mmarshall

OK..here's my view on speeding and money collection.

I generally don't buy the money and revenue line. There are just too many snags with that line of thought....and for the most part, the evidence doesn't support it.

If money (or money alone) were the issue, you wouldn't have a point system attached to speeding tickets. In fact, jurisdictions would ENCOURAGE you to speed, because the more tickets you get (and pay), the more you would help fill up the local coffers. If all that the judges and police cared about was collecting money for the state, they would say, " Thanks, bit", or "Thanks, marshall". "Thanks for speeding and helping to support our local pickpocketing system...now go out and speed some MORE so you can come back and give us even MORE of your paycheck. The more you speed, the more we make".

But, of course, in reality, it doesn't operate that way. First, fines for speeding are not automatic. Prosecutors and motorists often plea-bargain for reduced or dropped charges or fines, judges can, and often do, dismiss speeding cases or lessen the fines, and, in a number of cases, get enough ponts on your license and that license is actually suspended or revoked. How much money can the state make if you are not allowed to drive AT ALL? Get caught driving (or speeding) with a suspended or revoked license, and, depending on the judge, you could wind up in jail doing time.....and then how much money is the state making from THAT? In jail, the state is actually paying YOU (not much, of course) ......to make license plates.

So, in short, with the present point system and the authority of the state to pull licenses and prevent driving at all, I simply don't see where it is a money-collection-issue alone. If it were, the state would never suspend or revoke licenses....they would WANT the same people, over and over again, to speed and cough up more and more money.