In a country where traffic fines are directly related to your income a Finnish heir to a sausage company was ordered to pay a record fine of €170000 for speeding at 80km an hour in a 40 km/h zone.
The fine is proportionate and egalitarian. It's more socialist than Communist. Big difference.
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups
I think it's a great idea, and white rice is right, it's socialist, not communist.
What's the point of a ticket? It's meant to teach you a lesson right? Does a 200 dollar fine teach Mr. Trump a lesson?
Nothing infuriates me more than the regulation of velocity. In other words, making speeding a punishable offense.
When I commute to work everyday (23 miles), I see cars driving at paces that are, to me, so mind-numbingly slow.
Life is short. Time spent in a car is wasted. I did a rough estimate once: if you have an hour commute each way everyday (mine's a little under that), after roughly 17 years of work, you've lost an entire year of your life in the car.
I don't know about you, but driving 85 mph+ in a car that is well maintained is NOT a dangerous thing provided you're not riding the bumper of the car in front of you from 6 inches behind or cutting of every car you see - that IS reckless and dangerous. But speeding in and of itself is NOT dangerous, and it's a fallacy to think otherwise.
I haven't consistenly driven the speed limit in almost 10 years of driving. I've been in no accidents (avoided plenty by my own proactiveness), and have paid about $1000 in fines for speeding.
Remind me again why I need to slow down? Remember that the slow ones in the wild are the first to die - I think this mentality is passed on through driving ability. Just because some middle-aged housewife wrote a letter to her congressman decades ago about why there should be speed limits doesn't mean we should have to suffer.
The DMV of pretty much every country and/or state is a crock. More ways for YOUR money to get redistributed to more undeserving socialist crackpots and keeping more police employed. No amount of speeding tickets will ever convince me that I'm wrong since my actions cause no physical harm. People in favor of speeding fines are the same that vote for taxes on the rich - it's player-hating of the worst kind.
As George Carlin once said, "How come everyone that drives slower than you is an idiot, and everyone that drives faster is a maniac?"
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</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (NittLion78,)
[ ]I don't know about you, but driving 85 mph+ in a car that is well maintained is NOT a dangerous thing provided you're not riding the bumper of the car in front of you from 6 inches behind or cutting of every car you see - that IS reckless and dangerous. But speeding in and of itself is NOT dangerous, and it's a fallacy to think otherwise.
<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>
Let me explain. We live in society- we are not alone. Therefore we have to regulate it so it all assist our common survival goals.
YOU might be a Schumacher brother, but Uncle Herbert trundling along at 45 in his stationwagon with his poor eyesight and arthritis will one day turn into your lane while trying to find the cigarette he dropped down his shirt. At 85 miles per hour you will probably end up in his passenger seat... or a major piece of you anyway! At 55, you might be able to make a detour around that rolling roadblock...
Speed kills- it is a fact. And with the average driver out there behind the wheel of an average 4 year old car, the average reaction times and average skill is just not up to allowing higher speeds. It is a recipe for disaster.
I think our system's great. As dotComa said, fines are supposed to hurt, equaly depending on how wealthy one is. I can't see how anyone could think it's unfair.
And NittLion78, you're on about the rule, not the punishment for breaking it. And saying that you find "making speeding a punishable offense" a bad thing....I don't know how you can think that. Kids jump out from behind a building to catch a ball that rolled onto the street, cars switch lanes, people slip while crossing streets etc etc. You can't tell anyone that speed restrictions are absurd, I mean come on.
I can see how a jurisdiction would want to regulate the speeds on their roads but let's face it the Finnish law is with all due respect flawed.
I understand that the rich would appear to have a better chance at beating a ticket in other countries but all it really takes for the common man is a bit of common sense and a suitable explanation. Many ordinary folks of modest means have beaten tickets in the past, although maybe not like this one.
Certainly he deserves to be penalised but this is extreme...Redistribution does not a suitable solution make.
</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by
Speed kills- it is a fact. And with the average driver out there behind the wheel of an average 4 year old car, the average reaction times and average skill is just not up to allowing higher speeds. It is a recipe for disaster.<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>
You'll find that most people set their own speed limits for themselves. Every time I drive down I-96, I see the 70 MPH speed limit sign, but seem to be keeping up with everyone (and I DO mean nearly EVERYONE) going 85 miles per hour. I don't have any problem avoiding drivers who're doing 45 while I'm doing 85. As for the assholes that blaze down secondary highways at 130 MPH, I think you'll find out that if they're willing to risk life and limb going that fast, they sure aren't going to give a shit about a $1000 fine or a manslaughter charge.
</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (NittLion78,)
I don't know about you, but driving 85 mph+ in a car that is well maintained is NOT a dangerous thing provided you're not riding the bumper of the car in front of you from 6 inches behind or cutting of every car you see - that IS reckless and dangerous. But speeding in and of itself is NOT dangerous, and it's a fallacy to think otherwise.<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>
You got that right Lion; I think the people we need to watch out for more are the ones who can't handle simple intown driving at 25mph.
The problem is NOT the speed; it is the driver behind the wheel. And BTW I can think of a number of motorways and carriageways that should have their speed limits raised.
But I think we can all agree that this Finn was indeed in violation of the law; however keying the fine to one's income is a fine example of socialism that should never be allowed to come stateside.
</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (Anarchist,)
As for the assholes that blaze down secondary highways at 130 MPH, I think you'll find out that if they're willing to risk life and limb going that fast, they sure aren't going to give a shit about a $1000 fine or a manslaughter charge.<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>
If the damn fool knows what the hell he is doing at those speeds he will use extreme caution the faster he goes. Myself I have never felt too comfortable driving much faster than 70 on such roads, but one time I was coming home from delivering a route of phone books and found nyself barrelling on southeastern Kansas dirt roads at 65-70mph but those must have been well-maintained, not to mention conditions were dry.
Usually I try not to go too far over the speed limit; however I do agree that secondary and tertiary roads are not exactly the places for such speed exhibitions. Better to keep such speed on the I-5 or even the I-96.
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