Jail time for speeding?

My friend got pulled over the other night doing a moderate acceleration in his plaid from a light, 0-60 only. 45mph speed limit zone. 1130 at night, no other cars around.
Got pulled over, officer was really cool, car car.
Although he had no radar, He claimed the new law would have allowed him to impound his car for "exhibition of acceleration"
Told him to be careful and let him go.

IMO that seems a bit excessive if that's true. There wasn't even another car to race.
would like more info

 

Uh-oh.

 

Some states make 21 mph over a criminal offense. Florida's highways are generally 70MPH, so 100+ means 31 mph over the speed limit in those cases. 50+ over would really only apply in areas where the speed limit is 50mph or less, otherwise you'd trip the 100MPH threshold instead.

Interestingly, I've noticed a subtle uptick in the average speed on I75 in my neck of the woods, seems the 100mph/50mph over limit is the one that folks now consider pertinent.

Fines and jail time, yep, distinctly possible. Get a judge with a hard on for speeders, or guys with high end cars, and you could get jammed up. Of course it's still 100% within the purview of the officer to write you for a lesser offense, after all writing a criminal ticket means HE has to appear in court as well as you, and I have yet to meet a cop who really enjoys that. So if you're pulled over, be unfailingly polite, pray you don't have any priors, and cross your fingers you get an excessive speed ticket, and not a 50 over or 100+ mph ticket.

99% of the drivers that I've seen here have no business/ability to go this fast. Florida doesn't do car inspections, so bald tires, faulty brakes, etc, are rampant here. Watched an idiot blow past me in a driving rain yesterday - jack the brakes and then do a 540 degree pirouette across three lanes on the highway before coming to a stop facing in the wrong direction. Saw another one flipped in the median today, same deal, driving rain, too fast for conditions, oops. I was doing 60 on the highway in the heavy rain today and guys driving lifted pickups with zero weight in the back were passing me at 80+ mph. I'm not really troubled by this new law. I'd really like to see Florida add an annual inspection, and maybe more frequent testing for drivers over 80, which we probably have more of than any state in the USA.

D

 

...move to WY.

 

Commonwealth of Virginia has some pretty tough laws on speeding as well....Florida has become "nutz"...as crazy as we saw driving become on old Rt 41 (especially around the drive up ABC stores) once 75 was finished a whole nother level of dumbschittery has evolved. You wanna go "that" kinda of fast? Go to the track

 

Exhibition of acceleration ? that's a thing? Holy cow

 

Many year ago I got busted for racing in TX and was ticketed with exhibition of acceleration.
The funny thing was the car I was driving probably did 0-60 barely under 6secs . I was joking with my friend since we both have plaids, even our "normal"accelerating are much faster than that lol.
So does that mean we can race old cars again with no penalty lol? Joking

I agree peoples driving ethics has declined. I grew up in Texas, and if you were going five over you were a rebel.
If you drive down 95 in Florida now, and you're going 15 over you'll get past like you're 90-year-old grandma. It's ridiculous and unsafe.
But a quick punch with no one around is also worthy of arrest and impounding? That's dumb


Chat GPT:
Florida Statutes (Section 316.191)

Definitions:

Drag race: Two or more vehicles side by side accelerating to outdistance each other.

Stunt driving: Includes burnouts, doughnuts, drifting, wheelies, or any dangerous vehicle activity.

Street takeover: A coordinated blockage of traffic to perform stunts or races.


Prohibitions:

Driving any motor vehicle in a race, drag race, or exhibition of speed/acceleration is illegal.

Includes organizing, participating, filming, or even being a passenger in one of these events.


Penalties:

First violation: First-degree misdemeanor — $500–2,000 fine (or $500–1,000 depending on citation), + 1-year license revocation.

Subsequent violations: More severe — possible felony, higher fines, longer revocation periods (2–4 years).

Spectators: Face non-criminal infractions for knowingly attending.

Question: "what if there's only one car in no spectators?"

Yes — in Florida, even if there’s only one car and no spectators, the law can still apply under the clause for "exhibition of acceleration" or "stunt driving."


---

Florida Statute §316.191 – Key Wording:

> "A person may not drive any motor vehicle… in any race, speed competition or contest, drag race or acceleration contest, test of physical endurance, or exhibition of speed or acceleration, or for the purpose of making a speed record on any highway, roadway, or parking lot not specifically set aside for such purposes."



– Fla. Stat. §316.191(2)(a)


---

So Even If:

There’s only one driver

No one is watching or filming

It’s not a race or competition


… you can still be charged for an "exhibition of speed or acceleration" or even "reckless driving", especially if:

You’re peeling out, drifting, doing burnouts

Rapidly accelerating from a stop with tire squeal or engine revving

Driving aggressively in a way that calls attention to your car's performance





I still get a kick out of that definition, specifically that it says engine revving tire squeal burnouts etc. Tesla makes no sound, does not break traction, there is no tire smoke or even tire spin.
It does look supernatural accelerating though

 

I lived in Fort Lauderdale in the late 90's. One night I was driving to Palm Beach and I'm not paying much attention to the speed. Seems like everyone was going about the same but there was little traffic.

