What is the Georgia Super Speeder Law?
Speed limits are in place for a reason. Even if many drivers on the roadway disregard the speed limit, most people understand that driving too fast for conditions can cause serious accidents. In Georgia, officials have taken additional steps in order to prevent reckless speeding. The state passed a Super Speeder Law in 2010. The official title of the law is HB 160, and since going into effect a decade ago, the law has netted millions of dollars in fines to the state.
How fast do you have to go to be a Super Speeder?
Georgia’s Super Speeder Law targets those who drive 75 mph or more on two-lane roads as well as those who drive more than 85 mph or more on any road or highway in the state.
What are the Super Speeder Law penalties in Georgia?
If you have been pulled over for speeding and are designated as a Super Speeder, you will face hefty fines. The Super Speeder violation alone comes with a $200 fine. This is on top of the fine you have to pay for the speeding violation in the first place. While being a Super Speeder will not cause you to lose any more points against your license, it will hurt your wallet.
How do you know you are a Super Speeder?
Chances are that the officer who pulls you over will not inform you that you will be designated as a Super Speeder. State, county, and local law enforcement have nothing to do with the Super Speeder Law in Georgia. These officials are focused on protecting the people within their jurisdictions and assessing the fines appropriate based on that jurisdiction’s laws.
You will not know you have been designated as a Super Speeder until the state of Georgia sends you a bill for $200 in the mail. Once you have received your Super Speeder fine in the mail, you have 120 days to pay the ticket. Failing to do so will result in your license being suspended until you pay the fine. If your license is suspended due to not paying a Super Speeder fine, you will have to pay $50 additional to have your license reinstated.
Depending on how fast you were going at the time you received the violation, your insurance rates may also increase, particularly if you have a history of speeding violations.
Understanding how speed affects car accidents
Speeding dramatically effects car accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that more than 9,000 people were killed on US roadways during the latest reporting year due to speeding. During that same reporting year, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety reports that speeding was to blame for 267 traffic fatalities.
Operating at high rates of speed increases the chance the car accident will result in serious injuries. It is not uncommon for a high-speed crash to result in the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries or open head injuries
- Spinal cord injuries with paralysis
- Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
- Broken or dislocated bones
- Severe lacerations or amputations
Each of these injuries can result in long-lasting or permanent damage to victims. Those who suffer from these injuries will likely incur tremendous medical bills and face long recovery times. The Super Speeder Law in Georgia is meant to keep drivers in this state safe from high-speed incidents.