"Europe Slapping Rich With Massive Traffic Fines"

I haven't heard about this yet, but it's very likely. In Denmark drunk driving fines are pay related already, so why not the serious crime of speeding.

If it happens here in Denmark, I need to decide whether to emigrate or reduce my income

Come to think of it, I should maybe do some speeding while it's affordable...

This story about the Swiss driver has also been in the Norwegian newspapers.

As Mikael says" Maybe i should do some speeding while it's affordable..."

Here in Norway it is over $1000 in fines ( and some points) for driving 20-25 km/h over the speed limit. Faster than 40 km/h over the speed limit is loss of license and Jail...

This is a "bargin" compared to Switzerland..

Wow. At least here we can still go a bit over and get away with it. The cops literally won't even notice you if you are only doing 15 km/h over on a highway. At 20 over you're rolling the dice and at 40 over you're a target. We even have big signs that tell you what the fines are at the various speeds so you can always decide whether it's good value or not.

Sometimes I think (OK, MOST times) that public officials forget that they are there to serve the public. Although, I guess in the same way a hooker "serves" her client, they are "serving" us.

Mark

Here is the complete list..

http://www.radarvarsling.no/satser.htm

You kan read it like this:
60 or less -speed over limit - fine (1 USD is 5.60 Norwegian krone)
70 or more - speed over limit -fine.

5 km/h over the speedlimit is USD 100 in fine...

And i have a Pantera and a Porsche in my garage - i must be crazy...

Wow. That is crazy.

Here is ours: ($1 Cdn = $.96 US)

The Penalty and Costs of a Speeding Ticket in Ontario

1-15km/over:
0 Demerit Points
$3.00 for each KM over the speed limit (1-20 km)

16-29km/over:
3 Demerit Points
$4.50 for each km over the speed limit (from 1-20 km)

30-49km/over:
4 demerit Points
$7.50 for each km over the speed limit (from 30-49 km)

They also add an extra court fee, but these are practically "good value" compared to you guys. The only problem is if they decide you were using "excessive" speed or racing and then it gets REALLY expensive here too. Plus, your insurance costs climb radically after you get a speeding ticket or two.

Mark

quote:

Although, I guess in the same way a hooker "serves" her client, they are "serving" us.

What a country! I hope those cops are female...

On a more serious note: I miss the cops. Because you could often talk your way out of a fine if you treated them with respect. I've been caught speeding 4 times in this millenium. 1st was in Yosemite as a tourist, talked my way out of that one. Second was boating, used my GPS data to document I wasn't speeding. But number 3 and 4 were automated speed cameras, you just receive a picture and a fine with the post. Not much to do...

quote:

Originally posted by No Quarter:
On a more serious note: I miss the cops.

Send me a ship and we'll fill it up with some of ours. We have too many as far as I'm concerned — in the traffic department (tax collections, not crime solvers) anyway.

Mark

" Maybe i should do some speeding while it's affordable..."

This is too stupid. And I thought EU was far more socially developed than us in 'new" North America.

What we should do is keep buying up land. At least speeding on private property is permitted.

Mikael, here they sell all kinds of spray-on materials that make license plates invisible to cameras. Also, don't they have to warn drivers where the cameras are? Then you also have the choice to flip down one of those electric plate covers.

Mark,
You only list the prices for up to 49km over the limit ($7.50 for each km over - which adds up to $367.50), but of course, it isn't nirvana in Ontario, if we go over by 50km they have these nice signs to tell you what could happen ...



... while it's better than $290K, either way, I'd be in trouble with the wife!

quote:

automated speed cameras, you just receive a picture and a fine with the post. Not much to do...

I just read an article about the Arizona speed camera system.

Seems with those mailed notices, you have not legally been served with the violation - as they have no way to prove you received the notice.

Remember how the cop says "sign here" whenever you get ticketed? And they say it is not an admission of guilt, just an admission you have received the ticket?

Well, in Arizona, unless you are personally served within 90 days of the photo camera violation, the notice expires.

So MANY Arizonians just ignore the mailed notices and wait out the 90 days. With all government budget strained, there is no money to have process servers driving all over towns hand delivering speeding notices, so that photo camera 'violation' just goes away as long as you ignore it.



Anyone know how California or other states handle these?

Larry

Russ: Only a crazy man would drive his car more than 50 Km/hr over the limit. And his name is D***d

Larry:
US lawmakers must be asleep at the wheel. Our guys plug holes like that so fast only the first few get away with it. Our newest one is they have removed the "reasonable suspicion" requirement to demand a roadside breathalizer and can now legally pull over anyone at any time for no reason OTHER than to see if they are following all the rules. Combined with a new lower BA limit of .05 for an automatic 7 day suspension, getting in a car after even ONE drink is a roll of the dice. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating drinking and driving (certainly not WHILE driving), but it all seems to be getting way out of hand.

I'm with David. We should start buying land. Of course with all the environmental and noise regulations now, the chances of finding enough non-arable land far enough away from people and wildlife but within a four-day drive of home is, well, slim to none.

Maybe it is time to ditch the cars and get a bus pass.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by David B:
Mikael, here they sell all kinds of spray-on materials that make license plates invisible to cameras. Also, don't they have to warn drivers where the cameras are? Then you also have the choice to flip down one of those electric plate covers.

Myth Busters say the spray on coatings don't work. I do like the idea of the plate cover that turns black when you flip a switch. It is probably illegal to have one of those though?

- Robert

quote:

Originally posted by RobertVegas:
It is probably illegal to have one of those though?

