Punishing a traffic offense based on the economic level of the offender is a practice carried out by some countries of the European Union, such as Finland, Sweden and Denmark, as well as other European states, such as Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The measure is aimed at establishing a fairer penalty system, so that a wealthy person will have to pay a higher amount than a mileurista, since income and personal assets are taken into account when setting the amount of the fine .
This is the reason why a wealthy driver has been fined 121,000 euros for speeding in Finland, according to Nya Aland, the main daily newspaper of the Aland Islands, an autonomous region of the Scandinavian country along the Baltic Sea. According to the newspaper’s version, the millionaire Andreas Wiklöf was driving at 82 km / h on a road in the direction of Mariehamn where the limit is 50 km / h when he was stopped by the police.
Wiklöf has received a penalty of 121,000 euros and the suspension of his driving license for 10 days by applying the fine system in force in Finland that varies depending on the economic capacity of the offender. This sanction contrasts, for example, with the one he would have received in Spain for the same reason. The fine for driving between 81 km/h and 90 km/h in an area where the limit is 50 km/h is 400 euros and the loss of 4 points from the license. If the sanction is paid within the voluntary term, the offender can benefit from the 50% bonus and, therefore, would only pay 200 euros.
This is not the first time that Wiklöf has been prosecuted for speeding in his country. The wealthy Finnish businessman has already had to pay large fines in the past for his fondness for speed. In 2013 he was fined 95,000 euros and in 2018 he had to face another penalty of 63,800 euros, in both cases for not respecting speed limits.
Wiklof is president of a holding company that includes businesses in the logistics, helicopter services, real estate, trade and tourism sectors. “I really regret the matter,” the businessman told the Nya Aland newspaper.
In Spain, the penalty regime is not progressive and, therefore, all offending drivers have to face the same amounts regardless of their income level. The behaviors that carry a fine are established in the Traffic Law and in the General Circulation Regulations, as well as their amount and, if so indicated, the pertinent withdrawal of points from the driving license.
In this way, the regulations establish three types of categories to classify sanctions: light (up to 100 euros and without withdrawal of points), serious (200 euros and, on occasions, with withdrawal of points) and very serious (500 euros and always with removal of points). The economic amount can be increased due to the seriousness and consequences of the facts, but never due to the offender’s income. For example, when he is a repeat offender.
The highest fine that a driver can receive in Spain for speeding is 600 euros and the deduction of 6 points from the license. However, according to the Criminal Code, exceeding the speed limit by more than 60 km/h on urban roads or by more than 80 km/h on interurban roads is a crime. In this case, the infraction can be punished with prison sentences of three to six months or a fine of 6 to 12 months or work for the benefit of the community of 31 to 90 days, in addition to the withdrawal of the card for a period of more than one and up to four years.
