record breaking speeding ticket fine

[oldsnail]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=SUDXAJLBC12YQCRBAEKSF FA?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=4324760

Millionaire Hit with Record Speeding Fine
Tue February 10, 2004 08:54 AM ET

HELSINKI (Reuters) - One of Finland's richest men has been fined a record 170,000 euros ($217,000) for speeding through the center of the capital, police said on Tuesday.
Jussi Salonoja, 27, heir to his family's sausage business, was caught driving 50 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone last Thursday, the police said.

Finnish traffic fines vary according to the offender's income and, according to tax office data, Salonoja's 2002 earnings were close to seven million euros.

The final penalty could still change when the case is eventually heard by a Helsinki court, as was the case with Nokia executive Anssi Vanjoki, whose 116,000-euro speeding fine was slashed by 95 percent in 2002 due to a drop in income.

If Salonoja's penalty stands, it will beat a speeding fine of more than 80,000 euros paid by Internet millionaire Jaakko Rytsola in 2000, and the 35,000-euro fine imposed on Nokia President Pekka Ala-Pietila in 2001 for running a red light.

[robruf]

They threw out all the fines as this was deemed not fair to anyone, basically what they are saying is that since you have the money we are going to charge you more, so if he killed someone he would have gotten more jail, wrong, everyone gets the same penalty for the same crime.

[coloradosilver]

Thats so fucking retarded I can't even stand it. The penalty should always reflect the severity of the crime, not what the criminal can afford. That law alone would be enough for me to be looking for a new home in another country.

[TT]

Holy fuck! Crazy but perfectly correct if you ask me! I always wondered if something like that would ever exists here! To pay 100 USD for a multimilionare is nothing and he will speed and speed again :D proportioned fines, like taxes, are the way to go :D

[Overmind]

Holy fuck! Crazy but perfectly correct if you ask me! I always wondered if something like that would ever exists here! To pay 100 USD for a multimilionare is nothing and he will speed and speed again :D proportioned fines, like taxes, are the way to go :D

yeah, finland's millionaires will certainly agree with you :D

[TT]

Ok, not him, but I don't understand why that should be considered "wrong"... this is perfect: poor ppl won't be overcharged while rich ones would still get a "fine", not a joke :D

[ulti3mat]

That's just crazy...no matter what your income is or who you are...the penalty should be the same for everyone

[TT]

But if it's fixed at 100, it's not the same for everyone.. it's a lot for "somebody" and "nothing" for others

[coloradosilver]

Thats saying that different people should be punished differently for the same crime. I don't care what you're social or financial status is, I think the punishmant should be the same for eveyone. You say that it's ok because the rich people can afford to pay bigger fines for penalties, and that may be true, they can afford it, but that doesn't make it right. Thats why they pay much more into taxes because they make so much more. A speeding ticket should't work the same way. Taxes is where the state and country make their money off of personal income. Tickets should be an equal set fine for everyone.

[TT]

I understand but I still think, as I said above, that it's not "the same" if the fine is at a fixed amount...

[JN396]

i think the punishment should NOT ONLY suit the crime, but also it should suit the committer of the crime. i know it sounds strange but if the millionare paid 100, he will keep doing it again.

The system they have is better for poor people also who can't afford 100.

besides that idiot was probably speeding because he has no respect for nothing. He probably thinks his money makes him SPECIAL, so a punishment like that will teach his punk ass not to speed again !!!

[CMonakar]

Lets keep in mind that speeding fines are imposed to create a deterrent effect and not to compensate victims for damage. If you can accept this premise, varying the fine based on income seems quite rational.

[asthenia]

I never thought I'd say this, but I think the American/Canadian model makes the most sense. The fine gets bigger depending on how fast you were going, not on how much money you make ... and you also get demerits.

Rack up too many demerit points, and they can take your license. It gives credibility to the idea that speed enforcement is for safety, instead of just generating revenue. Charging people as much money as they can afford just makes the government look greedy.

