Finnish Driver Fined €121,000 For Driving 20mph Over Speed Limit

A Finnish businessman was stung with one of the world’s highest speeding fines after being caught driving 30km/h (18.6mph) over the speed limit. In Finland the fine system is calculated based on the severity of the crime and a percentage of the offender’s income. The driver, Anders Wiklöf was handed a €121,000 (around £104,000 or $130,000) fine for driving at 82km/h in a 50km/h zone.

Speaking to a local newspaper, Nya Åland, Wiklöf said, “I really regret the matter. I had just started slowing down, but I guess that didn’t happen fast enough. It’s how it goes.” He’d reportedly just entered a 50km/h speed limit zone from a 70km/h limit and hadn’t slowed down enough before being caught. This was not his first speeding offence though.

Two previous speeding fines for €63,680 and €95,000 were obviously not enough to deter this driver from putting the pedal to the metal. This time he’s also been suspended from driving for 10 days. Although, as one of the country’s wealthiest residents, it’s likely this fine won’t have much impact. The businessman owns Wiklöf Holding company which operates more than 20 companies in Finland. The regional sports stadium is also named Wiklöf Holding Arena.

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Unfortunately for Wiklöf, the more successful his business becomes the steeper the fines will get as Finland’s fine system is directly linked with the taxpayer database. The more you earn, the higher the fine. Explaining to the local paper, Nya Åland, where he’d like the fine money spent, he said, “I have heard the government wants to save €1.5bn on healthcare in Finland, so I hope that my money can fill a gap there.”