- Robert

It'll be illegal soon just to ask that question!

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by LF - TP 2511:
... Anyone know how California or other states handle these ...

Larry I'm only aware of cameras being used at intersections, monitoring people running red lights. I'm not aware of cameras monitoring speed, yet. So my comments are in relation to running a red light. I am by no means a lawyer, but I'll explain what I understand about California law .... In California you must be arrested by the person witnessing the crime for any infraction or misdemeanor. A person can only be arrested by somebody who didn't witness the crime if they've committed a felony. "BUT" if a camera snaps a picture of you running a red light, nobody, no person that is, has witnessed that possible infraction/misdemeanor/felony. The camera is unmanned. And in this country you have a right to face your accuser in court.

The various counties within the state hire contractors to maintain the cameras, analyze the photos and mail the fines/notices to the owners of the vehicles. The photos are never observed by an officer of the law, the fines are not levied by the legal system, they are mailed to you by a contractor working on behalf of the county. Notice I very carefully referred to the notice you receive as a fine, that's all it is, it is the same as a parking ticket. You are not charged with an infraction or a misdemeanor, you receive a fine in the mail from a contractor. Like a parking ticket the fine will not count against your driving record.
_____________________________________________________________

A word about speeding tickets. Just about every highway in California has been named a memorial highway for something, for instance one highway near my home is named the Veterans of the Korean War Memorial Highway. The highways are designated as memorial highways because the state receives Federal Funds for each highway so named, under a Federal Act that is about a decade old now. However, like all funds received from the Federal government, there are strings attached to those memorial highway funds. One small provision of that Federal Act stipulates that in order to receive the funds the posted speed limit on that highway MUST be within 10% of the actual average speed on that highway. In order to determine the average speed on the highway the state must monitor the vehicle speeds on the highway over a period of time as stipulated in the act, and then determine the average of the measured speeds based upon the data collected. The posted speed must then be changed if it is not within 10% of that average. The act also stipulates that if the state has not conducted that speed survey on any memorial highway for which it is receiving funds, the posted speed is INVALID. This is one of the methods currently used by lawyers in this state to fight speeding tickets, since there are still many highways which have not been surveyed for average speed.

-G

What's the average speed on the Freeway around LA? About 15mph? Let's see. That makes a 17mph speed limit.

I know that the license plate covers that shield your plates from photo ID are illegal in NY. Since it is impossible for someone to tell if a lens over your plate is there for cosmetic or photo shielding, any cover over the plate is illegal.

If you get caught with it on, it's a pretty hefty fine and you could be charged with obstruction of justice. That's a A Misdemeanor which translates into a one year in jail sentence.

As I recall it was the state of OHIO which started this entire deal because of the speeders across Rt80 and the inability of the State Police to maintain order on that road.

They have cameras still that are tied to those "your speed is now..." machines that photograph you and mail you the ticket. In the past if you were from out of state, your state had to be a cooperating state with Ohio to enforce it on you at home. In the beginning that didn't exist. Now with the involvement of the Feds it is required.

Just remember that everything you do is now observed. Big Brother IS watching and probably little sister too and most likely your kids will get a cash bonus if they turn you in?

They are all freakin' Commie, Nazi, pinko totalitarian extremists I tell you. It almost makes me want to be a Democrat or something?

quote:

Originally posted by PanteraDoug:
What's the average speed on the Freeway around LA? About 15mph? Let's see. That makes a 17mph speed limit.

Doug, you need to get out to LA more often. When I was there in April I was shocked at how empty the freeways were. It was no trouble at all to cruise along at 70 or 80 MPH much of the time, which was what most of the traffic was doing. There were a few slow patches, but nothing compared to my previous visit to LA a few years earlier.

Mark

Larry,
In Arizona they actually do pay people to go out and serve people that have received photo radar tickets. A friend of mine had lost his job and needed some kind of way to make money. The state offered a job, where you paid them $250 to go through a course to become a officer of the courts (complete with a paper badge) to go out and serve those that have not responded. They have to use their own vehicle and gas, and usually have to work nights and weekends to try to reach people at home. He says he makes less than minimum wage after his fuel expense, since he only gets paid on those he is able to serve.
He said it was not worth it, he has been threatened, chased down the street with a shovel, and even had people call the police on him (which of course backfired on them, since they were then served).I think he said they received a list of 50 names and addresses at a time and only had about a three week window to serve them before the time expired and the notices were thrown out.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Charlton:

quote:

Originally posted by PanteraDoug:
What's the average speed on the Freeway around LA? About 15mph? Let's see. That makes a 17mph speed limit.

Doug, you need to get out to LA more often. When I was there in April I was shocked at how empty the freeways were. It was no trouble at all to cruise along at 70 or 80 MPH much of the time, which was what most of the traffic was doing. There were a few slow patches, but nothing compared to my previous visit to LA a few years earlier.

Mark

Can't be. You must have landed into some sort of parallel universe. It's usually eight lanes wide of bumper to bumper, 24/7. I don't think those people sleep at all?

...and don't miss the Slawson Cutoff or they'll cut off your slawson...

Actually it reminds me allot of Long Island. You can't be a timid driver and you have to be willing to take the ticket should you get singled out. If you obey the speed limit you are going to get hurt or killed.

Similar in the Boston metro area.

I got pulled over (in my F-250), the trooper asked me "Do you know how fast you were going? I said "I've got no idea, I was just trying to keep up with the traffic". He knew I was right, shook his head and said "79, and the next time you see me behind you, move over and I'll get the next guy". I got a warning.