Highlands County Speeding Ticket for Driving Thirty Miles or More Above the Speed Limit

If you have received a speeding ticket in Highlands County for driving thirty miles or more above the posted speed limit, you are not alone. In 2013, 238 people were ticketed for driving thirty miles or more above the posted speed limit in Highlands County. In 2014, that number rose to 253, only to drop to 208 in 2015. While police officers may cut speeders a bit of slack when they are driving five, ten or even fifteen or twenty miles over the speed limit, it is rarer when the driver is going thirty miles or more above the speed limit, but always worth asking—politely, of course.

Because the consequences for driving thirty miles or more over the speed limit are significantly more serious than for less than thirty miles over, you must consider your options carefully once you have been issued a ticket. Among the facts you should know about speeding tickets in the state of Florida for speeds over 30 miles an hour above the posted speed limit are:

1. 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.
2. Your exact fine, if convicted, will depend on the circumstances of your current traffic ticket, input from the police officer and your past driving record, but could be anywhere from $276 to $500. If you receive a ticket for going 50 mph or more above the speed limit, the minimum fine in the state of Florida is $ $1,000.
3. Any speeding ticket which requires a mandatory appearance (such as one for going thirty miles or more above the posted speed limit) must have your signature as well as the ticketing officer’s signature on the original ticket which is filed with the court clerk.
4. Even if your accrued points do not reach the required level for a license suspension, the judge can make the decision to suspend your license, depending on the circumstances surrounding your speeding ticket, for thirty miles over the posted speed limit.
5. If you have an attorney arguing your case, he or she may be able to negotiate a deferred adjudication on your behalf. This means if you do not receive another traffic citation, within a specified length of time, your ticket will be dismissed and you will receive no points. There may be other requirements from the judge as well.
6. If you were ticketed while driving through a construction zone or a school zone, your fines will automatically be doubled.
7. The option of attending traffic school in lieu of paying your ticket and receiving points is not available for speeding tickets given for speeds over thirty miles per hour above the posted speed limit.
8. Occasionally, a Florida police officer might amend your ticket to 29 miles per hour above the speed limit rather than thirty or more, which can greatly reduce the consequences of the ticket.
9. In addition to consequences from the Highlands County court, a conviction for speeding thirty miles or more above the posted speed limit could result in your insurance premiums increasing dramatically. In fact, some insurance companies will drop the coverage for a person who receives a speeding ticket at this level.
10. If you have other traffic offenses, a conviction for the current offense, along with the four points it will bring, could push you over the limit, and you could have your license suspended. In Florida, twelve points within twelve months, eighteen points within eighteen months or twenty-four points within thirty-six months will trigger a license suspension.

There are several ways your speed may have been measured by the officer when you received your ticket. Florida approves all five types of speed measurement to issue speeding tickets, including pacing, VASCAR, radar, laser and aircraft speed detection, however aircraft speed detection and VASCAR are rarely used. Aircraft speed detection is generally only used in wide open spaces, and VASCAR is essentially an electronic stopwatch and calculator that depend on correct human input. Pacing is not used as often as laser and radar, simply because it affords more challenges due to its dependency upon human input. Laser and radar units must be calibrated and maintained regularly, and those who use the devices must be trained and certified.

Why You Need an Experienced Florida Traffic Ticket Attorney
Hiring an attorney from The Law Place at the earliest possible time after receiving your speeding ticket is the single most important thing you can do to ensure the best possible outcome for your ticket. Our attorneys have been helping people just like you for many, many years. We have a thorough knowledge of the laws surrounding traffic citations in Florida, and are aware of the need to keep points off your driving record whenever possible.

Highlands County Courthouse
430 S Commerce Avenue
Sebring, FL 33870
(863) 402-6604