Are speeding fines too low? (Phoenix, Tucson: transplants, how much, legality)

[KurtAZ]

It is just flow of traffic...having been driving here since I was 16, the old adage was that if you are not at least 10 over the speed limit, you would get run off the road, and that was BEFORE all the Loops and the 51. Pretty much because most LEOs won't bother with anything 5-9 MPH over the limit unless you are being a nuisance or driving recklessly.

[Dewey59]

Maybe I wasn't clear in my original post.... I realize most people speed. So do I! What I was asking about are the maniacs that are going 85-90 down the 101, or 65 on Bell Rd. That's where the big fines come in. But yeah, I guess if there is little to no enforcement, then there is not really a disincentive to drive that fast. I really haven't seen much in the way of enforcement since I have been here. (So not sure how they are generating revenue - other than the cameras)

I know I will get beat up for this (facts be damned!), but study after study has shown that speed does kill. Most speed limits are based on scientific data to determine the best balance between traffic flow and safety. In all the states I have lived in, AZ has the highest speed limits. Many major cities have speed limits of 55 on their freeways and a road like Bell would be 35.

Again, 5 or 10 over is not terribly dangerous - especially if most of the traffic is going that speed. I'm just wondering what the motivation is for the a-wads going 20 or more over - especially considering the consequences if they do get caught!

[Pink Jazz]

For some odd reason, this site ranks Arizona #2 (tied with Delaware) for the strictest state for speeding and reckless penalties:
https://wallethub.com/edu/strictest-...peeding/14211/

[TBCasino]

Originally Posted by Dewey59

I regularly see people driving well in excess of 15mph over the limit in and around the Phoenix area. It looks like the minimum speeding fine is $250, which seems pretty steep to me, but maybe not? Is it that people are not aware the fine is that high, or is it that they just don't care? If the latter, that would seem to indicate the fines are too low.

I also heard on LivePD (when they used to follow DPS officers) that anything over 85 on the freeway (at least in the 65 zones) is felony speeding. Wow! Seems like that would be a big deterrent too!

Based on some of the other posts I have read here, I think we have lots of speeders on this forum, so I am curious as to what your thought process is. I generally run 5 over, in case anyone thinks I am one of those old codgers that is always going 10 under! (There should be a law against THAT too!)

85 and over is a misdemeanor Sir, not a felony, as is 20 over any posted speed limit.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by TBCasino

85 and over is a misdemeanor Sir, not a felony, as is 20 over any posted speed limit.

It is called criminal speeding as opposed to a civil violation. It's not a felony but a Class 3 misdemeanor. It leaves you with a criminal record. And it is 85 anywhere in the state, so that would be only 10 over on rural freeways. Cops apparently have discretion as I know people nailed on I 17 who were more than 10 over and got civil citations.

[pbenjamin]

The notion that "speed limits are too low" is just an attempt to rationalize one's own illegal behavior. The limits and the fines are OK the way they are, we just need more enforcement.

[Burning Madolf]

Couldn't resist.

[cactusland]

Why anyone would want traffic to be slower is beyond me. If people can safely get from point a to point b at that speed, who cares?

[TBCasino]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

It is called criminal speeding as opposed to a civil violation. It's not a felony but a Class 3 misdemeanor. It leaves you with a criminal record. And it is 85 anywhere in the state, so that would be only 10 over on rural freeways. Cops apparently have discretion as I know people nailed on I 17 who were more than 10 over and got civil citations.

Uhhhh yeah? What does this have to do with my response?

I think I’ve done this for a spell, haha

[Dewey59]

OK, I must have misunderstood the DPS officer on LivePD... I thought he said felony speeding. It probably was criminal speeding that he said. My bad.