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Super Speeder Law |
Who is a ‘Super Speeder’?
Anyone who drives on a multi-lane road or highway (e.g. Cobb Parkway, Roswell Road, or any interstate) at 85 miles per hour or faster; or anyone who drives on a two-lane road at 75 miles per hour or faster.
What is the penalty for ‘Super Speeders’?
An additional $200.00 fine on top of any speeding fine that may be imposed.
‘Super Speeders’ will receive notice of the $200.00 fee in the mail and will have 120-days from the date of the notice to pay the additional $200.00 to the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
What happens if you fail to pay your ‘Super Speeder’ fine?
If a ‘Super Speeder’ fails to pay the fine within 120-days from the date he or she received notice, the driver’s permit, license, or driving privilege in Georgia will be suspended.
Collateral Consequences
Anyone who is charged with driving more than 14 miles per hour over the speed limit will accumulate points on their driver’s record. If you accrue more than 15 points in any twenty-four month period, your license will be suspended.
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Traffic Laws |
Effective July 1, 2010, a new Georgia law will prohibit all drivers from using cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices for text messaging, sending instant messages, e-mails or accessing the Internet while driving a motor vehicle.
Additionally, the law forbids drivers age 17 and younger from talking on cell phones or using other wireless devices while driving.
Exceptions will only be made for drivers who are lawfully parked or who use an electronic device to report an emergency.
If convicted, all violators will receive a $150.00 fine and 1 point against their driver’s license. A conviction for violators age 18 or over is punishable as a misdemeanor. Violators age 17 and younger will receive a double fine if they are also involved in a vehicle accident at the time of the violation.
Special restrictions affecting Georgia’s teenage drivers:
There are specific restrictions affecting students that can severely impact parents and their teenage drivers. A driver age 17 and younger may risk suspension of his or her license by dropping out of school or by receiving 10 or more unexcused absences during a school year.
Drivers age 17 and younger may also risk license suspension by threatening or harming a school employee, harming another student/person, or pleading guilty to certain criminal acts.
Finally, teenagers 17 and younger also risk losing their driving privileges if caught on school property with a weapon, drugs or alcohol. In addition to the civil and criminal penalties provided for possessing weapons, drugs and alcohol on school property, the student will also face a license suspension for one-year or until the teen turns 18.
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Georgia Traffic Law Update |
An example is Georgia’s "Super Speeder Law," which applies to anyone convicted of driving 75 miles per hour or faster on a two-lane road; or anyone convicted of driving 85 miles per hour or faster anywhere in Georgia. These "Super Speeders" now face an additional $200 fine that the State of Georgia imposes in addition to any fine that the court imposes.
Other speeding fines vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For example, speeding fines in Fulton County start at $150 for traveling 6-10 miles over the speed limit and can reach as much as $450 for traveling 21-30 miles over the speed limit. Fines are determined when the citation is processed by each jurisdiction. However, keep in mind that these amounts are just base fine amounts - the State of Georgia also places mandatory surcharges for funds throughout the State. These surcharge amounts are typically around an additional 50% of the fine amount, i.e. that $450 speeding ticket is now $625. The statutory maximum for speeding fines in Georgia is $1,000 before the surcharges.
Unfortunately, another problem is that insurance companies routinely increase premiums for speeding convictions and the State's Department of Driver's Services (DDS) will assess points against a violator's license. Under 21 drivers need to be especially careful as DDS will suspend the license if convicted of traveling 24 mph over the limit.
Contact one of our experienced criminal defense attorneys if you're cited or arrested for violating a vehicular offense that may result in license suspension, revocation, or points being assessed against your driver's license.
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Your Driver's License |
For example, DDS will suspend your license if you drive without insurance, accumulate a certain number of points against your license, drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, refuse to take a breath test for intoxication, are convicted of hit and run or leave the scene of an accident. DDS will also suspend your license for drug convictions, such as possessing marijuana. Your Georgia license can be suspended even if the violations occurred out of state.
Under Georgia's point system, speeders can accumulate points against their licenses for driving 15 mph over the limit or faster. For example, if you travel in an area with a 55 mph speed limit (e.g., Georgia 400, I-75/85, I-20, I-285), you can receive a 2-point penalty for driving 70 mph, 3-points for driving 75 mph, 4-points for driving 80 mph, and 6-points for driving 90 mph. Drivers face a mandatory license suspension if they accumulate at least 15-points against their license within a 24-month period, including violations occurring in another state.
DDS imposes additional restrictions for drivers under age 21. For instance, drivers 17 and younger face mandatory license suspension after accumulating at least 4-points against their license within any 12-month period, and risk license suspension for dropping out of school, receiving 10 or more unexcused absences during a school year, and bringing a weapon, alcohol or drugs onto school property. Also, students under 17 may not be eligible to receive a driver’s license if they receive 10 or more unexcused absences. All drivers under 21 face a mandatory license suspension for convictions such as purchasing alcohol, misrepresenting their identity or age to purchase alcohol, DUI, and exceeding the speed limit by 24 mph or more.
Checking the status of your driver's license is almost as important as checking your credit report. We encourage you to be proactive and check the status of your license today. You can do so by contacting DDS at 404-657-9300. Some states in the southeast offer online license checks. Here are a few examples:
Florida: http://www.flhsmv.gov/
South Carolina: https://www.scdmvonline.com (Follow the “Public Services” link)
Tennessee: http://www.tn.gov/safety/financialresponsibility.htm (Follow the “Check Your Driver License Status Online” link)
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