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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsCriminal IssuesStarted 1yr agoActive 6 days ago

Should the penalty for traffic violations depend on the driver’s income?

In some countries, traffic fines are adjusted based on the offender’s income - a system known as "day fines" - to ensure that penalties are equally impactful regardless of wealth. This approach aims to create fairness by making fines proportionate to the driver’s ability to pay, rather than applying the same flat rate to everyone. Proponents argue that income-based fines make penalties more equitable, as flat fines may be insignificant to the wealthy but burdensome to low-income individuals. Opponents argue that penalties should be consistent for all drivers to maintain fairness under the law, and that income-based fines could create resentment or be difficult to enforce.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 13.9k America voters.

34%
Yes
66%
No

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 @B4RTXBZfrom Maine  answered…1yr1Y

Fines for low income can be life altering Fines for rich are a suggestion YES, it should be proportional to what that fine would be for low income households or it won't change anyones behaviour to laws ever.

 @B5RT93J from Alaska  answered…1yr1Y

Not on the driver's income level, but maybe on the class or cost/value of the vehicle involved. Example: an equivalent speeding violation would cost more for a driver of a ferrari than it would for a driver of a honda.

 @BBB4WXV from Massachusetts  answered…4mos4MO

No, if they cannot afford to pay off their fines, make them perform alternatives such as community service, anti-drug and anti-alcohol projects or short term jail sentences.

 @BBNXB2N from Georgia  answered…4mos4MO

Wr should shift away from traffic fines as a funding source altogether and stop patrolling highways.

 @B87CTMY from Massachusetts  answered…8mos8MO

Yes, but if they can’t afford to pay off their fines, make them perform community service as an alternative.

 @B5VWM93 from Vermont  answered…1yr1Y

There shouldn't be a monetary fine, rather an actual jail time or course that needs to be completed. Financial punishments would be too hard to regulate. Someone may have no reported income so they might not have a fine large enough to deter a repeat offense.

 @B623TDL from Wyoming  answered…12mos12MO

No, and remove most traffic violations as they are just another form of taxation without representation.

 @B5X29HV from Washington  answered…1yr1Y

Yes, speeding & any other traffic violation should result in 1% of the persons annual salary. $10K = $100 fine. $20K = $200 fine. 30K = $300 fine. Etc.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Elizabeth Warren Walks Back Murder Comments

Congressional Democrats broadly denounced the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Friday morning, after Republicans started accusing Sen. Elizabeth Warren of excusing violence.“No one's condoning this,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.). “Violence never is the right answer for anything. And it was a horrible murder, a tragic loss for his family.” Warren this week condemned the shooting, but added that people “can be pushed only so far.”"We'll say it over and over," Warren said on MSNBC’S “The ReidOut.” " Violence is never the answer. This guy [Luigi Mangione] gets a trial who's allegedly killed the CEO of UnitedHealth, but you can only push people so far, and then they start to take matters into their own hands."In a statement to POLITICO, Warren said, “Violence is never the answer. Period. I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.” Top Republicans denounced Warren's comments and the walked-back rhetoric, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) calling it “inappropriate and dangerous.”Some House Democrats asked about the incident on Thursday pivoted the conversation to discuss policy options on health care or gun safety.“I don't really know that this is really a space that Congress normally weighs in on,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). “But at the end of the day, I think it’s an opportunity, because now people are talking about health care and to talk about the fact that this industry has honestly not been as helpful as it could be.”“Violence is never the answer,” said Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). “We know that there are people suffering, there’s great challenges in healthcare. There's great challenges, and people have, in fact, been wronged, but a process of governance is the way to address that, not violence.”And Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) who denounced the murder, said the killer should be prosecuted and that “I do know that allegedly a ghost gun was used, and we should also ban ghost guns. There's no reason for them beyond the streets.”

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Based on 13.9k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should the penalty for traffic violations depend on the driver’s income?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://www.isidewith.com/polls/5422945507

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