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sekihiryu

Finland = Heavy fines

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3477285.stm

wow :-O that is a really harsh fine system you have ther in Finland! Kotoseiya.

116,000 Euros fora speeding ticket!

what do you think about the system? will you be slaughtered like this guy if you get caught?

I am a pauper with no money so my fine would in coins! haha :-)

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just to make it even more unreal, the article says 160.000 pounds which would be some 240.000 Euros

even the loss of the driver's licence would be of no effect as i could not afford a car for the rest of my life if i had to pay the fine...

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It's not unreal, it's perfectly logical. The article said 116 000 pounds (170 000 euros). The guy earned about 10 million euros in 2002 so I guess he can afford his fine. Next time he'll think about speeding.

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I totally agree with kotoseiya. When there's a set fine and if you're rich you can just ignore the speed limit and pay the fine. When its income related it doesnt matter wether you're rich or poor. The impact of the fine should be the same.

A perfect example is that rally they do... Cannonball-something I think. Rich ppl driving through several countries at high speed. Illegaly.

If the police gets them they pay the fine and keep on racing, since they got so much money it doesnt matter.

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You're referring to the cannonball race, I think:

covered in this book.

The fine percentage system is interesting. I agree fines by themselves are not always a deterrent, especially if they're small. But license suspension/revocation might be...

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When I was a University student New Zealand had a income based student allowance system, based on your parents income. My parents earned too much so I was ineligible to receive an allowance. A friend of mine whose father was a rich lawyer received a full allowance because her father could hide his income.

Another friend whose parents were farmers turned their farm into a company and paid themselves a minimum wage as employees of the the "farm company". Both those friends could reeive full student allowances.

In Finland is it possible to hide your income or get around the system like it was possible in New Zealand? (Laughing...)

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In Finland is it possible to hide your income or get around the system like it was possible in New Zealand? (Laughing...)

Unfortunately sometimes this is possible as no legislation is ever completely abuse-proof. Actions might be technically legal, yet undisputedly against the spirit of the law. It's a kind of vicious circle. Legislators and officials do their best but there will always be people without honour and integrity but with means (dishonest lawyers included) to circumvent the law.

Finns often make humiliatingly big fuss about their imaginary honesty and resistance to corruption. The truth is, of course, that all kind of bullshit runs rampant here as well. It would be easier to "accept" this fact as an unfortunate reality if the opposite weren't touted as loudly as it is. :-(

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How does Finland handle foreign tourists speeding in rental cars?

Politely. :-( Usually foreigners are not fined for speeding. The police are only interested in severe offenses, such as drunken driving, gross drunken driving or dangerous (reckless) driving. AFAIK, if you (as a foreigner) choose not to pay the fine, there is very little the Finnish authorities can do about it - they know it, so they don't bother writing you that ticket. I'd speculate that a petty fine (maximum of 200 euros) would be used in case someone would actually bother.

Things might have changed since my uncle got his last speeding ticket, though, so just in case please take your Gumball Rally elsewhere. Thank you. (Laughing...)

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Uh... Now that you mention it, Exil, I remember reading an article about this.

BTW, that Damon Hill participating such an idiotic activity as this Gumball bullshit?!?!? If it's really him, I hereby wish to withdraw every single message ever I've written on various F1 forums defending him against the hordes of supporters of a certain German!

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... that Damon Hill ...

I couldn't believe it either. But quite a number of sites seem to confirm:

...when the Jackass boys took on ex-F1 world champion Damon Hill...

...former Formula One World Champion Hill was one of the drivers who was featured...

...featuring participants from Formula One champion Damon Hill to actor Jason Priestly to musician Jamiroquai...

:-( (Laughing...) (Sign of disapproval)

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The German Autobahn-System is kind of weird anyway. There is no official Speed-Limit. Theoretical you may drive 320 km/h, BUT your speed has to be appropriate to the traffic-situation so nobody can exactly tell HOW fast you are allowed to drive. As long as you don't cause a crash, nobody will fine you, bt recently a man got jailed for several years, after he rode with over 220 km/h and made a woman tear around her steerwheel to fast, when she tried to get out of his way, so that she and her Baby died. Time for a speedlimit in Germany.

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I'm not so sure it's time for a speed limit in Germany. I recall reading a study suggesting they had one of the lowest per-driver accident rates of the top 30 nations with the most developed highway infrastructure. I wish I could recall the source of the study. But anyways, if that's true, than no one accident (howeve horrible (Laughing...) ) will change matters.

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Time for a speedlimit in Germany.

A political suicide for whomever proposes it?

Probably.

Not that it matters...emotions are running high because of that one case right now; and three months down the line nobody will care, as usual. (Works for me...I'm not much of a fan of limiting everybody's rights just because one person behaved like an idiot. And I'm saying that as a non-driver.)

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