I have seen many posts in the past about unhappy drivers, but this, I think, beats all. Apparently in Finland " ...fines for more serious speeding infractions are calculated according to income." Accordingly, a Finnish millionaire has been fined $58,000 for driving 64mph in a 50mph zone. FYI.
Posted by
FL USA
1560 posts
Finland’s system for calculating fines is relatively simple: It starts with an estimate of the amount of spending money a Finn has for one day, and then divides that by two—the resulting number is considered a reasonable amount of spending money to deprive the offender of. Then, based on the severity of the crime, the system has rules for how many days the offender must go without that money. Going about 15 mph over the speed limit gets you a multiplier of 12 days, and going 25 mph over carries a 22-day multiplier.
Most reckless drivers pay between €30 and €50 per day, for a total of about €400 or €500. Finland’s maximum multiplier is 120 days, but there's no ceiling on the fines themselves—the fine is taken as a constant proportion of income whether you make €80,000 a year or €800,000.
The system is Finland's and should be respected.
Posted by
FL USA
1560 posts
I should have used quotes to denote the text from the article from The Atlantc, only the last sentence are my words.
Posted by
Firenze
500 posts
To add insult to injury, the millionaire (a Nokia executive) got the fine in a year when he had sold most of his stock options, making his declared income much higher than usual.
Posted by
OP
Columbus, OH, USA
2067 posts
Marbleskies, I'm sorry if you interpreted my post as criticism of the Finnish system because that was the farthest thing from my mind. I posted because I found it interesting, and (perhaps mistakenly) because I thought it might offer some small solace to the folks who have been fined $100 or so. I have driven in France, Spain, Italy and England and have never received a speeding ticket, precisely because I do respect their traffic laws. Compulsively. That they may enact whatever laws they see fit is beyond question. Now here in Columbus, Ohio where I live, pay taxes, and vote, they are dismantling traffic cameras at intersections despite a 75% reduction in accidents and I have shared my opinion with every elected official I can find. I would never in a million years dream of telling the Finns how to run their own country. Honest.
Posted by
Medford, OR, USA
5837 posts
Yes, the Finnish legal system is egalitarian to discouraged all economical segments of their society from engaging in antisocial behavior.
Question is how do they deal with foreign speeders? And do they have speed cams that send the rental car agency the citation?
PS Weather and traffic cams:
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9201 posts
I think the system in Finland sounds great and a good money maker for the government. Probably cuts down on traffic accidents too.
Let's compare it to countries and their fines for people cleaning up after their dogs. In countries where the fine is really high, you have clean sidewalks and parks. In countries like Germany where it is a laughable 40 € fine, you find dog poop everywhere, cause the fine isn't high enough. They haven't figured out that this would be a good source of government income.
High fines = Better behaviour
Posted by
Medford, OR, USA
5837 posts
Finland DUI.
http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/research/pub/DWIothercountries/dwiothercountries.html
Appendix B
Finland. Drinking and Driving Laws
Sanctions
What are the sanctions for first offense for driving under the influence of alcohol?
Fine: The amount of fine is tied to the BAC level and also to income level. The minimum fine for a BAC of .05 to .075 is 30-40 days. Fines increase with the BAC level and are also combined with license suspension and possible imprisonment.
Suspension of drivers license: Suspension of license on first offense for a BAC level of .10 or greater. The length of the suspension is tied to BAC level.
Imprisonment: For a BAC level of .12 to .149, a possible 20-50 days imprisonment in addition to fine and license suspension. Sentence may be conditional according to the circumstances. Length of imprisonment increases with BAC level.
Other: Community service is a possible sanction.
What are the sanctions for multiple offenses?
Sanctions are not affected by multiple offenses unless there are several within a short time.
Details on Sanctions:
Not in law, but in praxis about the following:
For a BAC of .05 to .075: 30-40 day fine (depends on income, day fine=1/90 monthly salary).
For a BAC of .075 to .10: 40-50 day fine.
For a BAC of .10 to .119: 50-60 day fine plus 5 month suspension of driver�s license.
For a BAC of .12 to .149: 65-90 day fine or 20-50 days imprisonment; 6-7 month suspension of driver�s license.
For a BAC of .15 to .20: 40-60 day fines but imprisonment ususally-a conditional sentence according to consideration.
For a BAC of .201 to .25: 60-80 days imprisonment, a conditional sentence according to consideration. Fines always given if the sentence is conditional, plus 10-11 month suspension of driver�s license.
Over a BAC of .251: 80 days or more imprisonment, a conditional sentence according to consideration. If the sentence is conditional, the fines are more severe, plus a minimum of 12 month suspension of driver�s license.
http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/research/pub/DWIothercountries/appendixb.html
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