AG: Aunt Granny's Advice, or How to become an elderly cyclist:

Am 16.12.2014 12:13, schrieb John B. Slocomb:

Foreigners complain loudly about the "corruption", but I always
wondered. The purpose of a fine is to impress on the evildoer that
this is not a good thing to do. Does it matter who, in the end,
receives the money?

As paying the fine is the punishment, whether this money goes into
the government coffers to be spent on the minister's upcoming trip
to London or goes into the pockets of the poor policeman would seem
immaterial.

And, it does make for very industrious policemen, eager to enforce
the law.

It also makes for very industrious policemen, eager to issue fines where
none are appropriate; ine the 1990s, I repeatedly heared about the 'Road
robbery' in Texas of imposing inappropriately low speed limits
immediately behind blind corners for the purpose of collecting fines.

Some countries pass on the fines to approriate charities precisely for
this reason: road traffic fines would go to charities for reducing road
hazards, sexual offences fines might go to charities who help the victim
of sex offenders etc.