Finland’s Day Fine System: How It Works and Why It’s Controversial
Anders Wiklöf, a resident of Finland, recently received a speeding ticket of €121,000 ($129,670 USD) for going 82 km/h (51 mph) in a 50 km/h (31 mph) zone. While this punishment may seem excessive, it is a result of Finland’s unique “day fine” system, which aims to make speeding penalties fairer for drivers.
What is the Day Fine System?
The day fine system is used in a few European countries, including Finland, and is based on the offender’s daily income. The system calculates the offender’s daily income and divides it by two to determine their daily spending money. Then, depending on how fast the driver was going, the government decides how many days’ spending money they should be deprived of as punishment.
For example, in 2015, exceeding the speed limit by 25 km/h (15.5 mph) resulted in a punishment equivalent to 12 days’ spending money, while going 40 km/h (25 mph) over resulted in 22 days’ fine. The system has no upper limit on how much the fine can amount to, but it is designed to remain a constant proportion of the driver’s income no matter how much they make.
Why is it Controversial?
The day fine system has been controversial because it can result in extremely high fines for wealthy offenders. For example, Wiklöf, who was caught speeding in the Aaland Islands, an autonomous region of Finland in the Baltic Sea, received a headline-worthy fine of €121,000 ($129,670 USD). This is not his first offense either; he was fined €63,680 ($68,242 USD) in 2018 and €95,000 ($101,807 USD) in 2013.
Despite the controversial headlines, the day fine system remains popular in Finland and has been proposed elsewhere as a tool to help more effectively dissuade the rich from driving recklessly. Studies show that the wealthy are more likely to engage in reckless driving than other classes.
Conclusion
The day fine system is a unique way of punishing speeding offenders in Finland and a few other European countries. While it has been controversial due to the high fines it can result in for wealthy offenders, it remains popular in Finland and has been proposed elsewhere as a tool to deter reckless driving.