FORT BENNING, Ga. - If your speedometer is known to hit 75 or even 85 miles per hour, pay attention. You could be paying extra for such speeds, according to a new law enacted by the Georgia Legislature, effective Jan. 1.
"The law - dubbed the 'super speeder law' - imposes an extra fine of $200 on anyone convicted of driving 75 miles per hour or more on any of the state's two-lane roads, and 85 miles per hour or more on any other Georgia road," said 1LT Edward Gladding, legal assistance officer with the Fort Benning Office of the Staff Judge Advocate.
"What is unusual about the law is the extra fine is levied after the motorist is convicted of the original speeding offense," Gladding said. "Upon conviction, the speeder will be sent notice that he or she has been deemed a 'super speeder,' and therefore owes the additional $200 fine. The motorist is given 90 days from the date of the notice to pay the fine. If the fine is not paid, the speeder's drivers license will be suspended."
There are no exceptions to the law, which like most speeding fines, is intended as a deterrent, Gladding said.
His advice' "Keep an eye on that speedometer. Not only are there more consequences but the fact of the matter is it can get dangerous when you're driving at a speed that high," he said. "People need to be aware of their surroundings."
According to the Georgia Super Speeder Committee's Web site, www.safespeedsgeorgia.org, the collected fees will fund the state's trauma care hospital system, where about 65 trauma care patients have crash-related injuries.
Along with not wearing a seat belt, speed is a major component of crash severity, said Gordy Wright, director of public information for the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
"In general any measure to slow people down, to get them closer to the speed limit, is a good thing," Wright said. "It's just basic physics - the faster you're going, the more horrific the crash will be. By the time the driving error has occurred, it's too late at high speeds to bring it back under control."
For more information, visit www.safespeedsgeorgia.org or send an e-mail to info@superspeedergeorgia.org.
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