WE have "the most unfair fine system in Australia". According to the Australia Institute, South Australia has the highest traffic penalties in the country but SA's average income is the second lowest in the nation. 
"Why is that unfair?" my grandfather would say. He lived a modest life, and whenever he drove his old Toyota "buckboard" the needle would be glued to 59km/h.
Wealthy or poor, not speeding avoids fines.
True, and avoidance of fines is not the reason to abide by speed limits. Speed limits indicate safe driving practices for drivers, other road users and the road conditions.
But you may have been fined for missing a change in a speed zone, not "riding the brake" on a descent, concentrating on the traffic in front rather than the speedometer, or creeping over the limit on a long stretch of straight road.
Is this unsafe driving? Yes; speed is dangerous. Are you an unsafe driver? Probably not; we all make mistakes.
The cost of mistakes on our roads hurts the hip pocket. Having the highest fines and the second-lowest incomes means SA imposes the harshest financial penalties for breaching traffic laws on a population that can (almost) least afford to pay.
Low-income earners are often fined in SA. We are the only state that would see a reduction in overall fine revenue if fines were levied according to the income of the driver.
On average, $129 in fines is paid per registered vehicle in SA and 31 per cent of vehicles are fined. Compare this to our only "poorer" neighbour, Tasmania. The Tasmanians pay $11.50 in fines per vehicle.
Compare it to the bustle of NSW streets, where only 25 per cent of vehicles are fined.
Yes, I know grandad - don't speed. But shouldn't our road safety laws deter speeding?
Moreover, if we level the highest fines against those least able to pay, shouldn't that discourage traffic violations and give us the safest roads?
Unfortunately, our severe fines do not mean we get a glowing report card for safety.
Our road toll was 102 last year. That is 8.45 per cent of the national toll, when our state population makes up only 7.14 per cent of the country's population.
Since 2012, revenue from fixed traffic cameras in SA has increased from $12 million to $22 million a year.
But per capita road deaths since 2012 have increased in SA each year (except 2014 to 2015). This contrasts with the national trend of lower figures. Nationally, annual road deaths per capita decreased in the same period.
Harsh fines do not reduce offending. They do not appear to make our roads safer, but they do affect the ability of low-income earners to pay their fines and their grocery bills.
Too many lives are lost on our roads due to speed and inadvertence. At the same time, if draconian fines do not reduce speeding offences or improve road safety, but do generate significant revenues, we may ask, does the fine fit the crime?David Caruso is SA Law Society President