Speeding is expensive

State of Florida has just passed new laws that bring a 1000.00 fine for 50 over the limit. Second offence, 2500.00 and 1 yr. suspension, Third is 5000.00 and 10 year suspension. Second day after passage, air based speed trap on the Palmetto Expressway in south dade yeilded 81 arrests in an hour and a half. Bike at 150, Mustang at 145. Law was specifically written because of the crazy crotch rocket kids. (Organ Donors). Discuss.

I agree with it whole-heartedly. 50 over the limit is stupid and you deserve to be caught. I'm glad it isn't so crazy as to go after people for much more reasonable 5 over or even 25 over though (hey, we all slip). If it went that low, I'd think it was a money-grabbing scam.

Sounds good to me. My brother got ticketed for 113 in a 55 (in a Cutlass). He knew he was doing something stupid, and deserved to be ticketed. He learned a little, though, but not enough, as he was still a stupid driver. I could never get him to join me at an autocross or track day. I wanted to prove I was a better driver in my Miata than he was in his BMW.

I saw that same item in our local news, and to be honest I was floored that so many people were doing 50-over.

50 over? Holy E36 M3! That's insane.

If you're catching people at 50 over, I wouldn't call that a "speed trap". No real entrapment going on there, just catching people being bat E36 M3 insane.

I normally cruise at 75-80 on the fwy. Technically that's speeding. I'd have to be doing that speed in a residential zone to get hit with that fine. On the freeway I'd have to be doing 115. There is no way that is safe on any freeway around here.

I'm surprised they don't just impound the vehicles.

I agree, 10-15 OTL is pretty common. 50 over the limit is someone just being stupid and endangering the lives of others and should be dealt with harshly.

:poke:Now we will hear from the Libertarians who will say that the government has no business getting involved in this since it's a personal choice.

Your personal choice ends when it infringes on the life and liberty of those around you.

Plus, driving is a privilege and not a right.

Now, I don't think those speeds are inherently unsafe. I wouldn't have a problem with people going that fast on the Autobahn. But the Autobahn is construct better than any freeways around here, the flow of traffic moves faster than it does, and people understand how to drive at those speeds.

Reminds me of a case I was told of once. A guy was busted at some insane speed (100+) and the cop only wrote him up for "recless driving" under the assumtion it was a blanket offense, IIRC. The driver had no passangers, the road way was empty, so in a sence, no one else was in danger. The judge took this into consideration and droped the charge stating "speed alone does not constitute recless driving"

Feal free to call bull E36 M3 on this story, as I cant back it up and I can't remeber where I heard it.

As for this new charge, sounds good to me.

Some states already have laws that turn gross speeding offenses into felonies. IIFC one or two states charge you with "Attempted Suicide" if you're alone and "Attempted Murder" if anyone else is in the car or you get in an accident over certain speeds.

Too bad we can't tier the license program like the CDL program. Atend a certain speed school and your license is good to +10 on the posted speed, attend another, +20, etc... By the same token, 2 accidents in x-months and you get restricted to driving something under 3000 lbs, 3 accidents and 2000 lbe, 4, 1000 lbs, etc.

I agree that most of the time, 50 over is terrible, but only because of the roads, and the people that drive them. 115 is fairly common in places like the German Autobahn.

Salanis wrote: Now, I don't think those speeds are inherently unsafe. I wouldn't have a problem with people going that fast on the Autobahn. But the Autobahn is construct better than any freeways around here, the flow of traffic moves faster than it does, and people understand how to drive at those speeds.

I agree but it isn't just the highway construction it is also the drivers. It is much easier to get a license over here and as a result the drivers seem to not be as good. Plus the European governments make sure that cars are maintained unlike here. There are some cars that are unsafe at any speed because they aren't taken care.

96DXCivic wrote:

Salanis wrote: ... and people understand how to drive at those speeds.

I agree but it isn't just the highway construction it is also the drivers.

Oh yeah, them too...

The freeway where they had the speedtrap is wide, smooth, and well maintained. It is also populated with some of the most batE36 M3 crazy drivers in South Florida, which says a LOT! I don't just mean fast, I'm talking cell phone jockies, careless, clueless, old people, newly arrived immigrants without a license, insurance or green card, and hyper agressive jerks. Perfect place for speed control.

Salanis wrote:

96DXCivic wrote:

Salanis wrote: ... and people understand how to drive at those speeds.

I agree but it isn't just the highway construction it is also the drivers.

Oh yeah, them too...