I look out my right side window and I see a cop in a patrol car right along side of me. I look down at the speedo and it says "95". I look over at the cop and he gestures to me "slow down" with his hand. I reduce to 75 and he takes off like a bat outta hell.

It was then that I realized driving in Florida was a lot different than driving in California.

 

Still that way, you better be at 80MPH or you will get run over.

 

I found that people in Florida have 2 speeds they drive at:

90 MPH
or
9 MPH

There's little in between.

 

I cannot recall the case off the top of my head, but a judge in a mid-western or western state (WY, possibly, as already mentioned) found that high rate of speed was not, prima facie, reckless driving. IIRC, it involved a motorcycle driver doing close to 155mph, maybe? I've posted on it here in the past, and I believe it's still good law. Frankly, I don't know why it hasn't spread, either.

It's ALWAYS the driver that's best able to determine a safe speed to operate at (unless impaired). I've argued previously for a licensing and tag program that, essentially, allows drivers with "super" licenses in "A-rated" cars on "A-rated" roads to drive at unlimited speeds. Imposing restrictions as you go down the spectrum in abilities, equipment and roads. Too complex for clowns to implement and adhere to, though, and it will never happen. But, I can dream.

Unfortunately, legislators are mostly incompetent and/or incapable themselves, and then you have the nanny state(s) and inevitable sob stories and people worried about the possible consequences of what might happen if there's a crash at high rate of speed?! Ask Germany about the Autobahn. It works just fine. Well, worked. Until it got too congested.

That said, there's little lane discipline here, and the drivers are completely self-centered and distracted. Cell phone conversations, kids screaming, radio-tuning or whatever is far more important than safe operation of a motor vehicle and paying attention to the "Left lane is for passing only" rules. How many times do I see a minivan holding up left lane traffic only see them picking their nose (or whatever) instead of moving over to let faster vehicles go by? Too much effort on their part?

CW

 

As a Florida resident I’d appreciate more enforcement in cities, especially in residential neighborhoods.

Are highways are mostly boring and ugly so speeding is needed to maintain concentration. At least, that’s what I told the trooper. He agreed……..as he was handing me the ticket

 

It absolutely is...I've been fined for this entering I-75 a few years ago.

 

Around the Tampa area Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) have increased presence on the bridges, Veterens/Suncoast Highway and US19 I have noticed and read articles on. On the news they showed more police speed traps on I75, 275, I4 etc.

I have an acquaintance/friend Sheriff and talked to him about this new law. It's my understanding that cops are going to use this law to its full effect and make some arrests to show that the law will be enforced fully in cooperation with our Judges. Local Sheriff's and FHP are also monitoring car meets, cars and coffee and bust speeders as well.

I use to do 10-15 track events a year between Porsche Club and Chin Track Days. This slowed me down on the street for sure. Wife and I had a talk the other night and I am seriously considering selling my F8 due to this law and just driving a Jeep again and get another real track car. It is way too easy to break 50mph over or 100mph getting on the interstate or being pulled over for excessive acceleration in a F8. Just half throttle from a stop light in the F8 will land you in jail and impound the car.

 

If you’re from Florida, you know…….


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If you go over 100MPH in LA, you'll be arrested. Been that way for many years.

Most likely suspended license for 6 months or a year depending on traffic record.

 

But on I-15 from about Victorville to the border, I was going 100 and
looked like I was tied to a stump, as 3 out of 4 cars whizzed by me...
(I was only going 'that fast' so as to not get run over)

I asked my Cousin, who is a retired CHP from that area what gives,
and he said they don't even waste their time chasing down anyone going
under about 110.
He also said the Dodges they had cannot catch most anyone going over 130.

Seems CHP had a 'Dog and Pony' show to buy a batch of new cars, and the
Dodges with Hemis won hands-down, so what did the CHP do?
They bought Dodges WITHOUT Hemis, I THINK he said some had V-6's.
He said when a Dodge was trying to chase someone down, it was common
for a CHP Officer in a Ford Explorer to pass the Dodge and catch the guy....
This was all about six years ago.

 

Yah the highway patrol is a lot more lenient than the LA cops. I've seen over 140 at stretches going to Vegas.

 

Don’t mess with Reed and Malloy!

 

They learned from the very best...

 

Badge 714

 

A few years ago, while I was working at the polls, I had the opportunity to have a nice conversation with a Charlotte County deputy about speed. Here's what he told me: Residential? We'll ignore anything at 9 mph over or less. Go 40+ in a 30 zone,we'll pull you over, IF we're running a speed trap. Probably not if we're cruising the other way. Highway, like I-75 which runs through the center of the county? 15mph over, minimum, if we're speed trapping, but probably more in order to really get our attention. He added that Florida Highway Patrol has different rules on I-75, and the only 100% safe bet is not more than 9mph over, but that almost anything under 85 would likely be ignored.

My observations now? Those guidelines are out the window. On I-75, I set my cruise control for 9 mph over and get passed by old ladies in their Buick. But I also have a retired cop in the passenger seat, and she's kind of a stickler on this stuff. If I get over 80, she starts to squirm, and given that most of our trips are 30 minutes or less, the time saved vs. the bitching factor doesn't add up for me.

DeSantis wants to raise the limit to 75, which will only make that 100mph threshold even easier to exceed.

D

 

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D