Pay a speeding ticket based on your income?

ninerbuff

Finland, Norway, and Denmark do this. Kinda makes sense. If someone who makes a ton of money gets a $100.00 speeding ticket or a $500 car pool infraction, it may be nothing to pay it and really wouldn't do much to dissuade them from doing it again. But if it was based on a percentage of their income, then they might be much more deterred.
If a guy makes a million a year and the ticket is.0025%- .005% of their income, that would be $2,000 to $5,000 for their pay compared to someone who makes $50,000 a year paying $125 to $250 for the same infraction.
Personally I know of a couple of people who are really rich and thumb their nose at the speeding laws because they know they can pay for the cost of the tickets with ease.
So yeah, I think I'd be for it.

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Kara_xxx

Not sure about that.

I think the fine should be a reflection of the potential consequences of the infraction, not your income. So if you're doing twice the limit in a residential area, I think that's worse than just being a little over the speed limit on a motorway.

But I can kind of see their reasoning for it.

In the UK you get points on your license with most infractions too, and once you have too many points you lose your licence.

ArroganceInStep

I think you mean .25%-.5% of income. .0025% of 100k is $2.50

I think it's an interesting thought, just like a flat tax to replace income tax is an interesting thought. That being said I think it would be tremendously difficult to implement.

ninerbuff

I think you mean .25%-.5% of income. .0025% of 100k is $2.50

I think it's an interesting thought, just like a flat tax to replace income tax is an interesting thought. That being said I think it would be tremendously difficult to implement.

25% of $100,000 would be $25,000.

.0025 x $100,000= $250

I shouldn't have put % behind it. That was my bad.

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jran3

Ah, another take on class warfare/envy. If you got more, you're bad and should have to pay more for the same infractions. No.

travisseger

I completely disagree. Punishing people for being successful is a ridiculous concept.

Speeding and other traffic infractions have the same potential consequences whether the offender makes $10,000, $100,000 or $1,000,000 per year. The punishment should be based on the degree of the offense, not the size of the offender's bank account.

What's next? Grocery and gas prices relative to the purchaser's annual income?

TK266

that is what points on the license are for.

macpatti

People who can't afford to pay their tickets can choose community service. People who make more money may not have a problem paying a $250 ticket, but can't you get your license suspended if you have more than 3 a year?

ninerbuff

that is what points on the license are for.

And of course there's no people driving out there on suspended licenses or no licenses.

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_Wits_

No...this is simply not fair.


I should not have to pay more for the same infraction that someone else got simply because I make more money. That's not my problem and it's ridiculous.

You do the crime, you pay the fine. It's that simple.

ninerbuff

People who can't afford to pay their tickets can choose community service. People who make more money may not have a problem paying a $250 ticket, but can't you get your license suspended if you have more than 3 a year?

There are laws that help protect people from having a license NOT to drive. If a persons NEEDS to drive to work, they can't have their license taken away. They are ONLY supposed to drive to go to work and back, but how is that tracked?

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ket_the_jet

I think you mean .25%-.5% of income. .0025% of 100k is $2.50

Actually, Ninerbuff, this poster is correct. 25% of 100,000 is 25,000. .25% of 100,000 is 250. Gotta mind those decimal points.

Anyway, it makes sense in theory, but the truly rich, the truly elite, end up hiring personal drivers who work for pennies and are paid in other dividends--lodging, food, etc. So the rich get where they want to go and the driver pays pennies for the tickets anyway.
-wtk

ninerbuff

No...this is simply not fair.


I should not have to pay more for the same infraction that someone else got simply because I make more money. That's not my problem and it's ridiculous.

You do the crime, you pay the fine. It's that simple.

But that's the point. Lots of people who have a lot of money DON'T have a problem paying the fine. So where's the deterrent to stop them from doing the infraction?

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EmCarroll1990

No...this is simply not fair.


I should not have to pay more for the same infraction that someone else got simply because I make more money. That's not my problem and it's ridiculous.

You do the crime, you pay the fine. It's that simple.

I agree with this. So, because someone worked harder or longer to get to where they're at, they should be punished more severely? Pathetic.

This goes back to the whole Occupy crap the lazy people started a few months back.

ket_the_jet

So, because someone worked harder or longer to get to where they're at, they should be punished more severely? Pathetic.

I'm not saying that I agree or disagree with the income/speeding ticket idea; however, I will say that I completely disagree with this. It is a facile argument to believe that someone with more worked harder or longer.
-wtk

michael300891

Im all for it, if your earning £1mil+ a year whats a £250 speeding ticket going to bother you for. If the punishment for a crime doesnt bother you, then your far more likely to commit the crime. I try to avoid speeding half because I dont want to hurt anyone and half because I cant afford a £250 ticket. If that didnt bother me im 50% more likely to speed. Checkout this guys $1mil speeding ticket: http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/13/swedish-man-may-pay-largest-speeding-fine-ever/

michael300891

I dont believe anyone is "punishing" the rich by increasing the cost of their ticket. They have more, so the percentage of their income that it costs to pay the ticket is the same even if the ticket is greater.

