Frustrated Driver Files Federal Lawsuit Against Georgia “Speed Trap”

December 31, 2010 by Leave a Comment

police speed trapThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that a retired dentist has filed a federal lawsuit against the small Georgia town of Arcade, alleging that the Athens area municipality used “overzealous and improper tactics in creating a speed trap” along U.S. Highway 129.

According to the AJC, Arcade with four police officers generated $192,000 or 28% of its $675,000 annual budget from fines and forfeitures in 2009.  In 2008, the percentage was 40%.

Local business owners complain that Arcade’s zealous traffic enforcement prompts drivers to steer clear of the town, thereby hurting private business.

If successful this private lawsuit could be turned into a class action and Arcade could face punitive damages.

Filed Under: Fines and Fees, Speeding Violations Tagged With: ,

Find Speed Traps – Online!

April 26, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I recently received an email from a friend of mine about a web site called the National Speed Trap Exchange.  This site lists all 50 States, then breaks each State down by major city.  When you click on a city, the site will show you where others have reported “speed traps” – or locations where police officers have been known to hang out with their radar guns.

Here is a link to the Georgia section of the site.

Users can vote “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” as to whether a listed location is still an active police surveillance location.

Some may disagree with putting this type of information on the Internet but I don’t think it is any different than using speed indicators to display your speed and whether you are speeding 0n a particular road.  I think everyone wants to drive safely and to avoid expensive tickets, so I don’t see a problem with identifying where police with radar are located.   Traffic enforcement should be about safety not about revenue enhancement by a city or county.

Filed Under: Fines and Fees, Speeding Violations Tagged With:

New Speeding Law Enacted

January 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Hello everyone and happy 2010. As you may have already heard, the state of Georgia implemented the new “Super Speeder Law” at the start of this new year. Under the law, titled HB160, speeding drivers are considered “high-risk” and are targeted in an effort to reduce the number of speed-related deaths in the state.

In Georgia, there is one speed-related death every day on average, and over 20% of all the motor vehicle fatalities last year were due to speeding drivers. With every ten miles per hour that a driver travels above 50 mph, crash forces double on impact. It has even been said that speed can be much more dangerous than DUI-related accidents on roadways.

The new Super Speeder Law, which took effect January 1, 2010, fines an additional $200 state fee to any driver convicted of traveling over 75 mph on a two-lane road, or traveling over 85 mph anywhere in the state. Failure to pay the fee will result in a license suspension and an additional $50 fee. These fees are tacked on to bulky fines already imposed by local jurisdictions for speeding violations.

Not only is the law intended to lower the amount of speeders and speed-related accidents, but fees collected under the law will go strait to Georgia’s trauma care hospital system, where over half of the patients are typically victims of motor vehicle accidents.

I encourage Georgia drivers to learn more about the new law and other safety regulations by visiting the official Georgia Super Speeder Law website which can be accessed by clicking on the link.

Filed Under: Speeding Violations Tagged With: , , ,