Harsh fines, and up to 90 days in jail: New strict Florida law that affects all drivers goes into effect soon
Florida – Florida drivers who drive too fast on the road are going to soon face harsher penalties. Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new law that makes the penalty for what officials describe “dangerous excessive speeding” more severe. With the law taking effect July 1, the landscape for Florida motorists is about to shift—especially for those prone to driving far above the speed limit.
The law makes it very clear what is considered an unsafe driving. Anyone who gets caught traveling 50 mph over the speed limit, driving 100 mph or more when passing or changing lanes, or going 35 mph over the limit on roads that aren’t highways will now be in a lot more trouble than previously.
The new guidelines are easy to understand but important. If a motorist is caught for the first time, they could go to jail for up to 30 days, pay a $500 fine, or both. People who do it again get a harsher punishment: up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both, if they get caught within five years of the first offense. And it doesn’t end there: anyone who get a second conviction may expect to lose their driver’s license for at least 180 days, and suspensions can last up to a year.
The legislative path for this new law brought together several key voices. Representatives Susan Plasencia and Danny Alvarez from Florida’s House of Representatives sponsored the bill. Senator Jason Pizzo, an independent and former state prosecutor, pressed the subject with determination in the Senate.
Pizzo’s history as a prosecutor showed in his proposal for even harsher punishments, but the final law is a compromise: first-time offenders will spend less time in jail, but the message is still clear: speeding too much will not be tolerated.
During the Senate debate, Senator Pizzo did not mince words.
“You can’t drive 50 miles over the speed limit and not think that’s excessive and it’s dangerous,” Pizzo recently said. “You can’t go ahead and pass somebody at 100 miles an hour in excess and think that’s not dangerous and excessive speeding. And if you do, you gotta appear.”
Florida’s drivers are on notice as July 1 gets closer. The regulation is meant to make the state’s roadways and highways safer by holding extreme speeders more accountable. A lot of people believe that the possibility of jail time, substantial fines, or even losing their license will wake them up and help make Florida’s highways at least a little bit safer.
