Florida Adds A New Traffic Crime To Its Law Books

You can break a lot of traffic laws without getting charged with a crime.  It is possible to get so many traffic tickets that your car insurance company considers you a cash cow without having anything on your record that would show up on a criminal background check.  Only the most serious of traffic violations will land you in criminal court, the ones where you injure someone or act in a way that is more likely to injure someone than garden variety traffic infractions, such as improper lane changes, do.  Speeding is not usually a crime; at worst, it gets you a traffic ticket and puts points on your license, making your insurance premiums more expensive.  This summer, though, a new law will go into effect that imposes criminal penalties for driving at the fastest speeds.  If you are facing criminal charges for traffic-related offenses, contact a Tampa traffic offenses lawyer.

The New Dangerous Excessive Speed Law

Earlier this year, Gov. DeSantis signed HB351 into law; the law will take effect on July 1.  HB351 defines the crime of dangerous excessive speed, which is a criminal misdemeanor.  You can get charges for dangerous excessive speed if you exceed the speed limit by at least 50 miles per hour.  For example, if you are driving on a residential street where the speed limit is 20 miles per hour, you can get charged with dangerous excessive speed if you drive at least 70 miles per hour.  Likewise, driving 100 miles per hour or faster always counts as dangerous excessive speed, even on a road with a speed limit faster than 50 miles per hour.

If you get convicted of dangerous excessive speed once, the maximum penalty is a $500 fine and a jail sentence of 30 days.  For a subsequent conviction, the maximum penalty becomes a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail.  The court can also suspend your driver’s license if your second dangerous excessive speed conviction is within five years of your first.  The duration of license suspension can be from six months to one year.

Other Traffic Crimes Besides Dangerous Excessive Speed

Dangerous excessive speed is the most recently codified criminal traffic offense, but it is not the only one.  It is also possible to get criminal charges for drunk driving or for driving with a suspended license, although you can successfully fight your driving with a suspended license charge if, at the time of the traffic stop, the DMV had not notified you that your license was suspended.  Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in bodily injury is also a criminal offense.  If you are being accused of traffic offenses where there is ambiguity about whether they count as crimes, it is worthwhile to hire a lawyer.

Contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Bryant Scriven

A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges related to driving at dangerously high speeds.  Contact Scriven Law in Tampa, Florida to schedule a consultation.

Sources:

miamidadeclerk.gov/clerk/criminal-traffic-violations.page

flvoicenews.com/florida-drivers-face-new-speeding-law-that-takes-effect-this-summer/