In September last year, Elisabeth Riise Vorland (27) was in the car on her way to pick up her parents, whose engine had stalled. She did not know the road beforehand, and had therefore looked up the direction on the mobile phone which was in the passenger seat. In front of her, the queue was almost stationary, according to Vorland. – Then I was so sinful that I dropped the mobile screen to see where I was going to drive off, she says. According to Vorland, that was all. She didn’t even pick up her mobile phone, she claims. 10 minutes and 15 meters later, the police came with blue lights and sirens behind him, says the 27-year-old. She then received a fine of NOK 7,450, which she could not afford to pay. Vorland meets in the Debate tonight, where they will discuss the government’s doubling of traffic fines. See it here: The government has doubled traffic fines in one year. Will there be fewer fatal accidents as a result? – Has knock-on effects With a monthly income of NOK 18,780, the student and single mother could not afford to pay the entire fine at once. Instead, she has paid just over NOK 700 a month, while the interest has increased to a total of NOK 9,134. What she thinks is wrong here is that the fine was not adjusted according to her income. – When a rate is set that is the same for everyone, it will hurt a lot more for a person who has to pay half the monthly rent for the fine, says Vorland. At the same time as the prices of food, fuel and energy are increasing, Vorland’s income is not increasing, she says. – It has ripple effects, she says, and adds that it mostly affects those who have had the least from before. She says she was lucky to get the fine before the fine rates increased on 1 February. Much criticism The change in traffic fines from 1 February has received criticism from several quarters, such as from the Attorney General and several traffic organisations. – I think the rationale, which is supposed to be better traffic safety, has not been proven, says lawyer Brynjar Østgård. He believes that the increase in traffic fines violates the principle in the Criminal Code that the punishment must be reasonable in relation to the crime. The system of simplified motions in traffic cases was introduced in 1972. Østgård believes that there are clear advantages to a simplified process, but that it also has a major downside. He says the rates after 1972 have increased in line with price and wage developments, but that since 2004 they have made a jump. – The consumer price index from 2004 to 2022 has increased by just over 51 per cent. Fine rates have roughly increased from 2004 to 2023, namely by 140 per cent, says Østgård. More measures for people who struggle State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Services, Geir Indrefjord (Sp), has great understanding that the increase in traffic fines is noticeable. – But we have several measures for people who struggle with the economy. Redistribution is an important part of the government’s economic policy, says Indrefjord. Documents indicate that the government made the decision on this increase in August, although the proposal was open for input until December. Lawyer Østgård finds it strange. – Was this introduced out of consideration for the budget? – No, this was a response to the increase in traffic deaths, which I saw rose a lot last summer, replies the state secretary. During the consultation round, several people suggested that this increase would probably not increase traffic safety. – Some think it has an effect, others think it doesn’t, but we know that financial incentives have an effect in the vast majority of cases, says Indrefjord.
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Got a fine of half of the monthly income for checking the mobile phone – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
