A gas-saving idea
May 30th, 2008 at 10:08am Wally Haas
John Miller of Rockford called me a couple of minutes ago with an interesting idea on how to save gasoline.
Miller proposes tripling the fine for speeders. Motorists surely would decide to slow down if they thought they’d be fined $350 rather than $150 (Miller and I don’t know what a speeding ticket costs so these are hypothetical). If the idea was implemented nationwide, quite a few barrels of oil could be saved as motorists started to drive closer to the speed limit.
If motorists continued to put the pedal to the metal, they would pay the consequences.
Miller’s idea uses existing laws and would cost nothing extra to enforce.
Miller said he thought of the idea when a Humvee passed him going about 15 miles over the limit on Alpine Road. Haven’t we all had moments when a speeder has passed us and we thought that person should pay for his recklessness and wastefulness?
Miller said he’s run his idea past a couple of lawmakers.
What do you think? Would increasing speeding fines help slow people down and consequently help conserve gasoline?
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6 Comments Add your own
1. Dave | May 30th, 2008 at 10:48 am
No one needs to be paying $350.00 for a speeding ticket. Come on, we’ve all got a speeding ticket before, but why ding someone that much for a simple mistake. Sounds ridiculous to me.
2. Melissa J Kerno | May 30th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I hate to break the bad news but, if people arent compliant to the laws in the first place, Adding money to tickets isnt going to hurt their feelings.
3. thedudeabides | May 30th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Stupid idea. The theoretical drivers wouldn’t “surely” do anything.
A $350 speeding ticket would affect a Smart car the same way it would an Excursion.
Gas prices are already making that Hummer pay for his speed.
4. Lawrence Gregory Clarkson | May 30th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
You do realize most speeding tickets are the result of overzealous law enforcement members — at the directions of their government leaders — tyring to fill the coffers with more money for frivolous political projects. Much like your red light cameras idea. Safety has nothing to do with it. Are you telling me it is unsafe for a guy to drive on an open highway at 75, or even on Alpine at 10 miles over the limit? No.
5. Wally Haas | May 30th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
So you think there’s no link between speed and safety? 75 mph is OK, but I see quite a few cars going 90 or more on I-90. Plus, 1-90 seldom is “open highway.” The tollway is congested just about any time of day or night.
If you go 10 miles over on Alpine, are you going to be able to stop when the light turns red? I see a lot of cars that can’t, hence the need for the red-light cameras.
I think it is about safety. I know that I’ve had a lot of near misses because of speeders and red-light runners. I wouldn’t get a dime from a fine, but I’d feel a whole lot safer if I thought these kinds of violations could be reduced.
6. Penny | June 11th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
We need to do something to slow these people done and raising the ticket just might do it. If there are enough patrols to catch them. I can drive across Rockford and not see a patrol car so raising the cost will not do anything if they do not get caught. But it sure would be nice not to have these people ride your bumper just because you do not want to put your foot in the gas tank. Would make roads safer if word got out about the cost.
Penny
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