[TT]

Rack up too many demerit points, and they can take your license. It gives credibility to the idea that speed enforcement is for safety, instead of just generating revenue


Also in Finland I'm sure if he would have caught doing 120 the fine would have been 500'000 -> higher ;)

And their model is not done to generate revenue, but to enforce safety... if you'd have to pay 2 USD when going 2x times faster than allowed, do you think you'd respect the limits?

[godspeed06]

paying fines proportional to your income is absurd. i don't want to get totally fucked over by the government just because i work my ass off and make a lot of money. that is way too liberal. i also hate income tax. i think there should be a set percentage of income tax for everyone, the percentage shouldn't increase as one makes more money. besides, a 250,000 dollar fine for 25 mph over the speed limit is cruel and unusual punishment. i can't get over how shitty that is. i would leave the fucking country. that is way too close to socialism for me. fuck that marxist shit.

[BADMIHAI]

I agree with the huge fine! If it's about fines, I agree that they should be proportional with your income. When it comes to time spent in prison, I think everyone should be punished the same (which I'm sure is the case in Finland).

[TT]

paying fines proportional to your income is absurd. i don't want to get totally fucked over by the government just because i work my ass off and make a lot of money. that is way too liberal. i also hate income tax


The solution is easy: don't speed or don't get caught :P

[coloradosilver]

I think your "Don't get caught" philosophy is the one that most people have adopted. I know I have. 70 MPH just isn't that much fun when you're in a car you know can do 180+.

[TT]

For sure.. and I don't know many cars unable to pass the legal speed limits :P

[godspeed06]

The solution is easy: don't speed or don't get caught


OR don't make me pay out of my fucking ass just for going 25 over. 250,000 dollars is an exhorbitant sum even if you make 10 million a year. when one person is forced to pay 100 dollars and another is forced to pay 250,000 dollars there is something wrong with your government. that is like making a 20 year old go to prison for 50 years and making a 69 year old go for only a year if they commit the same crime. it is completely absurd as far as i'm concerned.

[TT]

Of course I'd like to know how much would pay somebody with an average income, but hell, to do 50 in a 25 is a lot.. here you'd get something in the thousands and no license for some months, maybe 6...

[godspeed06]

i did 52 in a 30 and got pulled over. i paid for court and my ticket then went to traffic school one night for three hours so that my insurance premiums didn't go up. that is all.

[robruf]

The problem is that people drive way too slow everywhere so they have to put up these silly slow speed limits, there should be autobahns everywhere and if you cannot pass the test you cannot drive on these roads, simple as that. Everyone one of us speeds all the time, 30 mph is almost like running for christs sake. If you know how to drive you can drive 100 mph on any road in any condition, with the proper tires, suspension, etc... Everyone loves the Gumball spirit but then no one abides by it, pretty disappointing to me, as I drive at least 100 mph on all highways all the time as people clump up together and that is where accidents happen not if you are way out in front of them, assuming of course you have the proper skills, which I do BTW.

[TT]

You see? IMO that's not enough... another good system as already posted is the "points" one, like in Europe lately... you have x points on your license.. every kind of infraction remove some of them.. of course you also have to pay normal fines... when you reach 0, your license is suspended... they way you got away doing 50 in a 30 is way to light I think...

BTW, my last speeding fine was when doing 56 km/h in a 50 km/h zone LOL... and in 50 km/h zones, 55 km/h are tollerated.. so I was 1 km/h above.. BTW, 55 km/h are 34.2 mph, and I was doing 34.8 mph :D .. I had to pay 60 CHF, that's around 46 USD...

[oldsnail]

a fine that can buy a very very very nice car

[mhn3773]

its simple think about it like TT said..if u are flat broke and u are having to pay a $500 fine thats gunna hurt and ur not gunna speed..least i didnt after that

but if u are bill gates and u get busted for all kinds of crap and its say...$2,000 which is pushing it in the us i mean thats someone driving like a total ass...bill gates is gunna laugh it off and continue to drive like a moron simply because his wallet doesnt hurt after acting like an ass

but if u also look at it on a revenue aspect it makes more sense also...by charging people with more money a larger fine they wont bankrupt poor people

and i think a varying scale is the same punishment for all..if u think about it the rich peoples wallets will hurt and so will the poor peoples so in a sense they both got the same punishment

i know if i was a billionaire and they gave me a 200 dollar speeding ticket id laugh in the cops face :roll:

