Quote:
Originally Posted by kramer5150 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Curious...
I would like to see some numbers supporting the claim that traffic tickets generate revenue. you figure each speeding ticket is a ~$260-$350 fine.
How much does it cost:
To pay the cops
Finance the traffic police department/staff
Pay for cars/motorcycles
Train/certify the officers
Equip the officers with gear and train/certify them on the proper use of it
Process the paperwork for each citation
Finance facilitate the traffic court/judicial system/officials necessary to process each ticket
In the end, do traffic tickets really generate that much revenue,relative to the system needed to issue them?
I went to traffic school last month and this was debated. In th eend the traffic school instructor had no real idea, but he speculated it couldn't be more than $10-$15 per ticket.
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you are quite right, probaly when you fathom in road use/repairs, maintenence, staff, other systems as you mention.
my take on it, and others from what i can ascertain is that its the
increase in issuing and monitoring and an almost rife culture of a kind of entrapment now, so as to be a cash cow to the local councils, i can only speak locally to me in the U.K. where we one of the most monitored, surveilled, traffic camera ridden countries in the world. and there is a groundswell feeling among the public that a lot, not all of fines for so called speeding and the very accurate systems that are used (sometimes clocking people for 1mph over) are designed to overbearingly squeeze monies from otherwise previously un-policed areas of traffic and the fine/penalty system.
the councils arent using the monies to plow back into the whole highways division over here, they are using it to fund ridiculously eccentric ideas and print triplicate of our literature in foreign languages and fund hugely exspensive metal statues/monuments in front of governemt and council buildings at a cost of hundered of thousand of pounds a time.
they are constantly doing phantom roadworks in this country, i have seen one stretch of road which had nothing visibly worng with it, being worked on on and off for over 7 years, i think its just to justify their existence and spending budgets.
so its not the fact that fining is only covering their bases and costs, its the fact that now they have greatly increased the frequency and methods to help with these fines, that is the problem.
i think its a vicious circle, the more cameras the put up to catch speeders, the more money they need to fine us to pay for the technological infrastructure.
i wish they would spend the money on our health system, teaching our young and other good causes and to seriously raise the consequences for speeders and negligent drivers, by use of our dwindling police and justice system - rather than taking the easy way out and presuming people will learn their lesson by taking a one off slap on the hand and a small monetary fine.
they are trying to have fines and cameras police this nation. and its a joke.