A motorist was caught doing 180 mph in his Mercedes sports car in Switzerland and now may set the world record for a speeding ticket at $1 million or £656,000.
The 37-year-old is not named. However, one of the more interesting aspects of this story is that in Switzerland the government apparently sets the amount of a fine by not just the speed but the wealth of the individual.
I understand that this is to prevent rich drivers from just paying and playing. Yet, in the U.S., you can have your license taken away. Setting different fines based on the wealth of the individual violates a host of core principles in sentencing, in my view.
Source: BBC
When Eisenhower was President the top tax rate was 91%. “Progessive taxation” it was called, and the principle wasn’t abandoned until Reagan, although he never got it below 50%. Now it is 35%, and if the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire it will be 46%.
For those who didn’t know.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/25/181312/80/541/642221
Winski. I think that the story came from the BBC News website – “B” for British, hence the amount in serling. At least that’s where I saw it first.
Then your view is wrong. Adjusting fines to have a proportional impact — so that each miscreant feels what is proportionally the same bite from each penalty for the same crime — is the essence of justice.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHbFOt9n_cc?fs=1&hl=en_US]
nothing to do with this topic. i just like the movie
pete,
Very good question.
i want to know what kind of cars swiss cops drive if they can catch a mercedes doing 180.
“Setting different fines based on the wealth of the individual violates a host of core principles in sentencing, in my view.”
What principles? The Swiss get to decide the principles their laws follow / enforce. While you may think that the Swiss laws violate US principles that is not relevant anymore than arguing that US laws violate Iranian core sentencing principles.
As for me, I think that fines should be proportionate to the wealth in order to be meaningful. This person was endangering other highway users’ lives. Maybe this fine will grab his attention *before* someone dies. A punishment is supposed to be a punishment to correct behavior. On the other hand, the next time this person is caught their fine will be lower because now their wealth is lower!
Reminds me of Chicago, they bought 3 new vans to enforce speeds in construction zones.
Because they claim 7500 workers are killed a year.
I went ahead a looked it up, and they were right, on average 7500 construction workers ARE killed per year….
BUT the kicker is that only HALF of those are killed by motorists, the rest are killed by their own people (accidents).
So I have to wonder since they stated that they are getting the vans to reduce the deaths, then OSHA must be getting three vans too, to oversee the construction companies…cause that’s what they want to do…reduce the deaths. NOT JUST FOR REVENUE….right?!?!?
Hhahhahahhahhaha
Jonathan… “Setting different fines based on the wealth of the individual violates a host of core principles in sentencing, in my view.”…BUT obviously NOT in Switzerland !!!
And, when did the Swiss start using sterling as their currency?? £656,000 ???
Just saying…
AY,
😛
Slarti,
There is a song called ……Dream on….or There’s a Tear in my Beer….or I can’t get no Satisfaction…
WrldVoyagr,
Setting fines based on income for equality of deterrence makes a lot of sense to me, but I would point out that the US income tax system is set up so that people with higher incomes pay a higher portion of their wages (or at least they’re supposed to).
That means that if you get a speeding ticket you have to reveal all you financial records.
Except for the money you keep in a Swiss bank account!!!!!!!!
Ya gotta love it.
Fines and taxes be damned … I want that car!! Now!!
What the hippy drummer said.
And nice car.
Well said that man.
My only surprise is that they did not bring out the usual bunch of traumatized bereaved relatives to accuse the guy of multiple child murder.
It is one particularly obscene tactic of the “road safety” industry in the UK to worm their way into the confidence of these poor people in order to further their own brand of bigotry. It would be truly sickening to have these people on my doorstep, twittering about speeeeeeding drivers after I had just lost a loved one to a drunk driver who may or may not have been exceeding the speed limit.
I too would like to know more about the circumstances of this case before bandying accusations of gross danger to others.
Nothing? How about it is darned thrilling?
The question should be, exactly how dangerous was this guys velocity? The car was made to go this fast safely. If there was no one else on the road, was there any danger at all?
After all, in the next country over, there is no speed limit, which is why MB’s are engineered to go as fast as they do. Safety is highly correlated not to absolute velocity, but to a lack of velocity differential. In other words, if everyone is going the same speed, it is much safer than when there are large differentials between cars. Slow drivers are at least as dangerous as speeders. This is why on the autobahn, slow drivers MUST stay to the right. If ONLY this was enforced in the US, instead of jumping all over drivers who safely exceed the speed limits which were set according to 1950’s technology!
Let’s face it, the vast majority of the time, speeding tickets are given out to generate revenue, not to have a discernible effect on public safety. These tickets are handed out by stern officers, who soberly lecture us on strict adherence to the letter of the law while they never actually apply this code to themselves or their brother officers.
And so we each of us lives everyday in a psychologically sick landscape, where we are the sheep herded on our path, and the cops are the stealthy predators who leap out at us and hypocritically subjugate us for no good reason. No wonder so many people hate our government instead of embracing it.
Much of the “sentencing” for speeding is not done by the courts in the US – it’s done by the cop.
Individuals who are sufficiently obedient and subservient, who show unquestioned reverence to the cop in the face of screamed obscenities, insults and threats may get off with a straightforward ticket.
Those who don’t can have their speed instantly reclassified as “reckless” or “driving to endanger”, or a host of other charges that can change a $400 ticket to a $2500 ticket, or higher. To the State, these tactics remind citizens of the power of government and its enforcers over the individual – with the benefit of raising tens of millions in revenue that can be allocated to added compensation for the ruling class the government employs.
Earlier this year Virginia handed out 7,000 speeding tickets on one weekend. For individuals going 70 in a 55 MPH zone, officers determined who would pay $2500 fines, and who would pay the regular fine.
WOW, this is kinda of amazing. But I see the previous posters point.
It is my understanding that each state in the US was to be autonomous except in matters affecting the states as a whole. Something about strong/weak central government. Where a weak central government gives the states more rights. I love the spin that the GOP gives on this while slowly chipping away at states rights. Then blame the Democrats for tax and spend liberal war funding…..The only thing the GOP believes in is No Taxes and Spend the US into oblivion. You know maybe the Talbin has a few ratfucks in the GOP. I had not thought of that before now….They spend US to bankruptcy and then then Al Queda steps in and buys it all up….would seem that Bush has set this in motion….but blame the Democrats….they only balance the Budgets…oh and take care of the ones least able to take care of themselves. Damn, why even think that possible….
If the Swedish motorist had been caught in Sweden, I’m sure they could of taken away his license. But what legal recourse do the Swiss have to revoke a Swedish-issued driver’s license?
Other countries in Europe also have civil fines based on income (to equally impact low and high-income infractioners). No different than income tax brackets. US courts can also set fines based on ability to pay, or setting higher bail.