The Most Expensive States For Speeding Tickets
Even a first offense can bring a four-digit fine in some parts of the country.
Jan. 3, 2008 Special to ABCNEWS.com — -- Taking a road trip home for the holidays this year? Be sure to go easy on the gas pedal, particularly if your travels take you up or down the East Coast.
According to stats from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the I-95 corridor between the southeast and New England includes five of the 10 U.S. states carrying the highest fines for speeding--Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland and New Hampshire. All hit up speeders for a maximum of $500 or more for a first offense. Judges in Carolina and Georgia, not to mention 16 other states, have the discretion to add jail time.
Click here to see more about the worst states for speeding at our partner site, Forbes.com.
Tough for travelers? Sure. But nothing compared with what can happen to residents. Virginia, this year's lone newcomer to the list, instituted a $1,050 surcharge to state residents on top of its traditional $300 speeding fine in July. The law is designed to raise money for infrastructure projects throughout the state without raising taxes. Thankfully, the penalty only applies to locals.
Spearheading the new law was Virginia state legislator David Albo, whose law firm, Albo & Oblon, specializes in defending drivers against traffic violations. Critics have railed at Albo for what they see as an obvious conflict of interest, though he scoffs at the idea he's made any money from the legislation.
"Who's going to pay $1,500 to go to court with a lawyer for the non-guarantee of getting out of a $1,000 [or so] speeding fee?" he says. He points to stats from Virginia's Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission showing an 11% decrease in reckless driving arrests since the new law passed, while speeding tickets have dropped off slightly.
The national median for a first offender's top-end fine is $200, according to the NHTSA. And even states with lower standard fines sometimes have exceptions. Connecticut, for example, generally caps fines for first-time speeders at $50, though exceeding 70 miles per hour on a "multiple lane, limited access highway" will usually bring double or triple that amount. In Massachusetts, anyone caught going more than 10 miles per hour above the limit is socked for $10 for every additional mile, over and above the state's $50 minimum.
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