Anytime you receive a speeding ticket in the state of Florida, you will suffer some type of repercussion, however if you were going 30 miles or more above the posted speed limit, your penalties will be considerably harsher. In 2013, in Alachua County, there were 254 speeding tickets issued for speeding tickets with speeds more than 30 mph above the posted speed limit. In 2014, that number was 306, and in 2015, there were 210 of these tickets. In some cases, a Florida police officer could decide to give you a break if you were driving five or ten miles above the speed limit, however those who are exceeding the speed limit by 30 miles or more, are unlikely to garner much sympathy.

The Next Steps for your Alachua County Speeding Ticket

If you have already received several traffic violations, you may have accumulated sufficient points to trigger the loss of your driver’s license. Being without a driver’s license could alter your life in a number of ways. If you are like the majority of adults across the United States, you use your vehicle on a daily basis. You may commute back and forth to work or use your vehicle to get to school or to take your children to school. The many errands you run every day are likely dependent on having—and being able to drive—your vehicle. Should you lose your driver’s license, living your life as you have been, can become virtually impossible.

If you have received a speeding ticket in Alachua County for driving 30 or more miles above the speed limit, contacting an experienced Florida attorney is essential. You have fewer options for dealing with a ticket for 30 miles over the posted speed limit than for speeding tickets less than 30 mph over the speed limit.

Some important information regarding a speeding ticket for going 30 miles above the speed limit in Alachua County include:

• Regardless of whether this is your first or subsequent ticket, any person ticketed for driving 30 miles or more over the speed limit must go to court to handle the ticket—you are not allowed to pay the ticket by mail.
• Rather than face the wrath of a judge on your own, you can hire an attorney to appear on your behalf, particularly if you live out of state and received the ticket while traveling through Florida.
• While the maximum Florida fine for speeding up to forty-nine mph over the posted speed limit is $500, if you are caught driving fifty mph or more above the posted speed limit, the minimum fine is $1,000.
• The actual fine you will pay will be dependent on your past driving record, the facts of your current traffic violation, and input from the officer who wrote you the ticket.
• Any speeding ticket which requires a mandatory appearance must have your signature and the ticketing officer’s signature on the original ticket which is filed with the court clerk.
• The judge can suspend your driver’s license due to the excessive speed, and if you are found guilty of the crime of traveling more than 30 miles per hour above the speed limit, you could receive four points on your driving record.
• If your Florida attorney can convince the judge to withhold adjudication in your case, then no points will be placed on your driving record.
• Occasionally, a Florida police officer will amend your ticket to 29 miles per hour over the speed limit which can greatly reduce the repercussions you face.
• You do not have the option of attending traffic school for a ticket of 30 miles or more over the speed limit.
• If you receive a speeding ticket for going 30 miles above the posted speed limit in a construction zone or school zone, your fines will automatically be doubled.
• While not a court-imposed penalty, perhaps one of the most serious repercussions you will experience if you are found guilty of driving more than 30 mph above the speed limit is that your auto insurance rates will skyrocket—or your insurance company may drop you altogether.

Florida Speeding Statutes

If you are caught driving 30 miles or more over the posted speed limit, you will be charged under speeding statutes 316.187, 316.189 and 316.183, which discuss unlawful speed, establishment of municipal and county speed zones and establishment of enhanced penalty zones.

Types of Speed Measurement Devices

In the state of Florida, there are several ways your speed may have been measured. While not a common practice, pacing may have been used to determine your speed. If a Florida police officer observes a driver he suspects of speeding, he must first catch up to the speeder, then maintain a specific distance between the police cruiser and the speeding vehicle for at least 2/10ths of a mile. When there are hills, curves, stop signs or traffic lights present, pacing can be less than accurate.

Aircraft speed detection is used very infrequently, typically only in wide-open spaces. VASCAR (Visual Average Speed Computer and Recorder) is an electronic stopwatch, combined with a calculator, and is heavily dependent on human input—and is rarely used in Florida. Radar and laser speed detection are the methods most commonly used to measure a driver’s speed, and the types of speed detection most of us are most familiar with. There are potential challenges your attorney can present for each of these types of speed detection.

Why You Should Speak to a Florida Attorney Regarding Your Speeding Ticket

Appearing before an Alachua County Judge with a skilled Florida traffic ticket attorney ensures you have at least a fighting chance of having your penalties minimized. In some instances, your attorney may be able to have your ticket dismissed altogether. Your attorney will know how best to question the police officer in order to determine whether procedures were properly followed as well as to challenge any statements made by the officer.

Those who hire an attorney who is highly experienced in fighting traffic tickets have a much better chance of a positive outcome. The attorneys at The Law Place specialize in traffic ticket dismissals. If we are unable to obtain a dismissal on your behalf, we will work hard to negotiate a continuance or arrange for some type of alternate sentencing in order to avoid having the four points placed on your record or having your driver’s license suspended.

Alachua County Courthouse

201 E. University Avenue
Gainesville, FL 32601
352-374-3636