Money Moral Dilemma: Should my friend split the speeding fine I got?

MSE_Kelvin
MSE_Kelvin Posts: 393 MSE Staff
Seventh Anniversary 10 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

On a recent holiday abroad, a friend and I shared the driving of our hire car. I was driving us to the airport for our flight home when we were stopped by the police because I'd gone slightly over the speed limit, and was given a ticket. Of course speeding is wrong and I feel bad for doing it, but should I pay the fine alone because I was the one driving, or should my friend split the cost with me as we were both keen to get to the airport in plenty of time for our flight?

Unfortunately the MSE team can't answer Money Moral Dilemma questions as contributions are emailed in or suggested in person. They are intended to be a point of debate and discussed at face value. Remember that behind each dilemma there is a real person so, as the forum rules say, please keep it kind and keep it clean.

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Comments

  • NBLondon
    NBLondon Posts: 5,689 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Morally (not legally) - if your friend was urging you to go faster and you demurred but were persuaded then maybe they should offer to cover/split the fine.  Whether you want to ask them about this depends on the friendhsip...
    I need to think of something new here...
  • Herzlos
    Herzlos Posts: 15,659 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Unless the passenger was somehow responsible for the speeding - encouraging it or causing them to be in a rush, then it'd be the drivers responsibility. It'd be nice for the passenger to contribute, but there's no legal or moral obligation.
  • jimjames
    jimjames Posts: 18,534 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    NBLondon said:
    Morally (not legally) - if your friend was urging you to go faster and you demurred but were persuaded then maybe they should offer to cover/split the fine.  Whether you want to ask them about this depends on the friendhsip...
    Or they should have swapped drivers so the friend could drive as fast as they wanted and take that risk
    Remember the saying: if it looks too good to be true it almost certainly is.
  • To be fair, I do not even think you should need to ask. If I have ever been In a car where the other person has received a ticket, I automatically offer to pay half. I always think if someone is kind enough to drive me, then I should be kind enough to offer to pay half.
  • dysucker
    dysucker Posts: 45 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    You're in control of the cars speed as a driver, not the passenger. If the passenger offered to pay half, then fine, but it's not the passengers fault, so if they haven't, the whole lot should be paid by the driver.
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