A STATE’S new “super” law, which includes penalties such as hefty fines, jail time and license revocations, has now come into effect.
The set of rules, which came into force on July 1, focuses on punishing drivers found breaking the speed limit by 50 mph or driving recklessly at 100 mph or more.
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Motorists face penalties of $500 fine at a minimum as well as up to 30 days in jail for their first offense, and a fine of $1,000 fine and up to 90 days in jail for subsequent offenses.
License revocation for repeated offenses within five years is also a risk.
As part of enforcement across the state of Florida, “Operation Southern Slow Down” took place from July 14 to 19.
It was a coordinated effort between state and local law enforcement agencies that included neighboring Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.
The operation’s main goal was to reduce speed-related fatalities and serious injuries by specifically targeting speeding and aggressive driving violations.
It saw the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) issue over 7,000 speeding tickets during the operation.
FHP’s Troop D, which covered counties like Orange, Seminole, Brevard and Volusia, issued 1,069 citations and made 12 DUI arrests.
Multiple drivers were ticketed for excessive speeds, including a driver caught going 113 mph on Interstate 4 in Seminole County and another arrested for traveling 116 mph on State Road 528 in Orange County.
KILLER SPEED
Another goal of the operation was to shed some light on the devastating effects of reckless driving, with speeding contributing to 26% of traffic fatalities nationwide.
In 2023, Florida reported 38,861 crashes related to speeding or aggressive driving, resulting in 437 deaths and over 1,200 serious injuries.
Currently, fines range from $25 to $250 based on the degree over the speed limit, while penalties are higher for repeat offenses, school zones, toll booths or construction zones.
Speeding also adds points to a driver’s record and can lead to license suspension.
Getting 12 points over 12 months risks a 30-day suspension, 18 points in 18 months works out as a 3-month suspension, and 24 points in 36 months is a 1-year ban.
Points can also increase insurance rates or even lead to mandatory driver improvement school.
Standard speed limits in Florida remain unchanged, with 20mph zones near schools, 30mph in urban streets, 55mph on most roads unless posted otherwise and up to 70mph on interstate highways.
SLOWLY DOES IT?
In stark contrast, US drivers caught driving too slowly across Louisiana risk hefty penalties as part of a new crackdown.
Under the August 1 crackdown, fines for driving too slowly in the left lane will rise – with the most serial offenders risk being slapped with a punishment that sees them spend a month behind bars.
In the US, the left lane is used by drivers to overtake, but under the new law, drivers caught for going too slow risk a $150 penalty – making an increase from $100 under the current rules.
And, under the old format, first-time offenders risked a 30-day jail sentence.
Road users who are caught for a second time within 12 months risk a $250 fine.
Those who are stopped for driving too slow a third time within the calendar year could face a $350 penalty or a 30-day jail sentence.
Drivers must stay in the right lanes if they are at least 10mph under the speed limit.
How to fight a speeding ticket
According to a legally reviewed post, there are five effective strategies to fighting a speeding ticket if it was wrongfully issued.
- If pulled over and issued a ticket, drivers can argue or dispute a driver’s personal opinion. When issuing a speeding ticket, an officer is required to write their opinion and come to an “objective” conclusion. If the ticket was written based on that judgment, it can be contested. An example would be if you were going 75 mph in a 65 mph zone because others were traveling at the same speed, you could argue that it would be more dangerous to travel at 65 mph.
- You can dispute the officer’s presentation of evidence. If you were ticketed for something like running a stop sign or making an illegal u-turn, you can’t contest that if an officer saw you, but you can call things into court like eyewitnesses, diagrams, or photos.
- Argue that the ticket was issued by a “mistake of fact.” This is tricky, but a “mistake of fact” is a mistake made by a driver about a situation that was beyond their control, or if a driver legitimately did not know they were violating the law. For example, you were driving in two lanes because the lane markers were so worn down that you could not see them.
- You could say circumstances justified your driving. You could say you were speeding to pass a possibly drunk driver, or avoiding an accident by rapidly changing lanes. However, the argument won’t work if there’s proof you continued to speed after passing.
- Similar to the above, it could be argued that speeding was necessary to avoid harm. The key is to argue that if you weren’t speeding, you or someone else could have been harmed.
- Consult a traffic attorney, if all else fails. Many have free consultations to decide whether or not there’s a case.
Source: FindLaw
