When someone receives a ticket for parking, speeding or any traffic violation, he or she will often look at the cost with a puzzled expression and question why the fine so high, especially when compared to tickets others received for the same offense.
Traffic fines shouldn’t be proportional to income because it wouldn’t be fair for people with a higher income to spend more than people with less income. It should always stay equal because people are going to lose more money just for a ridiculous traffic violation and end up at the point of bankruptcy.
Europe’s justice system currently fines citizens proportionally based on their wealth, and as a result, there have been cases where Europeans were fined ridiculous sums of money for menial offenses.
According to Hubpages, a European man drove a Ferrari at 85 mph on a 50 mph street and was fined $290,000 because his annual income was greater than $820,000. A traffic citation should never cost someone more than a third of his or her yearly income.
People in Europe are losing more money to tickets as their incomes decrease. Sure, it can probably teach them a lesson once they pay, but they ultimately shouldn’t have to pay more than others.
Personal income shouldn’t be a factor in traffic violations. Otherwise, the economy will experience a downturn due to a decrease in the amount of people who drive.
Due to the amount of parking tickets and speeding tickets issued everyday in the United States, it would turn into a disaster for the economy. Today, the U.S. treats traffic fines with payment equality. If the payment violation changes to the European model, it would affect the whole nation cause it to lose more money.
Traffic citations should never change in the U.S. because everyone should be held to an equal standard. Paying a traffic fine that equals half your income would make you feel like a criminal, even if all you did was exceed the speed limit.
