In the United States, speeding ticket fines are always a flat rate: the driver pays the same penalty, regardless of the driver's income or type of vehicle.

Not so in all other countries. Finland and Switzerland, for example, assess fines based on the owner's income, the idea being that a wealthy individual would not be deterred by a few hundred dollars. These rules have resulted in some very expensive speeding tickets, among them:

Fines in Kern County may not be that high, but the state is now attaching ten penalty assessments to each ticket for items such as the cost of traffic school and other administrative expenses: for example, a $100 base fine for a red light ticket often runs around $479 with assessments.

A Bakersfield traffic ticket attorney can usually either find a way to beat the ticket or at least get the penalty reduced.