New updates to driving fines are set to begin this month, with one state set to implement a new $5 per mile-per-hour over the speed limit rule. Changes to driving legislation and policies are pieces of legislation that are constantly subject to changes due to the nature of the roads constantly being subject to changes to vehicles, road updates, and changes to traffic. All these changes in policy and legislation, while at times difficult to keep up with, are ultimately all intended to keep road users safe.
Keeping road users safe on the road remains a priority
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding drivers are responsible for approximately one-third of all road accident-related serious injuries and fatalities. As such, road legislation policies and changes that are usually subject to the most change are those that target speed limits and penalties associated with breaking these legislative policies.
Recently, states have begun to enforce stricter penalties for going over the speed limit, particularly for drivers who are deemed to be excessively speeding over the speed limit. These penalties range from fines that amount to thousands of dollars to the risk of jail time. In addition, other states have been changing their speed limits altogether, with some reducing the limits while others have, in fact, increased the speeding laws.
New fines for drivers in this state
The most popular measure to target speeding drivers is to implement speeding fine policies. All states across the nation have fines associated with speeding; however, certain states take a harsher approach. If you are a resident of North Dakota or are from out of state and will soon be finding yourself driving on North Dakota roads, a new piece of legislation just went into effect this month regarding fines for driving over the speed limit.
North Dakota House Bill 1298 was passed in May of this year and included amendments to a variety of sections of the North Dakota Century Code in order to update statutory fees related to traffic violations, speed limitations on multilane highways, and the establishment of variable speed limits.
One new change that went into effect this month is regarding a new tiered system for charging speeding vehicles on the interstate. The minimum fine for going over the speed limit is now set at $20, or $5 for every mile over the speed limit the driver drives at. Whichever of the two is higher will be fined by law enforcement. An additional $20 will also be charged for drivers going 16 miles per hour or more over the speed limit.
Additionally, the state has increased the speed limit on the interstate to 80mph, while other locations will see the speed limit decrease to 70mph.
“The biggest change for people will be slowing down in those areas…” Lt. Jenna Clawson Huibregtse with the North Dakota Highway Patrol said in a statement.
Other states come down hard on speeding drivers
North Dakota is not the only state enacting harsher speeding penalties for its drivers. In Florida, the state not only recently passed legislation that will see an increase in speeding fines but will also target excessive speeding drivers with the threat of jail time, starting at 30 days.
Excessive speeding is defined by the state as those who are caught driving 50mph or more over the speed limit. If you are caught doing this, first-time offenders will be fined $500 as well as face 30 days’ worth of jail time if convicted. Subsequent offences will see you be fined $1,000 as well as jail time increased to 90 days. If you are caught excessively speeding, you will have to attend a mandatory court hearing to determine if you will face jail time for the offence.
