The idea
So how much does a speeding fine really affect the offender? In many cases not very much. It causes them little inconvenience other than having to pay the fine and is soon forgotten.
If the offenders had their vehicle impounded for a week, or longer, depending on by how much they had exceeded the speed limit, the inconvenience of having to make alternative transport arrangments for a period would hit home much harder than simply paying a fine. Penalty points could still be issued and there would of course have to be a set charge to have the impounded vehicle released, this would cover the running costs of the compound.
This would create a different attitude to speed limits and would also ensure that at any given time there would be a significant number of vehicles off the road.
Why is it important?
This new approach to dealing with speeding would show the public that the laws are not there simply to raise revenue. This method of punishing offenders could be self funding and it may also contribute to increased road safety.
With a proportion of vehicles being taken off the road at any given time there would be some reduction in pollution and congestion.