July was a busy month for Floridians looking for speed. Most notably, the state began to enforce its new “Super Speeder” statute. Since then, Florida police have been arresting drivers for excessive speeding rather than simply fining them. According to data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV), the police have charged over two dozen motorists under the new statute.
Florida cops have arrested dozens of drivers for excessive speeding since the state’s new law went active one month ago
Florida takes speeding pretty seriously. For openers, the state’s police departments launched “Operation Slow Down,” placing additional officers on the road with the goal of reducing speed-related fatalities and injuries.
However, Operation Slow Down is only one aspect of the equation. Florida recently implemented the Super Speeder statute, which penalizes excessive speeding with not just higher fines but also jail time.
According to the new regulation, drivers who exceed the posted speed limit by 100 mph or 50 mph may face criminal prosecution. And the sanctions are severe from the first infraction.
First-time offenders may face a 30-day sentence. Subsequent offenders face up to 90 days in jail and a fine.
At least 26 super speeders arrested
According to The Florida Times-Union, law enforcement has arrested at least 26 drivers under the state’s new anti-speeding law. However, the exact number of drivers incarcerated under the new law remains unknown.
But according to reports, 16 of the violators were caught in northeast Florida, close to Jacksonville and St. Augustine. Surprisingly, it only took two minutes for a heavy-footed Floridian to violate the new speeding limit by driving 104 mph in a 70 mph zone. Two minutes after the law’s implementation, a driver exceeded the speed limit by just four mph.
And the evidence suggests that Florida has a speed problem. According to the FHSMV, speed contributed to 38,861 collisions in 2023, resulting in 437 deaths and 1,232 serious injuries.
