Have a lead foot? Be sure you have a
good radar detector or a really good
speeding excuse
ready.
Stats from the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration show that the
I-95 stretch between Florida and Maine
includes four of the 10 U.S. states
carrying the highest fines for speeding.
These states are: Georgia, North Carolina,
Maryland and New Hampshire. Get caught
speeding in one of these four states
and you could get a fine as high as
$1000.00 for first time offenders. Add
to that the possibility that judges
in Carolina and Georgia, not to mention
16 other states, have the discretion
to add jail time (up to 1 year in
some states) and you may want to
either slow down or get yourself a good
radar detector.
Update:
As of July 1st 2007, Virginia has a
new law designed to raise money for
road projects that will add a civil
penalty. Starting July 1st 2007,
traffic offenses in Virginia, from
expired licenses to speeding, come
with a "civil remedial fee"
attached. This means a motorist
convicted of reckless driving (75
mph in a 55 zone would qualify)
faces not only a fine of up to
$2,500 and a year in jail, but a
non-negotiable $350-a-year tax for
three years.
See the MSN Money Article
Virginia is generating a staggering amount of revenue from this new law so you better believe other states will soon follow with similar fines. Currently, there are 6 states that have fines of $1000 or more, and this is just for the first time offenders.
