What’s the most expensive speeding fine you paid for? P1,000? P2,000?
In the Philippines, the minimum fine is P1,500 for the first offense, P3,000 for the second offense, P5,000 for the third, and P10,000 for succeeding violations. But over in Finland, the country’s fine and penalty system is a little bit different from what we have here.
Over there, fines and penalties are based on a person’s income. For example, someone who’s just starting out only has to pay a smaller fine compared to, say, a junior executive. If you’re a millionaire, you pay a heftier fine, and if you happen to be one of Finland’s wealthiest individuals, it’s enough to leave a dent in your wallet.
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That’s exactly what happened to Anders Wiklöf, chairman of Wiklöf Holding AB. Wiklöf Holding AB is one of the biggest investment and venture capitalist companies and Finland, making Anders Wiklöf one of the richest businessmen in the land. That also means he had to pay €121,000 for a recent speeding violation he committed. That’s about P7.2-million at current Euro to Peso conversion rates.
Ouch.
Wiklöf was quick to admit fault, telling Finnish newspaper Nya Åland “I really regret the matter and hope that the money is in any case used for healthcare through the treasury”. Aside from the hefty fine, Wiklöf’s license has been suspended for ten days.
So, just how fast was the businessman driving to merit such a huge fine? He was caught doing 82kph in a 50kph zone, 32kph above the speed limit. Wiklöf claimed he was slowing down when the same stretch of road went from having a 70kph limit down to 50kph. Either way, he was still above the speed limit before the 50kph section. The speed difference might not seem like much to some, but it gives you an idea how serious Finland law enforcement is when it comes to speeding. We’re also a little curious as to what car he was driving at the time of the citation.
Aside from having some of the stiffest speed enforcement and penalty systems in the world, Finland is also home to some of the most intensive driver training programs. Because of the country’s diverse weather and road conditions, training can take years and students are taught proper car control and not just vehicle operation. Finland takes driving seriously and invests in proper training before students can even get a permit. That’s not something you can say about other countries.
That probably explains why the Finns are so good at racing. If you need examples of that, there’s Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen, Tommi Makkinen, and Kalle Rovanperä. And let’s not forget Nico Rosberg, who beat seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in equal machinery, also has Finnish blood.
