#1 place not to speed

[peon77]

And the winner is Switzerland. $290,000 fine for doing 85 in a 50. Speeding Swiss millionaire fined $290,000 - Vehicular weirdness- msnbc.com

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Sliding scale ticketing...so much for equal protection under the law.

[RWebb]

does the Swedish Constitution have an equal protection clause?

do they even have a Constitution?

AND, if both are true above, then it is very easy to argue that a one-size-fits-all is NOT equal -- a $500 fine to a billionaire is nil; but $500 to a poor person using their car to reach their $6/hr job can destroy them financially or come close.

[911Rob]

socialism

often comes with high taxed Countries; we're well on our way here too.....

[masraum]

I think that beats the old record.

By Pia Heikkila, 14 January 2002 17:00

NEWS One of the top members of Nokia's board has been handed the largest speeding fine in Finnish history. Anssi Vanjoki was fined E116,000 (£70,000) for driving his motorbike at 75kph (46mph) in a 50kph (31mph) area. All fines in Finland are based on how much people earn and in 1999 Vanjoki's earnings were £8.3m.

[stomachmonkey]

I'm ok with it.

Repeat offender.

If a fine is a method of getting the message across then it has to mean something.

RWebb is correct. A $500 fine for a guy with $20 M is nothing.

He'll pay them all day long.

[Jeff Higgins]

I agree with Webb and stomachmonkey. Fines, if meant to be meaningful punishment, should be somehow proportionate to wealth.

What I can't abide, however, is this notion that high speeds are any kind of an offense in and of themselves. Rude, aggressive, or inattentive driving yes. Speed, in a prudent and safe manner, no.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by RWebb

$500 to a poor person using their car to reach their $6/hr job can destroy them financially or come close.

It certainly can.

[Wickd89]

Originally Posted by 911Rob

socialism

often comes with high taxed Countries; we're well on our way here too.....

Actually they are not a high tax country. They have some of the lowest taxes I have ever seen. I use to live there and my wife is Swiss.

For example, Michael Schumacher, Tina Turner, Lewis Hamilton, and others move there due their low tax structure...

Now they are a high "fine" place.
Once I got caught by two speeding cameras on the same road within 2 minutes. I turned around to go back up the road and got "flashed" again!

Remember this is not Sweden, totally different - they are high tax and in all the examples...

[Scuba Steve]

I was going to say Shavano Park, TX because they radar almost literally every car going in and out of there.

[Hugh R]

[QUOTE=Jeff Higgins;5112797]I agree with Webb and stomachmonkey. Fines, if meant to be meaningful punishment, should be somehow proportionate to wealth.

QUOTE]


Why stop at fines? I mean after all, if you think fines should be proportionate with wealth, then you must be OK with taxing people at a higher percentage of their income when they earn more, like we do in the USA. I'm sure Bill Gates uses more road, police, fire and national defense than anyone else in the USA, so he should be 1000X more income taxes than the average American. and after alll it costs more for a guy who makes $1million a year for his kids to go to public school than someone who makes $50K/year, right? Oh wait! The average guy who makes $50K/year doesn't even pay enough income taxes to put his own kids through public school does he? Considering that the average cost of K-12 education is around $10K/kid nationally.

Looking at fines being proportional to income, how about we charge people for toll roads based on their income?

[Geronimo '74]

I don't make that kinda of money but I think that is absurd.
I can understand that a 500 dollar fine would have little effect on such a wealthy person.
But I don't think it is fair to raise the amout like that.
Identical crimes should get identical punishment.
A repeat offender that is poor should get the same fine/punishment than a rich one.
If that punishment does not have the same effect on both, like in this case. (rich guy clearly has no problem paying the fine)
Then there should be another way to punish the offenders. (maybe not financially, there are plenty other ways, community service for example)

[Geronimo '74]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Looking at fines being proportional to income, how about we charge people for toll roads based on their income?

Doctor's bills, dentists, hospitals

[Hugh R]

Uh, not in the USA. No one asks to see my paycheck stub or my income taxes. You do get insurance breaks if you negotiate.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Scuba Steve

I was going to say Shavano Park, TX because they radar almost literally every car going in and out of there.

Watch yourself on I-5 passing by Coburg, Oregon as well...

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by Wickd89

Actually they are not a high tax country. They have some of the lowest taxes I have ever seen. I use to live there and my wife is Swiss.

For example, Michael Schumacher, Tina Turner, Lewis Hamilton, and others move there due their low tax structure...

Now they are a high "fine" place.
Once I got caught by two speeding cameras on the same road within 2 minutes. I turned around to go back up the road and got "flashed" again!

Remember this is not Sweden, totally different - they are high tax and in all the examples...

Actually, regular swiss natives are not taxed as low as Schumi, Tina and Lewis are.
They get a special tax deal to lure them over.

The idea is, that the Swiss govment figures they get 0% of nothing if they don't move there, so they might as well undercut the other countries by offering them an undercut rate... If the person in question makes 10 000 000 a year, that low percentage still means they get a reasonable amount...

[GeorgeK]

I really wish my taxes were low... They take 30-35% of my income. At least the money's being used in a way I can see.
I *never* heard a peep about fines based on income, and that perticular case either.

[Rick V]

worst place to speed, anywhere in Va. Here tickets have nothing to do with public safety and are viewed as revenue. Our own history on the matter proves it.

[petrolhead611]

Street right outside my office, 13 cameras is 3.5 miles, should be re-named Revenue Road.

[peon77]

worst place to speed, anywhere in Va. Here tickets have nothing to do with public safety and are viewed as revenuee. Our own history on the matter proves it.

Rick,
your right about VA. In Virginia Beach its 30 days in jail w/ 29 suspended + fines and court costs for first offense 20 over. (reckless driving). That sucks. I have a little problem with localities that use fines as a means for revenue. But speed cameras should be illegal. I feel much better about a fine going to pay a cops salary but speed camera fines are split between the local community and the camera co. Which means less revenue for the town. I am for more cops any day.