With the economy in shambles, cities across the country are compensating for the decrease in revenue by targeting speeding divers. Now, this is nothing new, but it has reached staggering proportions that I feel are worth mentioning.
Not only has the number of speeding tickets increased in the past few years, but the fines for those speeding tickets have skyrocketed. What used to be a $100 ticket five years ago, has grown to $300, $400, and $500 or more in many areas of the country.
Take Maryland and Kansas for example... in 2002 the maximum speeding ticket fine for these states were around $300. That figure is now $500. Utah's maximum fine allowed by law is $700, up from $400 just a few years ago.
If you think that's bad, there are several states whose fines have more than doubled in recent years. If you get a speeding ticket in Nevada, Georgia, or Illinois (just to name a few) you could potentially get hit with a $1000 fine!
States are quick to mention 'safety' as a primary reason for the increases. Supposedly, harsher punishments will get people to think twice about speeding in the future. As true as that may be, I think it's obvious even to a retarded ape that safety has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Stiffer penalties really only accomplish two things... to drain innocent civilians of what little money they have left and to funnel more money into revenue funds. Period.
Safety is NOT a primary concern as they would have you believe.
Higher fines are a direct result of greedy politicians coming up with a quick way to gain some extra cash in this recession we are currently in.
Instead of putting their heads together and coming up with innovative means to increase revenue... increasing traffic ticket fines is a quick and easy way out of a bad situation. And we as law abiding Americans have to suffer as a result.
One state went so far as to recently introduce the stiffest penalties in American history. Virginia, in July 2007, added what is called a 'civil remedial fee' to all traffic citations. This means that a driver convicted of speeding will not only face a fine of up to $2,500, but also a civil penalty will be tagged on to it in the amount of $350 a year for the next 3 years!
And you thought your state was tough on speeding motorists.
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