Dangerous Excessive Speeding
Everyone knows that speeding is dangerous, but almost everyone who has a driver’s license has done it before. Sometimes we speed because we fear that we will be late for work or for an appointment if we drive the speed limit. Sometimes we do it because we are impatient, and our nerves cannot rest until all the slowpokes on the road are a safe distance behind us. Especially if it is early in our driving careers or late enough at night to remind us of the springtime of our lives, sometimes we speed just because it is fun and there is no one else on the road, so we are not endangering anyone. Of course, these are only the most harmless reasons people speed. Someone might speed because they saw blue lights in their rearview mirror, and they know that if they stop, they are in for much worse than just a speeding ticket. In other cases, people are not even aware that they are speeding; they are too drunk or too high on drugs to notice how fast the car is moving. The legal consequences for each speeding context is different, and so is how fast the car was traveling. A new Florida law that goes into effect this summer creates a new legal category of speeding, known as dangerous excessive speeding. If you got injured in an accident where a driver exceeded the speed limit by more than 50 miles per hour, contact a Fort Lauderdale auto accident attorney.
Penalties for Dangerous Excessive Speeding Under Florida’s New Law
HB 351 will go into effect on July 1. It defines a criminal offense known as dangerous excessive speeding. A driver can be convicted of dangerous excessive speeding if he or she was driving at least 50 miles per hour faster than the speed limit. For example, you can be convicted of dangerous excessive speeding if you were driving 80 miles per hour on a road where the speed limit was 30 miles per hour. Regardless of the posted speed limit, charges of dangerous excessive speeding can apply if you were driving 100 miles per hour or more.
The maximum penalty for a first offense conviction for dangerous excessive speeding is a $500 fine and 30 days in jail. For a second offense, the maximum jail time is 90 days, and the maximum fine is $1,000. If you get two dangerous excessive speeding convictions within five years, the court will suspend your driver’s license. The period of driver’s license suspension can range from 180 days to one year; it is up to the judge’s discretion. If you get injured in an accident where the driver was traveling more than 50 miles per hour above the speed limit, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit, even if the driver did not get convicted of a crime.
Set Up a Consultation Today
A personal injury lawyer can help you if you suffered injuries arising from a car accident involving dangerous excessive speeding. Contact Boone & Davis in Fort Lauderdale, Florida or call 954-566-9919 to explore your potential recovery options today.
Source:
flvoicenews.com/florida-drivers-face-new-speeding-law-that-takes-effect-this-summer/
