How much will that ticket cost me for speeding?

As a REALTOR®, I’ve learned (thankfully vicariously) where to be very careful to follow speed limits. I’ve driven with other agents who have very heavy right feet! Since moving to Lehi in 2000, my wonderful wife notched two traffic speeding tickets in zones which are still popular with “officer friendly”. I found Lehi’s Traffic Court page and their list of fines. Don’t make a mistake around my town!

I have two brothers-in-law who are Utah State Troopers and they have no problem writing tickets to help slow things down on the freeways. I won’t go into it in this post, but there are some real issues with “Utah Drivers”, really excessive speeds, flying the “ state bird” etc. I’ll consider blogging that topic in a future post. (I’ll have my shield and bullet-proof vest deployed before I hit the publish button!)

This post is about where you find it difficult to maintain a “normal” speed but, let’s face it, there’s a speed trap waiting for us. Below, we’ll discuss the ten states with the most expensive fines for a first-timer.

I often tease drivers who like to drive fast that officer friendly will turn into a revenue officer if they maintain their speeds. I know it cost our family some money, and even more, serious disruption to our schedules for traffic school.

I recall my last citation in South Orange County, California where I was guilty of a “moving violation”. The injustice of it all beyond the $118 (this was more than 10 years ago) for traffic school was the fact that the lane I used to merge was changed from an island (double-double lines) to broken double lines BEFORE I had to appear in school! Had I made the turn two weeks later, it would NOT have been a moving violation! I’m a lucky guy…

I recall one daughter’s querying: “Will they take Daddy to jail?” Ugh! I didn’t go to the pokey, but I was the only student—among 100—in the school (which was held in a court room—very uncomfortable) who wasn’t there for speeding. I did learn all about “kill zones”; the distance between my front bumper and where my car will come to a complete stop. I’ll never forget that!

Do you have spots where you know you must stay away, or just slow down? In Lehi, I can think of 1200 E, 300 W, 500 W, and 700 S. I don’t imply that officers have a quota of tickets to write, but it is a great way to keep speeds down on those busier streets. On north and south bound I-15, I have seen troopers hanging out in the median wall gap between 90th South and 106th South in Sandy. Where are your favorite traps? Leave a comment!

As promised, here’s a summary of the most expensive states to get your first ticket. I have a neighbor who had a VERY good chance to go to jail for a moving violation in one of the southern states listed below. He had to make a special trip back to appear. Thankfully, he was able to avoid the gray-bar hotel for a visit.

Found a really interesting article in Forbes which discussed “The Most Expensive States for Speeding Tickets 2007” by Tom Van Riper. The list shows the state followed by the dollar amount of the maximum fine for the FIRST speeding ticket. I’d hate to see fines for subsequent tickets!

Virginia: $1,350
Virginia shot from out of nowhere to the top of the list this past summer when it passed a $1,050 surcharge on top the traditional $300 fine. Added on top of past DUI convictions, the fines can exceed $3,000 for some speeders. The good news for those just passing through: The extra charges apply only to Virginia residents.

Georgia: $1,000
A jail sentence of up to a year is also possible. And a more serious reckless driving conviction brings a mandatory six-month license revocation for a first offense.

Illinois: $1,000
The maximum speed on four-lane highways is 65 mph, though only for vehicles built for 10 or fewer people. Big trucks are limited to 55 mph. Illinois is one of 25 states to use a point system to determine license suspensions and revocations.

Nevada: $1,000
Gambling often doesn’t pay. Nevada is also a point system state–and too many points can bring a license suspension of six months to a year. For speeders who’ve racked up the points, there’s a maximum six-month jail sentence on the books, along with the fine.

New Hampshire: $1,000
Live free or die? Not behind the wheel. A state statute says drivers can get a ticket for not staying 10 mph below stated speed limits in school zones.

North Carolina: $1,000
Speeders in the Tar Heel State can be jailed up to 60 days; a school bus with children aboard is limited to 45 mph.

Utah $750
[I’m not surprised we're on the list, are you?] Speed limits have been raised to 75 mph in some areas, but fines are big. Drivers can be ticketed for going so slow as to “impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.”

Oregon $600
Fines are high, but you’ve got to really work at losing a license. The state generally waits for numerous traffic violations before issuing suspensions.

Kansas $500
In an urban school district zone, the speed limit still cannot be less than 20 mph.

Maryland $500
Another state serious about its school zones–fines double for speeders. No word on whether Wal-Mart executives are forced to cough up even more.

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