Is it moral to try to get out of a speed ticket?

Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:50 pm

Many people rightfully think it is not. And I do understand why, and I generally do agree to the point of view that people should accept the consequences of their deeds (or misdeeds, for that matter). If we had God given laws, I would absolutely agree with this in the case of traffic tickets, too.

Problem is, our laws are written by people, and people are not perfect and have their own agenda. Worth, different countries have different laws, and what is considered unlawful in one of them, could be perfectly OK in another. This makes me thinking that law is not an absolute moral category.

For example, perfectly moral and law abiding German citizen can drive 100 mph on a highway. If American citizen does the same thing, he is considered a criminal. Are people that different in Germany and America? I don’t think so. I don’t think the person is a criminal if he/she drives above speed limit – millions do this on a regular basis, and almost everybody - at least several times during their lives. I couldn’t say the same about theft, for example.

If so many people break the law, law is bad, not people, no matter what government says about it. On the other hand, American speed limit laws are a significant source of income for the governments on all levels. Some small towns along interstates just plain live out of speeding tickets! For them this is not a question of law, this is a question of income, which effectively removes traffic laws out of moral considerations. This became a game of hide-n-seek that drivers play with authorities and, as such, does not entitle any of the parties to a moral superiority.

That’s why I do not consider immoral an attempt to get out of traffic ticket, or at least to reduce the consequences.

New member Joined: Dec 24, 2006 Posts: 1

If I'm in the wrong and I know it, I fess up. I may not like it, but I KNEW what the posted limit was, and I chose to break the law. I am aware of the consequences if I choose to do so....however, at least twice by confessing I knew I was driving fast and admiting that up front, I have gotten out of a ticket and gotten off with a verbal warning. Both times I was going approx 20km/h over the posted limit (about 12mph) I think that on some (most?) roads the posted limit is rather low, but I also realize that not everyone is a skilled driver, and that the gov't has to post the limits much lower then most cars are capable of travelling a given stretch of road. why? to cover thier own a$$...and also to generate revenue.

Back to the morallity of it? Like I said I may not agree with certain laws, but I also realize that if I break the law and am busted for it...I'm still legally in the wrong. I could get into a moral debate here (as a christian) but I think I'll leave that one for another discussion!

Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:29 pm

SilverSedan wrote:

however, at least twice by confessing I knew I was driving fast and admiting that up front, I have gotten out of a ticket and gotten off with a verbal warning.

Actually most of the cops are normal people, and they act friendly and reasonably when they see a friendly and reasonable behavior on the driver side. We are all in the same boat, or the same hide-and-seek game, and they know this better than drivers do. Very Happy

SilverSedan wrote:

Back to the morallity of it? Like I said I may not agree with certain laws, but I also realize that if I break the law and am busted for it...I'm still legally in the wrong.

Sure, I did not really question this. I was just trying to make a point that being legally wrong does not necessarily make one morally wrong... Wink

New member Joined: Jun 13, 2008 Posts: 3

There is nothing illegal or immoral about fighting a speeding ticket regardless of whether or not your are speeding.

Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:40 pm

I didn't say it is illegal, did i? Wink