"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." -- unknown

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results - Albert Einstein

Fines...
February 13, 2007 - 6:01 pm

Now, I know what you're thinking.. it was pretty much a landslide against raising the fine to $237 (I believe that was the number tossed about).

However, why people were against it was the amusing (and confusing) part. They felt it was far too much for the infraction.

That's interesting.. because the state wants to raise it since the current level isn't curbing the use. They said something like $700,000 was collected last year due to the fine and if the average fine was $100, that's 7,000 incidents in one year or about 6.5 a day.

That's a lot of fines. At least to me, but I'm sure it's only a tiny, tiny fraction of the times people have done it. A true pittance.

Then.. it gets said that the amount would have been much higher but some high percentage (that I forget) of fines weren't enforced as people fought and the state opted not to.

To me, isn't the point of a fine to get people not to do something? A fine should be stiff enough that it actually makes you think "I should do this, it's not worth it." Otherwise, why have the fine?

Now, I've no idea just how cell phones matter in traffic accidents -- and, yes, the people who'd been hit by people on cell phones called in to say that even $200+ wasn't high enough.

So what it comes down it is.. people don't want to be inconvenienced - or so it seems. Oh sure, a $200+ could well "take food off the table" of some family and that's tragic thing -- but guess what? They shouldn't have been on the damn phone.

I'd like to see a ban in a lot of places like supermarkets. I nearly ran into a lady today because she stopped in the middle of an aisle and started blathering on the phone. She just stood there. Mad no move to get out of my or anyone else's way.. which is why I nearly hit her -- not that she stopped to quickly, but I didn't feel compelled to change my course. I missed her by about 2 inches.

Anyway.. as I'm on the subject of fines. I think traffic fines should be set up as a percentage of the person's gross income. I think Norway does this.

Why? What else is fairer? Right now a $200 ticket doesn't matter as much to a person who makes $100,000 as someone who makes $30,000.. but they get the same fine. That's not fair. Fair would if each paid, totally making this number up, 0.002%. Now the $100k person pays $200 and the $30k person pays $60.

Perhaps it should be a $200 fine for the 30k person and then about a $650 fine for the 100k person.

Makes more sense to me.. of course, that's only if you really want to get fines to change how people behave... 'cause if we set things too low, people are 'happy' to pay them. This is basic economics. Perhaps the state just wants the easy money and doesn't much care about really 'doing' something. I don't know..

But.. if it's worth having a ban on cell phones while driving.. it's worth it to make that fine one that will stop us from doing it.