AutoSaver.com by Kimberly Ann
The speed limit really isn’t the speed limit anymore, or at least that's how it appears when we're out on the road. If the speed limit sign reads 65, it seems like everybody’s
moving at at least 75 miles per hour. What’s
the catch phrase? “Eight you’re
great…Nine you’re mine”. Bottom line is
the majority of us speed. I’m not
stating we are all Excessive Speeders, but in today's society, everybody is always in a hurry to get somewhere. Let’s take a look at what it ultimately costs us when we choose to speed.
It's obvious, if you are caught speeding, you can pretty much count on being issued a
ticket. The ticket brings with it fines
and penalties, such as points on your license.
Depending on how fast you were speeding, will determine the number of
points you will get on your license, as well as the cost of the ticket. If you receive numerous points on your
license, in a short period of time, it could result in the suspension of your
license. A good point of reference is
the DMW website: http://www.dmv.org/traffic-tickets.php
. In Florida, for instance, a speeding
ticket can result in 3 to 6 points on your license, however the code for each
state varies. I recently read an article
where a 21 year old was issued a ticket for driving at a speed of 131 MPH in a
65 MPH zone. This resulted in over
$3,500 fines and court costs...not to mention the points on his license.
Now, once you take the hit and get the points on your
license and pay your ticket, the next cost of speeding could be a
rise in your automobile insurance.
Depending on your age and driving history, a speeding ticket can most
certainly cause your insurance to rise. For
example, if you are a new driver who is ticketed for speeding in excess, your cost
of insurance could rise as much as 25% for the next couple of years. On the flip side, if you are a 40 year old, with a clean
record, your insurance may not be affected at all. The cost of your automobile insurance is determined
by what the insurance company considers your risk level to be.
The most tragic cost of speeding could be an automobile accident. Perhaps not just an accident, but a fatal crash...whether it's your life or the life of an innocent. According to ThePoliceChiefMagazine.org, the number of traffic-related
deaths is increasing. It's expected that the
number of traffic-related deaths will reach and exceed the high numbers of
years past. It is stated that speed is a contributing factor in 31% of all
fatal crashes. This is nearly 14,000
lives per year in the United States alone...an astounding number.
While behind the wheel, we have control over how we chose to drive. Speeding is most definitely a choice we make as a
driver. It's bad enough we have to be on the same roads as angry, thoughtless drivers, so why not do our best and control what we can. Take the cost of a speeding ticket out of
the equation, is it worth risking your life and the lives of innocent people sharing the road
with you? We can help simply playing by the rules.
References
