Do you have the need for speed? If so, you may have a ticket or two on your driving record. That, or maybe you’re well past due to be stopped. Whether or not you’ve got the tickets to prove it, if you are a habitual speeder, you put yourself and others at increased risk on the road. In the state of Florida, there are an average of 645 automobile crashes per day, with over 2,000 fatal crashes occurring annually. Fair warning, but we’re not here to lecture you.
If you drive fast, it’s only a matter of time before an officer catches you, and they’ll give you more than just a stern talking to. The cost of a speeding ticket is more than just a flat fee. There are also court fees, lawyer fees, and the potentially mounting cost of auto insurance hikes that inevitably follow after a moving violation conviction.
The financial costs of a speeding ticket persists for as long as your insurance company sees fit to charge you an increased rate. But with all the dangers of driving too fast, it only makes sense to hike up your cost of coverage based on your degree of risk. That’s if they don’t cancel your policy…
I guess what we’re saying here is that it may not really be worth it to speed; and while a huge number of drivers choose to do so anyway, that number may actually be shrinking in Florida.
For years, the number of overall traffic tickets issued annually was consistently on the rise, steadily increasing since 2012. This year however, it looks like that number is finally starting to shrink.
According to Ocala.com, there were over 8,000 speeding tickets issued in both 2012 and 2013, but based on the rate at which Florida drivers have been caught speeding so far this year, there could be as little as 7,334 speeding issued by the end of 2014.
There a many possible reasons for the decline, but a big one is definitely the financial cost of speeding:
In Florida, the fine for a speeding ticket is $83.50, nearly doubling if the driver is traveling more than 10 mph over the posted limit.
Speeding by just 5 mph in a school zone is costs $180.50, and speeding 20 mph over the limit in a school zone charging $358.50.
The best way to avoid these costs is to slow down. But if you got caught while driving in a hurry, contact a trusted Florida state attorney.
