Super Speeder fines start Jan. 1
Expect an additional $200 fine if you travel too fast over the limit
Be careful driving home from lackluster New Year’s Eve parties. If you’re caught speeding, you could be fined extra cash under a new state law that takes effect Jan. 1.
Going 85 miles per hour or more on most Georgia roads — including interstates — will cost a speeder an additional $200, when a new “super-speeder” law takes effect on Friday. On two-lane roads, meaning one lane each way, the extra fine kicks in at 75 mph.
That’s on top of whatever ticket the speeder gets for going over the speed limit.
“It’s a lifesaving law,” said Bob Dallas, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, noting that speeding makes death or severe injury much more likely when an accident happens.
The program, which Gov. Sonny Perdue has pushed for years, is projected to raise $23 million to help fund trauma centers. It’s worth watching how state lawmakers manage those funds, especially this year. Hart reminds us that legislators will ultimately decide what to do with the cash. In an upcoming session that’s predicted to be all about cutting the budget, there’s a high risk that the cash could be funneled toward other projects.