Tickets, fines and penalties cost real money
By Kevin M
An article this week from USA Today (Speeding ‘cushion’ may dwindle due to recession) reports that the 5-10-mph speeding “cushion” we’ve been enjoying most of our lives may be disappearing as cities and states work to close budget gaps.
The article confirms what many of us have suspected for some time: “…it’s clear that many communities are turning to traffic citations for added revenue in tough financial times.”
This news highlights an expense most of us rarely think about: non-compliance expense. What ever we think of it, it’s very real and never more than now.
Is this actually an expense?
OK, this isn’t a category most people think of as an expense in the conventional sense, but we live in a society which is heavily regulated and there are more laws regarding ordinary behavior than most of us can imagine. It’s important to realize that there are fines attached to our non-compliance with those laws and regulations, so we need to keep that fact in mind even in those moments when we may be feeling a bit, shall we say, rebellious.
