PSA: Speeding

[chuckles]

So on my way to work there is a straight back road with no intersections and no traffic, the road is about 5 miles long and terminates at a gravel quarry. The problem with this road is it’s posted at 35mph (it clearly should be 55 but the county probably has some excuse for it) and I have never seen a cop on it over the last 15 years. Naturally, being an adrenaline junky, I decided to open up the ZX6R and bounce it off the rev limiter through the first 4 gears. After that I resumed mostly legal speeds the rest of the way to work. When I arrived at work I started to wonder what would happen if I was caught. Well I looked up the IL state laws regarding speeding and here is what I found.
 
1) 1-20 mph over - $120 fine
2) 21-25 mph over- $140 fine
3) 26-34 mph over -Class B misdemeanor, up to 6mo in jail, and up to a $1500 fine
4) 35-? mph over -Class A misdemeanor, up to 1yr in jail, and up to $2500 fine  (this is also what you get if you are caught DUI but did not hurt anyone)
 
At the speed I was going it would be at minimum the 4th level, if a cop really wanted to stick it to me it would be reckless driving and some sort of aggravated charge which means felony.
Now after realizing all of this, I have decided the adrenaline really isn’t worth the risk of jail time, losing my license, and losing my job. I can live with the level 1 and 2 penalties but everything else just isn’t worth it in my mind.
 
The reason I made this post is because I had absolutely no idea that the penalties for speeding were as steep as they are. I was under the impression that if I was caught that far over the limit it would consist of a heavy fine and some community service. I am guessing that I am not the only rider that doesn't fully understand the consequences of excessive speeding so I wanted to call attention to it and encourage people to look up their own state laws.  
 
Out of curiosity, has anyone here been pulled over while traveling 40+mph over the limit? If so what was the outcome?
 

[faffi]

Norway is not like USA - our limits are stricter. My brother got done doing what would be 75mph in a 37 (120kph in a 60-zone) zone back around 1992. Laws have become tougher since then. He got 3 weeks in jail and a fine of about USD 1500 25 years ago. He also lost his license for 3 years and had to do all the theoretical and practical driving tests again.
 
Despite being aware of the laws and that there are frequent speed traps, I still find it fairly safe to speed on deserted roads. My worst offence was going 4.5 times the speed limit, and I often did 2-3 times the limit when I was much younger and - if possible - even more stupid that today. Never got caught, although it was very close one Easter day on a lonely country road when practicing together with my son 5 years ago. During Easter, you expect them to be all over the main roads to keep the accidents down. But finding them here, with next to no traffic, was a shock. I spotted them in time, hit the brakes while yelling to my son over the radio. They must have seen our front forks compress fully and observed the panic in our faces, because the two constables were laughing as we went past. But we escaped the laser beam
 
This is what laws we have now:
 
Speed limit 60 kph (37 mph) or less:
a) up to 5 kph (3 mph) over: NOK 750 (USD 90)
 
b) up to 10 kph over: NOK 2050
 
c) up to 15 kph over: NOK 3700
 
d) up to 20 kph over: NOK 5350
 
e) up to 25 kph over: NOK 8300 (USD 1000)
 
f) 26 kph or more over: Fine NOK 8300 or more + loss of driving license for 3 months or more, depending upon how fast
 
 
 
Speed limit 70 kph (43 mph) or higher:
a) up to 5 kph (3 mph) over: NOK 750 (USD 90)
 
b) up to 10 kph over: NOK 2050
 
c) up to 15 kph over: NOK 3300
 
d) up to 20 kph over: NOK 4600
 
e) up to 25 kph over: NOK 6250
 
f) up to 30 kph over: NOK 8300
 
g) up to 35 kph over: NOK 9950
 
h) up to 40 kph (25 mph) over: NOK 10400
 
i) 41 kph or more over: Fine NOK 10400 or more + loss of driving license for 3 months or more, depending upon how fast.
 
If license is lost for 12 months or more, you must do the whole program over again, which will set you back USD 2000 for the car, another 2000 for the motorcycle, much more for truck/bus. You loose all licenses if you get caught speeding enough.
 
 
Other violations I can mention:
Running a red light: NOK 6650
Not keeping enough distance to the vehicle directly in front: NOK 6650
Tuning a motorcycle or moped: NOK 5350
 

[mjh937]

Washington state is not too bad. I had a friend get pulled over for 71 mph in a 25 mph zine and he just had to pay the fine. Of course the insurance increase is what hurts the most (I do not know what that first him).
 
