A new Florida law set to take effect on July 1 punishes excessive speeding with up to 30 days in jail for a first-time offense.
The law on “dangerous excessive speeding,” House Bill 351, aims to punish drivers for going 50 mph over the speed limit or driving 100 mph or more.
Individuals convicted of a first-time offense under the new law could be imprisoned for up to 30 days or fined $500. In some cases, the offender could face both jail time and a fine.
Repeat offenders could face 90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine, or sometimes both.
Why It Matters
The Florida Department of Transportation reported that speeding contributed to nearly 10 percent of traffic fatalities statewide between 2019 and 2023.
The state has previously worked on initiatives to curb speeding, including Operation Southern Slow Down 2024, a weeklong speed enforcement and education campaign.
What To Know
Drivers who violate the law more than once within a five-year period could also have driving privileges revoked for at least 180 days.
Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis approved the bill on May 22. The bill received a 75-38 vote in the state House and a 37-0 vote in the state Senate.
The legislation was sponsored by Republican State Representatives Danny Alvarez and Susan Plasencia.
Democratic Florida State Representative Mike Gottlieb, pushed back on the bill in its current form, saying, “It is incredibly invasive. It’s going to clog our court systems in a way that none of us can imagine. The bill makes sense, speeding kills, we want to punish people more severely for speeding. It’s not well thought out in its enforcement and inaction.”
As of June 23, 176 bills have been signed into law this year in the state of Florida. Over half are scheduled to take effect on July 1.
Other laws set to take effect on July 1 in Florida include House Bill 255, establishing harsher penalties for animal cruelty, and House Bill 653, setting new aggravating factors when determining whether someone convicted of a capital felony should receive the death penalty.
What People Are Saying
Independent Florida State Senator Jason Pizzo, in public comments inside the state Capitol: “You can’t drive 50 miles an hour over the speed limit and not think that’s not excessive and it’s dangerous.”
What Happens Next
The new law is scheduled to take effect on July 1.
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