What should speeding penalties be like?

OK I figure it's time for me to say my piece.

I think speeding laws should be much, much harsher and more evenly enforced than they are now. IMO, if you are caught doing 30+ mph over the posted speed limit, your license should be immediately revoked for a minimum period of one month plus a significant minimum financial penalty (say, 3% of your previous year's adjusted gross income). 50+ mph over the limit should be mandatory jail time. Double the speed limit in a school zone should carry the same penalty.


Ontario has a pretty good "racing" law. If you're caught doing 50 kmph (22 mph) over the limit, you face:

Your vehicle gets impounded for 7 days
Minimum $2000 fine (up to $10,000)
Your license gets suspended for 7 days

I think this is a great law and a great model.



BUT



I think that some sort of proof beyond the officer's statement should be required to enforce these harsh penalties. This is easily accomplished with a simple video camera mounted on a radar detector and a video camera mounted in the police vehicle that can see the police vehicle's speedometer.

I think that penalties for areas such as residential or school areas should be a lot harsher. I mean there were campaigns on the tele about if your going 35mph and hit a child theres an 80% chance they'll die, but if you're going 30mph theres an 80% chance they'll survive. There is obviously no excuse for speeding near a school, or round residential areas.

When it comes to the motorway I'm in 2 minds about it. On one hand I think that bumping the speed limit up to 80mph would be a good thing, but personally I don't go over 70, which is the speed limit anyways and I don't know whether if the speed limit was higher, whether I'd go faster. And those people who speed anyway, would they just speed by more?

Personally I think that there should be more enforcement rather than punishment. I mean currently I think you'd have to be a bloody idiot to get caught by a static speed camera! They're bright yellow, they have signs up for miles about them, once you've gone along a stretch of road a couple times you know where they are etc. I think mobile speed traps should be used more, but of course it begs the question what would we be sacrificing for the aditional speed cameras?

The problem with concentrating on speeding driver is that speed is contributing factor in a small percentage of accidents -from the governments own statistics. It's simply easier to spot than trying to fine the person who is driving 10mph below the speed limit but thinking about what to have for dinner.

Don't freak out or anything, but I agree with you completely.

I tend to stick to the speed limits carefully (mostly because I have a fear of lunatics on the road) but if I were caught speeding, the loss of my license and a stiff fee would seriously keep me in check.

I liked this idea:
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/poltmpl.asp?url=/content/pol/ask/speed/faq.asp