Oops. I need to learn to read. Don't blame me blame the public school system in KY. Hahaha

Doesn't seem unfair.

oldopelguy wrote: IIFC one or two states charge you with "Attempted Suicide" if you're alone and "Attempted Murder" if anyone else is in the car or you get in an accident over certain speeds.

Now that's stupid. I always thought it was laughable that suicide is a crime.

Suicide is not a crime. Failure to properly do the job is.

MGAMGB wrote:

Salanis wrote: Your personal choice ends when it infringes on the life and liberty of those around you.

I'll go start an abortion debate thread!

I'll fire up the grill for a nice fish-fry.

Have you guys never heard of Ontario's speeding laws?

30mph over the limit = 2000$-10000$ fine, instant license suspension and car seizure.

i love rights. i wouldn't mind driver drawinism but i don't mind laws like these. but then again, i have broken the idiot limit(over 130) once, and my car felt awesome. no twitchy-ness, no "oh no", no lane wandering. but that was 3 years ago in a mitsu 3000gt, and i havent gone past 85 since. i think that most of the problem is the licensing system. i would like to see more intensive class's and a much stricter pass/fail line.

Correct terminology:

A speed trap is not entrapment. It is not entrapment if a cop catches you speeding. You were breaking the law, and you did or should have known better. Doesn't matter if the cop hides, or is in a plane, or materializes out of thin air. (Speed cameras are a whole 'nother issue that may be unconstitutional, but that's not entrapment either).

Entrapment occurs when a government agent coerces someone into breaking the law when they otherwise wouldn't have. It's really, really rare. I guess if an undercover cop is riding shotgun and he talks you into speeding, then arrests you, that would be an entrapment speedtrap.

Although, if you've got an undercover cop riding shotgun, chances are you've got much bigger problems than speeding....

I totally agree on a more intensive licensing process. I think people should undergo training that instills in them an understanding of emergency control maneuvers, and an awareness and appreciation for the dangers of distractions and erratic behavior.

I got my pilot's license before my driver's license. The written test was a several hour affair involving navigation, weather, aerodynamics, and airspace regulations. For the practical test, I had to control the airplane in stalls forward, to the left, and to the right. I had to do a 60* banked, constant radius turn a full circle and be within a certain margin of my starting altitude, and do another turn where I maintain a constant distance from a point in a full circle (more difficult than it sounds, since you'll probably have wind).

What's the most difficult thing you need to do now to pass a driving test? Back up in a strait line? Why don't we have driver's tests where students are required to perform a panic stop or swerve to avoid a simulated road hazard on a wet pad?

I used to blast across Alligator Alley pretty regularly on my CBR. That road is so wide open (straight, flat, huge median, fences on both sides, only a couple exits in a hundred miles, etc.) and has such little traffic that it was retarded to have a 70 mph speed limit on it. I got ticketed for 26-29 mph over the speed limit on that road twice. At the price I paid for the tickets, it was a bargain considering the time I saved the rest of the time I didn't get caught. That is one of the most boring roads I've ever been on, at least interstates in the midwest have funnier signs and gas/food stops more often. So, with that said I can understand people doing 50 over...the only thing keeping me at 29 mph over the limit was the punishment for 30+ over wasn't worth it to me. My machine was entirely capable of doing 50 mph over the speed limit with just as much safety as an old crapcan doing 70 mph.

On the other hand, those fees still won't keep nuts from going fast. If the old fines plus loss of license didn't stop them, what's another bigger fine? Increased enforcement will limit the people doing it, but it won't stop it from happening. I don't know what the "best" way of handling it is, but I also don't think the increased enforcement is going to fix the problem nearly as much as it will help out the budgets of those collecting the fees.

Bryce

My dad is from England and he said when he took his driver's test he had to recover from a spin. This is what the U.S. needs to do but the government thinks it can solve crappy driving by doing things like demanding that car manufacturers put traction control on cars. This is like putting a band-aid on a huge wound.

its a fine line to walk, and one i don't care to tread. i think some cars should be able to go faster then the posted speed limit, because some cars are just made to cruise at 100 ish, and they feel better at speeds like that. but then again, the soccer mom driving a mini van at 90 and yammering away at her cell phone should'nt be allowed to drive at a speed like that. if there was a clause permitting going 20 over if your vehicle passed tech on certain roads if there were no cars around would be cool, but that would be a weird solution that wouldn't gather much support. side note, speeding is the reason i don't own a motorcycle. i honestly think i would kill myself.

tuffburn wrote: but then again, the soccer mom driving a mini van at 90 and yammering away at her cell phone should'nt be allowed to drive

Fixed.