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

MSE_Kelvin

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?

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[Deleted User]

Fall on your sword, nothing to do with the passenger.

sammyjammy

You were driving, they were not in control of the car, pay the fine and forget it.

Can't believe I've replied to a money moral dilemma, promised myself i wouldn't do it again

Ebe_Scrooge

I'm sure this one has cropped up before.  You were the driver, you were in control, the responsibility lies 100% with you.

MSE_Kelvin said:

as we were both keen to get to the airport in plenty of time for our flight?

Try leaving a bit earlier next time around?  Any time I'm driving somewhere where I absolutely have to be on time, come what may, I add at least 50% to the estimated journey time, just in case. 

PRAISETHESUN

A speeding ticket is a penalty for the criminal act of speeding. Unless you have some sort of crazy car where two drivers are required in order to operate it, I fail to see how this is in any way, shape or form the fault of the passenger. Pay the fine and move on.

And as above, if you absolutely need to ensure you arrive at your destination by a certain time, then allow yourself more time by leaving earlier. There's absolutely no need to endanger the lives of yourself, your passenger, and everyone else on the road by speeding to your destination.

NBLondon

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...

oldagetraveller1

Why is it a "moral dilemma"?

Nothing to do with a "friend". Driver in control of the vehicle and the speed at which it was travelling, not the "friend".

Pay up. Or as it was abroad, no mention of where, don't pay up if morality is not an issue.

Herzlos

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

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

Krista1977

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

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.