27 Jul Speeding: The Innocent Crime?
There are times where a speed limit just does not seem fast enough. The 35 mile per hour zone can seem excessively slow, so we want to push the limits and go a bit faster. That can’t be that harmful right? Wrong. Speeding is a dangerous thing, and more detrimental that we realize. Todd Coolidge is a criminal defense lawyer (serving Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler) who has seen situations of driving at high speeds cause life altering results.
Speeding Consequences
The sign posted for the speed limit is just suggested and we don’t have to go that specific speed right? Wrong. Anytime your speedometer in your car shows your speed at a higher rate than what is posted, you are speeding and in danger of getting a speeding ticket or worse. The best case scenario from speeding would involve a speeding ticket that you would pay a fine to. The fines can come at a high rate and get higher the greater your speed is from the posted sign. Not only with a fine, but excessive speeding can actually lead to jail time in some cases.
The worst case scenarios happen way too regularly, which is fatality. Speeding is one of the leading cause of automotive fatalities in most states, not just a traffic violation. This occurs because at higher speeds as a motorist you have:
- Greater possibility for losing control of your car
- Increased stopping distance which means you cannot stop as fast as you may need
- Less time for driver response to avoid crashes
- Increased severity in the crash, meaning the crash will be more violent and painful or deadly
Not only is it endangering yourself by breaking the law speeding, but it also is endangering the lives of innocent people.
Criminal Speeding
There are fines that follow speeding, but there is another thing called criminal speeding. When traveling at a rate of 20mph or more over the speed limit, or going over 85mph anywhere in the state of Arizona, this is considered criminal speeding. As one would think of speeding as a minor issue, it actually can be charged as a misdemeanor in Arizona depending on excessive speeding. This is a more serious offense than most realize and can result in fines up to $500 and up to a month in jail.
When thinking if one could get away with speeding and it not being a big deal or that harmful, realize more people die from speeding crashes than anything. Contact Coolidge Law today to help with all your criminal and legal needs.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (7/14/2017) snapp3r (Flickr)