Speeding fines, Scandanavia vs. the U.S. vs. Virginia

People still think that driving is a right rather than a privilege. In the U.S., getting a drivers license is pretty inexpensive and a relatively simple process. In Europe and Japan, it is much more difficult, time consuming, and expensive.

What about making fines a lot higher for speeding? And if you're worried about this being regressive, index the fines by income, just like in Scandanavia. Christopher sends us a link to a story about a speeding fine for the boss of Nokia, being over $100,000.... That ought to make you be more conscious of how fast you're driving...

See "Nokia boss gets record speeding fine" from the BBC and compare that to what happened most recently in Virginia, see "Hefty Fees In Store for Misbehaving Va. Drivers" and "Legislators' Short View Killed Va. Driving Fees" from the Post.