Georgia passes ‘super speeder’ law
On Tuesday, driving over 85 miles per hour (mph) on Georgia’s highways became substantially more expensive. Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the state’s new “super speeder law,” which aims to discourage dangerous driving while raising money to fund the state’s trauma centers.
The new law levies an additional $200 fine on motorists ticketed for driving more than 85 mph on any road in the state or 75 mph or more on any two-lane road. It is expected to raise $23 million in fiscal year 2010. “This is a simple, straightforward attempt to slow high-speed drivers and reduce high-speed crashes and trauma injuries,” Perdue said in a statement. “I believe we can not only help fund trauma care through increased fines, but we can also reduce the heavy burden on our state’s emergency rooms.”
More than 1,600 fatalities occur in Georgia from car crashes annually, and one-quarter of them are caused by excessive speeds.