is one of the public interests entrusted to the ruler, and he has the authority to punish those who violate traffic laws. Scholars differed regarding the permissibility of imposing monetary penalties as a form of discretionary punishment (ta'zir). The majority of scholars prohibited it, while Abu Yusuf, some Maliki scholars, Ibn Taymiyyah, and Ibn al-Qayyim permitted it. These violations are considered personal punishments that are nullified upon the person's death, and the heirs are not obligated to pay them unless the deceased left behind wealth.