Try the political quiz
@ISIDEWITHQuestionsCriminal IssuesStarted 1yr agoActive 2 days ago

Should the penalty for traffic violations depend on the driver’s income?

In some countries, traffic fines are adjusted based on the offender’s income - a system known as "day fines" - to ensure that penalties are equally impactful regardless of wealth. This approach aims to create fairness by making fines proportionate to the driver’s ability to pay, rather than applying the same flat rate to everyone. Proponents argue that income-based fines make penalties more equitable, as flat fines may be insignificant to the wealthy but burdensome to low-income individuals. Opponents argue that penalties should be consistent for all drivers to maintain fairness under the law, and that income-based fines could create resentment or be difficult to enforce.

+
Expand
+ Settings

Toggle voterbase

Statistics are shown for this demographic

Answer Overview

Response rates from 2.6k Canada voters.

26%
Yes
74%
No

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 2.6k Canada voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 2.6k Canada voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from Canada voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @BF24S68from Alberta  answered…1wk1W

That sounds racist, or just plain not right!

 @BDPQHH3 from Ontario  answered…1mo1MO

No it should depend on what was done and the explanation

 @B9W7J28from Ontario  answered…5mos5MO

Depends. If its a lambourghini in a handicap compared to a honda. Id ticket the lambourghini wayyy more

 @B9SN2WDfrom Alberta  answered…5mos5MO

It should not depend solely on their income but special arrangements could be made for those who cannot afford it

 @B9PXV9Wfrom Alberta  answered…5mos5MO

No. Allow for better communication between judges and the person. Stop municipalities from using it as revenue supplementation.

 @B8NHNPCfrom Ontario  answered…7mos7MO

No, but the traffic violations shouldn't be so much for doing a little mistake, really depends if they are doing on purpose or accident.

 @B7PXVP7from British Columbia  answered…9mos9MO

It should be based on the crime and be more expensive. For example if you crash and destroy a power line it’s at least 1000$ plus 5% annual income for damages

 @B53RLQ3from Manitoba  answered…1yr1Y

It depends on which offence was made if it was dangerous, driving yes if it was something accidental, then no depending on the severity of the situation

Popular Conversations

Join in on the most popular conversations.

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...…2yrs2Y

Should the government incentivize the construction of affordable housing?

Yes

▲  2.7k3 replies2 agree

About This Data

Based on 2.6k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

iSideWith is non-partisan — we don't advocate for any party, candidate, or position. We report what the public tells us.

Read Our Full Methodology →

Cite Or Embed This Poll

Writing about this issue? Use the live data and link back to the full results.

Cite This Poll

iSideWith. (2026). “Should the penalty for traffic violations depend on the driver’s income?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://canada.isidewith.com/polls/5422945507

Embed The Live Result

Preview