Speeding (RCW 46.61.400) if speed limit is over 40 m.p.h.
1-5 m.p.h. over limit $33
6-10 m.p.h. over limit $43
11-15 m.p.h. over limit $58
16-20 m.p.h. over limit $73
21-25 m.p.h. over limit $88
26-30 m.p.h. over limit $108
31-35 m.p.h. over limit $133
36-40 m.p.h. over limit $158
Over 40 m.p.h. over limit $188
 
Speeding if speed limit is 40 m.p.h. or less
1-5 m.p.h. over limit $43
6-10 m.p.h. over limit $48
11-15 m.p.h. over limit $63
16-20 m.p.h. over limit $83
21-25 m.p.h. over limit $108
26-30 m.p.h. over limit $133
31-35 m.p.h. over limit $158
Over 35 m.p.h. over limit $188
 
My favorite fine is this:
Negligently Feed/Attempt to Feed Large Wild Carnivores (RCW 77.15.790) $73
Does that mean it is okay to negligently feed an herbivore? And what is negligently feeding anyway?

[r1limited]

Road Side Taxation

[chuckles]

Damn, Norway is pretty strict. If you aren't going 5mph over the limit here you get passed. Is there any jail time associated with the higher fines or is just IL that wants to make criminals out of speeders?
 
They just passed a law in IL that if you get caught three times doing wheelies over the posted speed limit it's a felony. Aka mandatory jail sentence, court costs, 5k fine, and no hopes of getting a job afterwards.
 
How about Washington? Any criminal record or jail time at the upper brackets?
 
More and more it's looking like I need to leave this state.

[mjh937]

I have a friend who is a retired cop. I went on patrol with him a couple of times. He would not pull over anyone who was not doing at least 12 mph over the limit. I have never heard of anyone going to jail for speeding here, as long as they were sober.

[dmoney]

Fines in Australia are a joke compared to IL and not a funny one at that.its 100AUD for 1-9 kph over the speed limit. It goes up a fair bit from there but im not entirely sure. I believe 30-39 kph over is a 800AUD fine and something like 6 points off your license (essentially half your points for the 3 year period). If you get caught going 40+kph over the limit you now het your vehicle impounded and i think your license gets suspended for a while. If you get caught doing a wheelie, even by accident, you also get your bike impounded

[rednipj]

I talked to the traffic cops here at the local sheriff dept. They look for 15 over. The state officers look for 10 over.
 
That's in SW Florida.

[r1limited]

Damn, Norway is pretty strict. If you aren't going 5mph over the limit here you get passed. Is there any jail time associated with the higher fines or is just IL that wants to make criminals out of speeders?  
They just passed a law in IL that if you get caught three times doing wheelies over the posted speed limit it's a felony. Aka mandatory jail sentence, court costs, 5k fine, and no hopes of getting a job afterwards.
 
How about Washington? Any criminal record or jail time at the upper brackets?
 
More and more it's looking like I need to leave this state.

Many of the Jack Booted thugs here in the PNW known as the State Troopers are unmarked and look just like cagers. They tail gate you waiting for you to speed up and then cite you.  They just passed a law with regards to the ASSHATS here in the fast lane doing 20 below the speed limit, they don't tag them they write up the guy who WFO'd it past the dip wanker.  Here in PNW its Road Side Taxation 

[jbone]

The guys I work with (myself included) won't even consider stopping anything under 12-15 mph. Bikers usually get warnings from me as a thank you for at least stopping and not taking off. Good attitude and taking responsibility are crucial for me. I recently had an SUV doing 70 mph in a 30mph. Dude was funny; said he liked hearing his exhaust and admitted to it. He got a 5 over biscuit just because it was in a neighborhood with kids playing. Basically, don't be an a-hole and you'll probably be just fine.

[johnakay]

this is ours UK.
 

 
 
Starting point
 
Range
 
Fine Band A
 
50% of weekly income
 
25 – 75% of weekly income
 
Fine Band B
 
100% of weekly income
 
75 – 125% of weekly income
 
Fine Band C
 
150% of weekly income
 
125 – 175% of weekly income
 
 
 
 
 

[robbo10]

(UK) I have always had the opportunity to admit fault and take a fixed fine (now £100) and points on licence. They don't jail us for speeding cos there's no room left there. They'd rather have you out on the roads to give them another chance of £100 income.

[Beemer]

mjh937 - It might mean to not feed any herbivore either. If you've watched enough nature shows you know not to feed wild carnivore's because not only can they attack you, they get used to being fed by humans (which we don't want) and start coming into neighborhoods where humans reside to look for their food which puts humans, as well as animals, at risk. Sometimes people also feed animals things they shouldn't. 
 
