@ISIDEWITHQuestionsCriminal IssuesStarted 3mos agoActive 1wk 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.

Answer Overview

Response rates from 5.7k America voters.

34%
Yes
66%
No
34%
Yes
66%
No

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from America voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @B5RT93J from Alaska  answered…4wks4W

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.

 @B5VWM93 from Vermont  answered…2wks2W

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.

 @B4RTXBZfrom Maine  answered…3mos3MO

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.

 @ProudJew  from Tennessee  answered…1wk1W

Penalties should be based on actual harm and severity, not income. However, the current system creates disproportionate punishment for the poor through cascading consequences (insurance suspension, impoundment, inability to fight tickets). Reform should focus on eliminating poverty-based license suspensions and providing payment plans/community service options rather than income-based fines that could be gamed by the wealthy.

 @B5XR5P5 from Utah  answered…1wk1W

No, that will only allow police departments to financially take advantage of higher-income drivers and pose a higher risk of low-income drivers on the road.

 @B5X29HV from Washington  answered…2wks2W

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.

 @B5WWGRX from Arizona  answered…2wks2W

Yes, do it if the driver is ALWAYS going over the speed limit in my city streets. And even if they're using their smartphones while driving, PENALIZE THEM.

 @8PZG6MW  from Illinois  answered…2wks2W

Yes, but within reason. Not necessarily a sliding scale, but a higher percentage for high-net-worth individuals on repeat offenses. It should also increase for repeated offenses in a certain time frame in general, but not to the point of financially locking low-income individuals.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…8mos8MO

Europe on Edge as Critical Cables Severed Near Nord Stream Blast Zone

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Tuesday said "nobody believes" that two broken telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea were "accidentally cut.""We have to conclude, without knowing exactly who did it, that it is a hybrid action and we also have to assume — without knowing it — that it is sabotage," Pistorius told reporters in Brussels on the sidelines of a Council of the European Union meeting.The Finnish network company Cinia said Monday it was investigating a broken undersea internet cable running between Santahamina near Helsinki and Rostock in Germany — in a submarine incident that sparked political alarm in Berlin and Helsinki.The 1,173 kilometer-long cable follows a similar route to the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream gas pipelines, which exploded in September 2022 in an apparent act of sabotage.Also speaking on the sidelines of the meeting in Brussels, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said: “We are now investigating what has happened. We have good capabilities through all of this to investigate what has happened and who has been there.”Finland’s Europe Minister Joakim Strand called the incident "concerning.""Our authorities together with the companies are proactively investigating the case. The telecommunications have been re-routed to back-up connections and practical impacts have been minimal. The cable of course will be repaired. It is too soon to speculate on any causes but of course this is concerning," he added.The suspected case of sabotage comes as European foreign ministers, meeting in Warsaw on Tuesday, warned that Russia is “systematically attacking” Europe’s security architecture.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…8mos8MO

Horror in Northern Gaza: U.S. Questions Israel After Civilians Slaughtered in Residential Attack

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Active 13hrs ago

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…8mos8MO

Death, Denial, and Silence: Inside China’s Push to Bury Zhuhai’s Devastating SUV Attack

Outside the sports center in the southern city of Zhuhai where a 62-year-old man had plowed an S.U.V. into a crowd, killing at least 35 people, workers on Wednesday quickly removed bouquets of flowers left by grieving residents. Uniformed police officers and officials in plainclothes shooed away bystanders and warned them not to take photos. At hospitals where patients were taken after the attack — at least 43 more people were injured — local officials sat outside the intensive care units, blocking journalists from speaking with family members.On the Chinese internet, censors were mobilized to delete videos, news articles and commentaries about the attack. Almost 24 hours had passed before officials divulged details about the assault, which happened on Monday, including the death toll. Their statement offered limited details, and they have held no news conferences.The response was a precise enactment of the Chinese government’s usual playbook after mass tragedies: Prevent any nonofficial voices, including eyewitnesses and survivors, from speaking about the event. Spread assurances of stability. Minimize public displays of grief.The goal is to stifle potential questions and criticism of the authorities, and force the public to move on as quickly as possible. And to a large degree, it appeared to be working.Though many residents of Zhuhai, the city of 2.4 million where the attack happened, were clearly shaken, they said on Wednesday they had not questioned the delay in information, attributing it to the government’s need to first sort out what had happened. A steady stream of people arrived by foot or taxi to lay flowers at the sports center’s entrance, but when officials took away the flowers and told the people not to linger, they quickly complied.Local governments have also vowed in recent months to spend more time screening for people who have experienced “failures,” after a spate of violent attacks, including several cases in which schoolchildren were stabbed.But officials were also clearly on the lookout for any deeper scrutiny of the Zhuhai killings. Videos and photos of the scene of the attack showed only as grayed-out squares on Weibo, a social media platform. Blog posts urging people not to treat violent attacks as isolated incidents, but rather to look deeper for potential social causes, disappeared.

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