I got pulled over for speeding last week: 78 in a 55 mph zone.
The interaction was uneventful. I was asked for identification, waited in my car, and was given a ticket. The officer was professional, and I admitted my transgression. I called the court the next morning to inquire about the ticket and the process for disputing it. After hearing the fine, I realized for students, this is more than just an inconvenience — it’s a financial shockwave.
A traffic ticket can derail an entire monthly budget. A $150 ticket can mean the difference between buying groceries or overdrafting an account. With that being said, it’s important to note that one should not be absolved of speeding. If you break the law, you should pay for it; after all, speeding necessitates consequences. However, the one-size-fits-all model does not work.
Students are disproportionately affected because they might miss their court date not out of irresponsibility, but because they don’t have the time. Many students juggle class schedules, labs, and jobs that make weekday court appearances nearly impossible. Others may also not even receive the mailed notice on time if they recently changed dorms or apartments.
Even something as small as an exam day or a conflict issue can trigger a snowball effect where an honest mistake can turn into a huge financial burden.
This tends to be a stark contrast to someone more fortunate financially. They have to pay the same dollar amount, $150 is probably not going to put a dent in their account the same way it would a student’s. While inconvenient, it does not carry the same weight.
The point of justice is accountability and prevention, but it is evident how unfair the system is when the penalties hit harder on those least able to absorb it. In a place where driving is a necessity, that hits even more. Public transport is subpar and unreliable. The local bus system, STARS, sounds celestial but rarely shines when you want to get somewhere.
Fines as flat fees on tickets are a far-outdated system, especially in a place where we often have to drive to survive. Countries like Finland have already addressed this inequality by scaling fines to one’s income. Repeat offenders, of course, pay an additional penalty. In one case, a wealthy executive could pay $130,000 for speeding — the same offense might deprive an American student of a week’s worth of groceries.
In Michigan, laws require minimum fines ($10-$40, depending on how far over the limit you drive), but they allow local jurisdictions to set higher fines at their discretion. In Saginaw, many students and low-wage workers who live paycheck to paycheck are weathering the same storm as high earners, but with detrimental consequences.
A fairer and tailored system would hold drivers accountable, but also factor in someone’s ability to pay. Alternative fines such as community service or traffic-safety courses should definitely be mainstream for first-time offenders or students.
These alternatives do not endanger our justice system — they create a more equitable society. My speeding ticket taught me to slow down, but now I am going to be excessively vigilant. I’ve learned that the cost of a mistake falls harder on me than others.
We can push to change this outdated system by supporting income-based fines and less damaging consequences like community service. We should also write to our representatives and demand reforms that make this type of accountability possible. If they can not fix our public transport infrastructure, the least they can do is help us make a fairer system.
Students and low-income individuals won’t benefit from policies that treat all drivers the same without considering their economic situation. If we are serious about enforcing road safety, we must fight for a ticketing system that does both.
Zachary McEvoy 
Jacie Schonert