Brevard County Speeding Ticket for Driving Thirty Miles or More Above the Speed Limit
According to Motorist.com, the state most likely to hand out speeding tickets is the Sunshine State, followed closely by Georgia and Nevada. The state where drivers are the least likely to receive a speeding ticket is Montana. If you are a Florida resident, you may be well aware of the greater likelihood of receiving a speeding ticket, however what you may not know is that not all Florida speeding tickets are created equal. While driving ten miles or less above the speed limit will result in a fine, as well as points on your license, driving thirty or more miles per hour above the posted speed limit is a serious traffic offense, with much harsher consequences.
One of the most notable differences in a ticket at higher speeds is that you don’t have the option of simply dropping a check in the mail or going to driving school to avoid points on your license. Your speeding ticket will be automatically set for a hearing, and appearance in court is mandatory. This means either you must attend the hearing, or you must hire an attorney to attend on your behalf, or your license will be automatically suspended. The fines for a Florida speeding ticket are already on the expensive side, ranging from $200 to $500. If, however, you are found guilty of driving thirty or more miles above the speed limit, you could pay a fine as large as $500. If you were driving 50 miles or more above the posted speed limit, you could pay a minimum fine of $1,000, and it could actually be much higher.
In Brevard County, there were 324 citations issued in 2013 to drivers exceeding the speed limit by 30 miles per hour or more, 397 in 2014, and 367 in 2015. In fact, according to Florida Today, Brevard County ranks fourth, both in speed-related and in aggressive-driving injury and fatality crash rates among Florida’s 23 largest counties. Those who live in Brevard County would likely agree that seeing speeders along the Space Coast is a regular occurrence. Only Broward County, Palm Beach County and Leon Counties ranked higher than Brevard County in the number of speeders and aggressive drivers.
Points on Your Florida Driving Record
Every time you receive a traffic offense ticket in the state of Florida, and either pay the ticket or go to court and are found guilty, you will receive points on your driving record. If you were driving 15 mph or less above the speed limit, you will receive 3 points, but speeding 30 mph or more above the speed limit will result in 4 points, and if your speeding results in a crash, you will receive 6 points.
Points are used by your insurance company to determine your rates—or deny coverage—and are also used to suspend a driver’s license when sufficient points have accrued. If you are caught driving 30 miles or more over the speed limit, you will be charged under Florida statutes 316.187, 316.183, and 316.189. While penalties for this offense are fairly severe in their own right, if you were in a school zone or a construction zone, your fines will be doubled. Additional information you should be aware of for a Brevard County speeding ticket for thirty miles or more over the posted speed limit include the following:
• Particularly if you are not a resident of the state of Florida, but were just passing through when you received your ticket, it could make much more sense to hire a Florida traffic ticket attorney to handle your Brevard County speeding ticket.
• Although there are set minimum and maximum fine amounts, the actual fine you will pay depends on the facts of the current traffic violation, input from the officer who ticketed you and your past driving history.
• A Brevard County judge may suspend your driver’s license for excessive speed.
• If your attorney is able to negotiate to withhold adjudication in your case, no points will be placed on your record.
• It might be worth asking (very politely and humbly) the officer who stops you to reduce the speed to 29 miles above the speed limit, which will greatly reduce your penalties and fees.
Speed Measurement Devices Used in Florida
The defense and challenges presented by your Florida attorney for your speeding offense may be tailored to the specific type of speed measurement device used to determine your speed. Some states only allow certain methods of speed detection; California forbids radar on certain roads and has totally outlawed VASCAR. The state of Florida allows all types of speed detection, including: pacing, VASCAR, aircraft, laser and radar, however VASCAR and aircraft speed detection are rarely used. When pacing is used, the officer must catch the suspected speeder, then maintain a consistent distance from the car for a minimum of two-tenths of a mile, checking the police cruiser’s speedometer.
VASCAR (Visual Average Speed Computer and Recorder) is a sophisticated stopwatch coupled with a calculator, which requires significant levels of human input—making it easier for an attorney to challenge. Radar has been used since the 1950’s, although there have been upgrades. Radar guns use radio waves similar to AM and FM, but with higher frequencies. Finally, laser speed detectors use a low-powered beam of laser light which bounces back from a targeted vehicle to calculate speed. The accuracy of a laser gun is dependent on the officer’s ability to hold the unit perfectly still, and laser guns are subject to error during wind, rain or snow.
How an Experienced Brevard County Attorney Can Help
If you want a fighting chance of having the penalties associated with your traffic ticket minimized, it is important to have a knowledgeable Brevard County attorney from The Law Place by your side. We know every single method of questioning the police officer in order to determine whether procedures were properly followed and will work zealously for the best outcome possible in your case. We understand that the most important aspect of your ticket is keeping points from being added to your driving record, and will do our best to do that.
Brevard County Courthouse
51 Nieman Ave #160
Melbourne, Florida 32901
(321) 952-4703