There's a lady that feeds the wild birds a few blocks away and she's been warned about feeding them but she still cracks the door open, thinking no one can see her, and throws food out for them. She'll get ticketed before long. 

[Beemer]

I talked to the traffic cops here at the local sheriff dept. They look for 15 over. The state officers look for 10 over. 
That's in SW Florida.

It's that way here in the Ruskin area, you almost never see anyone pulled over. When I first got my bike I would tense up when I saw a cop while I was 15 over and they would just drive on by, la-dee-da! I will never move to another state, ever again.  Another thing, I haven't seen one cop sitting down the road from a club waiting to harass anyone that drives past them, sober or not. Florida rules! 8-)  

[Beemer]

Damn, Norway is pretty strict. If you aren't going 5mph over the limit here you get passed. Is there any jail time associated with the higher fines or is just IL that wants to make criminals out of speeders?  
They just passed a law in IL that if you get caught three times doing wheelies over the posted speed limit it's a felony. Aka mandatory jail sentence, court costs, 5k fine, and no hopes of getting a job afterwards.
 
How about Washington? Any criminal record or jail time at the upper brackets?
 
More and more it's looking like I need to leave this state.

Many of the Jack Booted thugs here in the PNW known as the State Troopers are unmarked and look just like cagers. They tail gate you waiting for you to speed up and then cite you.  They just passed a law with regards to the ASSHATS here in the fast lane doing 20 below the speed limit, they don't tag them they write up the guy who WFO'd it past the dip wanker.  Here in PNW its Road Side Taxation

So much for "freedom of movement has been judicially recognized as a fundamental Constitutional right". You should move to Florida, it's like it's own country that recognizes your right to move freely without harassment. 

[faffi]

We get points as well - 11-15 kph over in a 60 kph zone or less = 2 points, 16 kph or more = 3 points. In 70 kph zones or higher, 16-20 kph over = 2 points, 21 or more = 3 points. 8 points in 3 years = 6 months suspension.
 
Jail:
50 kph zone - doing 96 kph or more = jail
60 - 115
70 - 125
80 - 136
90 - 150
100 - 165 or more = jail
 
Finland is worse, where fines are related to your income. (This is also the case in Norway, but to a much lesser degree. But drunk driving here is costly.) A Swede got a fine of 95,000 Euro for doing 77 kph in a 50-zone in Finland!!! In Sweden, the fine would have been just 500 Euro.
 

[avanti]

A good friend was stopped--finally--after being timed at 160+ on a 55mph two-lane in Northeast Louisiana (complex story as to why it happened) and there was hell to pay. But fortunately, he was a non-substance using adult who had a pair of VERY good and well thought of localish lawyers. BIG fine, extended loss of license, but he avoided jail... and, of course he had big attorney fees. During the time of the event his bike had been his sole transport and used on his 130 mile per day job commute for over a year.

[guylee]

Doing the speed limit here is pretty much just as bad as going 5-10 under.

[worty]

Here is the Demerit Points and Fines for speeding range in Ontario, Canada.
 
 
 
0 – 15 KM/H - 0 demerit points Up to $50.00 fine
 
16 – 29 KM/H OVER THE LIMIT - 3 demerit points $50 to $230 fine
 
30 – 49 KM/H OVER THE LIMIT - 4 demerit points $230 to $360 fine
30 Day Licence Suspension for G1 and G2 drivers
100% Insurance increase
 
50 KM/H OVER THE LIMIT- 6 demerit points Summons issued to Court
30 Day Suspension for G1 and G2 drivers
100% Insurance increase
 
STUNT DRIVING / RACING – 50KM/H OR MORE Summons issued to Court
6 demerit points
Immediate 7 day licence suspension
Immediate 7 day vehicle impound
One year licence suspension
Minimum fine $2,000
Maximum fine $10,000
Jail up to 6 months
100% Insurance increase
 
School and construction zones the fines double.
 
 
I rarely go 15km/hr over the limit. I'm cheap. Cops usually don't bother with ya if you stay 15km/hr below.

[faffi]

Despite nearly the worst road standard in all of Europe (I think Albania is behind us), we have the least killed
http://norwaytoday.info/news/new-statistics-traffic-norway-safest-europe/
 
This is down to strict enforcement of speed limits, severe punishment for driving under the influence*, rigorous education system before a license can be obtained and roads - while still bad overall - getting better.
 
*Maximum BAC is 0.02 here. If you are caught with BAC between 0.02 and 0.05 you get fined 1.5 month salary, between 0.05 and 0.12 you get the same fine, risk prison and mandatory 1 year loss of license. Above 0.12, you spend 2-5 years without a license and at least 21 days in prison.