Speeding in Finland

Story copied from today’s Times (UK)


World News

February 11, 2004

Flying Finn hit by �116,000 speeding ticket
By Ian Evans


IF YOU have been flashed by a speed camera and are waiting to see whether a �60 fine turns up in the post, spare a thought for Jussi Salonoja.

Heir to his family�s sausage fortune and one of Finland�s richest men, the 27-year-old has just been fined a record �116,000 for exceeding the speed limit. Mr Salonoja was caught last Thursday by police travelling 80km per hour (50mph) in a 40kph zone in downtown Helsinki.

The resulting penalty was so large because, unlike Britain�s, Finnish speeding fines reflect the driver�s income. And there is no way you can plead poverty as police have direct access to offenders� tax records.

Mr Salonoja is certainly in a position to pay his fine. In 2002 his earnings were believed to be somewhere in the region of �4.8 million.

It is not the first time that the wealthy motorist has had a brush with traffic police. Four years ago he was fined a more modest �27,000 for driving 200kph in a 120kph zone.

This time he might be hoping for some leniency when the case goes before the courts. Anssi Vanjoki, a Nokia executive, saw his �79,000 speeding fine reduced by 95 percent in 2002 after his income plummeted following the stock market crash. If, however, Mr Salonoja�s penalty does stand, it will beat a speeding fine of more than �55,000 paid by the internet millionaire, Jaakko Rytsola, in 2000, and the �24,000 fine imposed on the Nokia president, Pekka Ala-Pietila, for running a red light in 2001.

So while some British drivers might hate speed cameras perhaps we should be grateful that we have not adopted the Finnish system � yet.

I think I am still a wanted man in Holland for non-payment of a road-side fine for speeding through road works in 1977! I didn’t have any local currency at the time and they kindly (or so I thought) let me off.

Some months later I got a court bill saying that as I hadn’t paid my 80g fine it had now been increased to 300g or something daft - definitely not paying that much I thought to myself . The bill made its way to somewhere like 500g and then eventually I was tried in my absence, found guilty and told that I would be arrested on sight! All the above from dodgy translation of course!

I wonder if they’ve forgotten about it yet? If they haven’t I hate to think how many euros I owe or what my custodial sentence would be!

So, don’t ask me to go to Holland with you…

Regards

So… that proves its all about road safety eh…

I think I am still a wanted man in Holland for non-payment of a road-side fine for speeding through road works in 1977!

Was that on Army duty in yer Centurian Tank then?

Seriously though, tell us what car you were driving at the time, & were the kids crammed in the back?

Phew, fine nearly as expensive as a pint of best Finnish bitter then - only place in the world I have bought a round on a credit card…

Phew, fine nearly as expensive as a pint of best Finnish bitter then - only place in the world I have bought a round on a credit card…

LOL… had to resort to credit cards for booze in Hong Kong a few years back

Rox, hope you weren’t buyin those ‘ladies’ drinks in Wanchai

Joe Bananas …

[quote

Seriously though, tell us what car you were driving at the time, & were the kids crammed in the back? [/quote]

Seriously , I didn’t have any kids at the time (after all even I’m not as old as your are Rob ). I was on my own and driving a MkII Escort Mexico (state of the art at the time you know! )

I was on my own and driving a MkII Escort Mexico (state of the art at the time you know! )

I once a had a Mk1 - sort of orangey red colour with two hugemongous Cibie Oscars bolted on the front. Ah, those were the days

Oi, waddya mean “not as old as me”!!! Neither of us are as ancient as Martin though

I rallied the MkII a bit and then, curiously enough I had a Mk1 (Modena Green and a PVX VRN) after the MkII …but we had kids by then so it had to go - ended up with a 2.8 Granada Ghia - ah! what luxury.

Regards