[oscargarza88]

thats sooo stupid!!!
so they should charge less to the poor people!!
but anyways thats just stupid

[nthfinity]

For sure.. and I don't know many cars unable to pass the legal speed limits
_________________

my old Chevy Celebrity had a dificult time doing it :lol:
and, we cant forget, the American system for speeding isnt a straight scale of how much you are going past the legal limit... anything 25mph, and up is concidered Wreakless Driving. not to mention insurance premiums shooting through the roof due to speeding, or driving tickets. Michigan has some of the most strickt laws when it comes to driving in the States; although we all drive 9 mph+ on all roads.
heck, if everyone doesnt have a seat belt on now... insurance rates, and a 1 point ticket... (good thing i drive a lot, and know most of the highway cop hangouts)
besides, is there anything really wrong with speeding? almost all of us @JW do it here and there...there is just a problem of people being wreakless. im all for higher tickets for endangering those other then yourself.
my 2 cents

[veilsidebr]

What the fuck..this is just stupid....here in Brazil there´s an avenue that the speed limit is about 70 Km/h, so, i gone up to 170 km/h on it and didn´t get a ticket. The car? A chevrolet Corsa 1.0. Wanna see this scene? My video, Getaway in Brazil

Just catch me on your MSN or ICQ and i´ll send it yo you.

8)

[Zonda11]

May seem stupid,,,,but it is meant to have the same financial impact on all.

[astonmartinandy]

I think that sort of fine is absolutely ridiculous! How can they justify charging someone an excessive fine, just for doing well for themselves in life!?

[boyracer_24]

fines are for the stupid, if you stupid enough to get caught then pay the price :twisted:

[Garretts_turbo]

ugh...what a terrible ticket. that system is one of the worst i've heard of. just reading about it makes me mad.
a ticket fine should be set and determined, not by a person's income. one's income should be theirs to enjoy. not to be taken away by the gov't for speeding.
as long as you're not endangering anyone, a smaller fine should be given. now, if he was speeding while kids were getting out of school and crossing the street thats different, but let him speed if he wants to. im sure he understands the risks...and if not he does now!
wreckless driving should be punished more severely than speeding, but then again if you look at it from a jilted angle speeding is wreckless driving! ahhh! i guess i'm not moving there! ever!

[robruf]

I think we can all agree that fining someone more is stupid just because they happen to have money, the dermit point system works so much better, where you start out with a certain amount and then as you lose your points you have to go to traffic school, such as here in Canada. After you lose 6 points they tell you to go to traffic school, then after losing another 4 points you get a total review of your driving record and then after losing the final 5 points your license is suspended for a year and then the penalties get worse. maybe becaue you are rich you can pay the fines, but you cannot escape the points, they hurt everyone equally, anyway if you are rich you can just go to race tracks and get your speed out there anyhow.

[TT]

I agree with you rob about the demerit points. That's perfect and the way most countries are going now. But between "usual" fines and proportioned ones, the latter is better IMO.

[keeba17]

guys, that is f***ing bulls***. ......enough said

[oldsnail]

we have points here
depenindg on what offence u do, u get 1-3 points.and each point adds up.. by the end of the year, u paid your penalty and they will add the points up, and if it exceeds a certain number of points, u get to pay more or u lose your licence for a certain time. and every year, they will reset your points.. my brother got 10 points, and he has to pay 1000CDN plus all the bylaw tickets.

[monabonejakon2002]

A pig pulled me over for doing 33 in a 25 zone. Gimme a break.

If you can't elect traffic school anymore (done it too many times). Always take it too court. like 95% of the time, they throw it out or just give you an option to elect traffic school.
If they do see you, just ask to take the traffic school and they will most probably let you do it.

If you are lucky the cop may not even show up.

[boyracer_24]

speeding i can handle but theres a guy i know he got caught drink driving whilst being band for drink driving and had a years ban and a small fine then the fucker still drove like a wanker and got caught again driving whilst disqualified and the prick had a years comunity service to do and he's still driving around what the fuck is the law for? :twisted: