Pricier driver’s license reinstatement fees go into effect July 1, but the extra $200 fines for Georgia’s “super speeders” won’t be charged until early next year.
When the new fines, recently approved by the Georgia Legislature, take effect, they won’t be paid with the rest of the traffic ticket. They’ll be collected separately, with notification often coming weeks after the court date for the ticket, when the usual fine still must be paid.
These super-speeder fines will kick in for drivers caught traveling more than 75 mph on two-lane roads or 85 mph on any road. It’s part of an effort to raise money for Georgia’s trauma network, the system of emergency rooms and ambulance services called upon for the worst accident injuries.
State leaders hope a public subsidy will convince hospitals to keep their high-cost emergency operations running and that eventually new services can shorten the time it takes to get rural patients to a trauma center.
Though law enforcement likely will tell motorists about the increased fines, formal notice will come from the state’s Department of Driver Services. The DDS will have to wait for local officials to send it notice of the ticket, which is supposed to be done within 10 days of the ticket being paid or a court conviction, DDS spokeswoman Susan Sports said
Then the department has 30 days to notify the driver of the additional fine by mail, and the driver has 90 days to pay it. If the fine isn’t paid by then, the driver’s license will be suspended, Sports said.
“Please keep your address current,” Sports said.
The new speeding fines and increased fees to reinstate a suspended license are expected to generate about $23 million a year.
The speeding fines won’t be implemented until Jan. 1 because the state must print new traffic tickets, adding a box to indicate whether the ticket was written on a two-lane road or a larger highway, Sports said.
Even though the money won’t start flowing for a while, the state is expected to give the appointed commission in charge of spending it an advance to dole out to hospitals and ambulance services, said Dennis Ashley, who heads up The Medical Center of Central Georgia’s trauma program and is chairman of the state trauma commission.
The commission already has split up about $59 million in state dollars, spreading it among existing hospitals and EMS providers last year. Eventually, supporters would like to see upward of $80 million doled out each year, though so far Gov. Sonny Perdue’s super-speeder program has been the only fundraising effort that legislators have agreed to.
The commission, which met Thursday in Macon, is considering several potential uses for the super-speeder money. The state’s EMS and trauma office, which sets emergency care standards and inspects ambulance services, is “woefully understaffed,” according to a recent study by the American College of Surgeons, Ashley said. Commission members are talking about a statewide transfer system to triage patients across the state, making sure they’re sent to the correct hospital, he said.
In some ways the commission is still in startup mode. Members spent some of last week’s meeting talking about designs for a logo, which would be turned into a decal that can be placed on ambulances for which the commission approves funding. They also talked about hiring a company to build the commission’s Web site.
Ashley said the commission will try to keep costs for this kind of thing to a minimum. He said the commission wants to mark the ambulances it funds, though, since they’re being allocated on a county-by-county basis and need to be tracked.
The commission approved funding for 56 new ambulances last year for rural counties.
Some ambulances in those areas had 350,000 miles on them, Ashley said.
Article by Travis Fain, Macon.com
Filed under: Georgia Speeding Ticket, Speeding Laws | Tagged: GA Super Speeding Ticket Fines, Georgia Super Speeder Laws |
GeorgiaTrafficLawyer's Weblog 
I only see one problem with this legislation. It [presumably] will not apply to the police themselves, who are often the worst offenders of such laws. But since it’s admitted primary purpose is to create revenue, I suspect it will be an unqualified success. Way to go Gov. When are you leaving again?
Gunny
While police officers are people, too, and therefore far from blameless and perfect… please remember that 90% of the calls police officers go to, they do NOT run blue lights, for public safety reasons. I.E, People get stupid when they hear sirens. So, MOST of the speeding officers you see are on their way to protect and serve, not just go get donuts.
Not quite right. Most officers tend to speed by traffic in order to get the traffic in front to slow down! In all cases of emergencies they should be required by law, run their lights at all times!
Yeah Right! I’ve actually followed these “Officers” responding to a cal before! A Two lane road with (2) Cops running side by side at 100mph in a 35 and do you know where there were goiung in such a Hury!? And this is NOT a joke, as they slid around the corner and raced to the u-turn to get into the parking lot of a “Dunkin Donuts”! and this is NO FAT COP JOKE either… this is 100% the trith!
i totally agree with you !
This is a great law. Speeding is a real problem in Gwinnett County where I live. I really think it’s movies like the “Fast and the Furious” that have caused a big increase in wreckless drving. You see it everywhere now. I was at a movie the other day at discover mills, and it was crowded as hell. There were 2 or 3 cars racing in the parking deck with all these people just walking to and from their cars everywhere. There’s just another mentality on the road now, and I’m glad laws are being passed to make it safer.
David – This law wasn’t passed to make roads safer. The law was passed to raise money to help fund emergency response efforts. If the law truly resulted in a major reduction in speeding, then the intended result of the law would not be met; the anticipated $23M/year would not raised. This result might reduce the number of accidents and thus the need for as much emergency response, but speeding isn’t the only cause of accidents. It wouldn’t keep people from racing in the parking deck at your movie theater. That’s a private property security issue.
My only issue with this law is that there is a set speed to be a “super speeder.” For example, someone driving 70 mph in a 25 mph zone on a two-lane road is NOT a “super speeder” but someone driving 86mph on the freeway in a 70 mph zone IS a “super speeder.” And, how do you classify areas like downtown Lawrenceville or downtown ATL where you have four lane one-way areas that are only 25 mph? Do you have to 85 to be a super speeder there?
This country cares nothing for it’s citizens. It would save more lives, use less oil, and allow the police time to attend to more serious crimes if you didn’t allow auto manufactures to MAKE a car that can go faster than the speed limit.
You said it! Why make a car that can go 140 mph when the speed limit is 70? It’s a waste of engineering.
OK now that we have gotten the speeders out of the way, what about the big truck problem, everytime I look up DOT is changing the rules of hours of services for truck drivers. This new hour of service really has me vexed. I think we should go back to the 10-8 but keep the 36hr rule,8hrs drivetime,10 hrs off with 36 hr restart
Just another way to get more money out of people. Maybe speeding is not always the problem. And if the extra money being given goes towars “ambulances” then why not just charge the extra 200 $ to someone that causes a wreck !!! THANK YOU !
because the people making the judgement falsly convict the wrong driver for causing the accident based on how they know how to drive and not what the law states I.E. truck gets sideswiped by a car but its the truck drivers fault for causing the accident because he/ she ddnt take evasive manuevers to keep car frm hittin’ him/her?, which i think is a b/s reason for someone in a car to continue 2b stupid and irresponsible by themselves let alone being around a truck. and yeah.. i have a car at home that i drive when im not drivin this big beast, so nobody can say my opinion is based on one perspective.
I received a ticket from GSP. I was going 82 on a two lane road. But, I had a reason for speeding. I am a hospice chaplain, and I was on my way to a distraught family. Their loved on was dying, and I was going to administer last rites. I told the trooper this. I asked him, “If you are going to give me a ticket please be quick.” Well, he wrote me a ticket, and I had to wait a while. The person died before I got there. This new law is going to hurt my wallet considerably.
Well, I just got pulled over today for doing 85 in a 70 and the cop definitely had no mercy. I was trying to get back home from TN to study because I have a lab tomorrow at school and now I am having to pay 550$. because the ticket was 350$ and the add 200$…200$ i could see..350$??? Since it is my first ticket ever..can i plea NOLO???
What georgia traffic laws are enforcible on private property?
NOLO will not help with the fine. It merely prevents the offense from appearing on you permanent record, which can help with insurance rates and potential suspensions. You only get to do this so often, so use it wisely. As for he fine, if it is at all practical for you, go to court. If you admitted guilt to the officer in ANY way, then you will not win, but they will probably offer you a reduced amount just for showing up.
i got smoked on georgia on 5/1/11, doing 96 miles on a 70 zone, im not mad at them at mad at my self, but do you think money will stop donal trump from speeding?
My husband just got a super speeder ticket for going 86 mph in a 70. Ticket cost $350, then the super speeder fine cost $200 which we did not get notification of until months later after his license was already suspended for non-payment. THen $50 for having license reinstated. Total cost of going 16 miles over the speed limit = $600.
We moved which is why we didnt get the super speeder payment info. The only way we knew about the fine was when my husband tried to rent a car and was told he could not because of suspended license.
How ridiculous!
I think Georgia is corrupted and it’s another way to collect money. Interesting, don’t you think, that you pay for the intial ticket and find out in the mail a week later that they added $200 more onto you! As a female, with my husband and daughter in the car, the cop actually asked me to step out of the vehicle on a busy 75 and lectured me for five minutes. Any men getting that treatment? If it is to slow us down to prevent injuries, then why would you make me step out on the side of a 70 mph highway? Because, it’s Georgia……..
Is there a way for the Georgians to vote for this law? Understanding Sonny is a chicken farmer so education is problem to him. DUI and illegal residents are on Ga’s road all the time. Ga is rising in population so more cars. Do the math Sunny, opp sorry you properly can count chicken but not do math. Georgians, we need a better public transportation than Marta = less cars = less drivers = less accidents= less traumas. Thank GOD that you back to your chicken farm, for Ga one less noneducational Thug in the capital hill
I’m from Florida and recently got a speedy speeder ticket in the mail. I want to say that I will never travel through nor visit Georgia ever again b/c of this obsurd law. I will take my tourist dollars else where and definately advise my family and friends in Florida and other states to do the same. Social media is a powerful thing.
I could care less about the fine I broke the law. How ever I got in a accident and found out my license was suspend because of the superspeeder ticket. The ticket went to my old address I had no clue. Because of all the b.s. I lost two jobs and my license and went to jail. The 200 bucks I would have gladly paid it if I had know.
It seems that nobody get notified they got a super speeder ticket. I didn’t get notified when I got the ticket by the officer and I didn’t get notified in the mail the first time as the state claims. I only got notified after my license was suspended and they could make more money off of me. This is a scam – I’m sure of it. A TV station or AJC needs to investigate. My neighbor had same experience and lots of posts from people with exact same story. I manage to get ALL my mail except for their super speeder ticket notice – really?
This super speeder is a crock!! I am from Alabama and have family that lives in Georgia. While coming home I was speeding 85 in a 70. So I admit that. Paid the 246 ticket to Oak Park Police. Did I mention this was in December 2010. It is now August 2012 and Im getting a fine telling me my license will be suspended if I dont pay 200$ for a super speeder ticket that I have never heard of. They say there are billboards everywhere stating this. My family travels the Inter. everyday and have yet to see this billboard. The bookkeeping is a little behind in the fine state of Georgia dont ya think?
im a trucker ,while working today i was told by my saftey director my lincense suspened ,really never mind the $400 fine in my personal car back in 02/09/12. 81 n 70 k they got me but this B/s $250 to which i never heard off,nor advised off by officer is a rip off , some off u out their my not know this but the laws n georgia used to be 14 miles n under the posted speed limit u pay the fine thats it ,no points no additional fees. thats why i just paid the ticket. its a scam the state can care less bout saving lives ,its bout generating money.state off georgia if u really want to save lives charge some off the dumb drivers out here that cause the accidents,the people who do every thing behind the wheel but drive. the a**holes who tie up the left lane passing lane on the phone.the bad drivers that come almost to a complete hault on the interstate to look at police r a stop motorist far off on the side off the road.those are the idiots that need to be hit hard in the pockets. i think that every motorist that has had their lincense suspended n had to pay this b/s fine should fine n attorney n file a class action lawsuit. opps forgot hard to fine a lawyer to come aboard, sure they makeing a killing.fighting this n courts around georgia,i guess they welcome this law with open arms.
May the low life scumbags who started this super speeder scam burn in hell.