KaiHuk

So because I have achieved a greater wealth than someone else, in a situation where a mistake is made I must pay more ? Seems perfectly logical...

macpatti

I completely disagree with this. It is a facile argument to believe that someone with more worked harder or longer.
-wtk

Agreed. Working hard and long has nothing to do with income level. My husband has 3 Master's Degrees and is a theology teacher and assistant principal. He worked long and hard for those degrees, but has a modest income.

drmerc

In for all the rich people hate :sad:

TK266

that is what points on the license are for.

And of course there's no people driving out there on suspended licenses or no licenses.

well then one is violating a whole different law and if one get caught there are penalties. While not everyone get nailed for it, those that do regardless of income will get driving privileges revoked.

macpatti

But that's the point. Lots of people who have a lot of money DON'T have a problem paying the fine. So where's the deterrent to stop them from doing the infraction?

You can only have so many tickets before it affects your insurance and your license, regardless of how much money you make. That's the deterent.

ninerbuff

I agree with this. So, because someone worked harder or longer to get to where they're at, they should be punished more severely? Pathetic.

This goes back to the whole Occupy crap the lazy people started a few months back.

You ever dig ditches for a living? I would definitely bet they work hard yet don't make as much as manager at McDonald's. COST helps to deter people from engaging in risk acts. When people get hit in their pocket books, they tend to pay attention more.
Easy solve for the rich (and anyone else). Don't speed. Problem solved.

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ninerbuff

But that's the point. Lots of people who have a lot of money DON'T have a problem paying the fine. So where's the deterrent to stop them from doing the infraction?

You can only have so many tickets before it affects your insurance and your license, regardless of how much money you make. That's the deterent.

You have to go to traffic court and sit in there sometime the WHOLE day. You'll find that there are several repeat offenders and the rich ones have TRAFFIC LAWYERS come in for them and negotiate a much lesser infraction. Trust me on the entertainment value.

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taunto

This is an old tale from back home. To explain this you should know that back home, ANYONE can stop the train via a lever in every room of the train

So this father and son were traveling in the train. The kid was goofing around and pulled the lever to stop the entire train. Conductor came in and demanded an explanation. Father said "Oh he was just playing, sorry".
Conductor: "Thats no excuse, theres a 50 rupees fine for that" (about 75cents)
Father hands the conductor money and everything goes its merry way.

Few minutes later, kid pulls the lever again
Conductor: "Why did you stop the train again?"
Father: "Kid was playing...I cannot stop a kid from playing"
Conductor: "*sigh* 50 rupees please"

The train on that trip was stopped about 8 times for no reason. Each time, because the fine was so little, father just didn't cared because 50 rupees was nothing for him. It was enough to provide him let the kid have some entertainment for that much amount.

Moral, if you keep fines so little for somebody who can easily afford it, they wouldn't care about it

JoolieW68

I'm not sure I would agree with this. While I can see where you're coming from with 'rich' people snubbing their nose at the fines, I can also see some deadbeat doing the same and taking advantage of it.

I would *think* the only way to enforce it would be thru your tax statements or W-2 or something like that, and there are plenty of deadbeats out there who don't file taxes or don't claim income.

taunto

But that's the point. Lots of people who have a lot of money DON'T have a problem paying the fine. So where's the deterrent to stop them from doing the infraction?

You can only have so many tickets before it affects your insurance and your license, regardless of how much money you make. That's the deterent.

You have to go to traffic court and sit in there sometime the WHOLE day. You'll find that there are several repeat offenders and the rich ones have TRAFFIC LAWYERS come in for them and negotiate a much lesser infraction. Trust me on the entertainment value.

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Niner tells the truth

AngryDiet

I completely disagree. Punishing people for being successful is a ridiculous concept.

x100

ninerbuff

I'm not sure I would agree with this. While I can see where you're coming from with 'rich' people snubbing their nose at the fines, I can also see some deadbeat doing the same and taking advantage of it.

I would *think* the only way to enforce it would be thru your tax statements or W-2 or something like that, and there are plenty of deadbeats out there who don't file taxes or don't claim income.

Lol, that's easy. They just end up going to jail.................:laugh:

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KaiHuk

This is an old tale from back home. To explain this you should know that back home, ANYONE can stop the train via a lever in every room of the train

So this father and son were traveling in the train. The kid was goofing around and pulled the lever to stop the entire train. Conductor came in and demanded an explanation. Father said "Oh he was just playing, sorry".
Conductor: "Thats no excuse, theres a 50 rupees fine for that" (about 75cents)
Father hands the conductor money and everything goes its merry way.

Few minutes later, kid pulls the lever again
Conductor: "Why did you stop the train again?"
Father: "Kid was playing...I cannot stop a kid from playing"
Conductor: "*sigh* 50 rupees please"

The train on that trip was stopped about 8 times for no reason. Each time, because the fine was so little, father just didn't cared because 50 rupees was nothing for him. It was enough to provide him let the kid have some entertainment for that much amount.

Moral, if you keep fines so little for somebody who can easily afford it, they wouldn't care about it

Cool anecdote bro.

JoolieW68

Although...this whole argument implies that someone IS going get a speeding ticket.

I know plenty of people (sadly I'm not one of them) who have never received a ticket, for anything, so this sort of law wouldn't affect them at all.