Georgia’s new Super Speeder Law sounds like a great idea on the surface. Come Jan. 1, a portion of the Super Speeder Law imposes an additional fine of $200 for all drivers cited for driving 85 miles per hour or more on a road or highway, as well as anyone driving 75 mph on any two-lane roads.
The Department of Driver Services must send written notice to a customer within 30 days of its receipt of a super speeder citation.
If the customer does not pay the citation within 90 days, he or she is subject to a license suspension of indefinite duration until he or she pays the fee plus a reinstatement fee of $50.
This legislation is expected to generate approximately $23 million in Fiscal Year 2010, which Gov. Sonny Perdue has recommended be spent funding the state’s trauma-care system.
The Super Speeder Law sounds like a winner. It targets motorists traveling at high rates of speed. It raises more revenue for the state’s cash-strapped coffers. And the money will go toward trauma care.
As noted in a recent headline in The Valdosta Daily Times, drivers should beware come 2010, but we agree with concerns raised by Lowndes County Sheriff Chris Prine. Taxpayers and law-enforcement should beware, too.
Prine said he believes violators who drive excessively over the speed limit should face stiff penalities; however, the additional fine may be too much of a burden considering the current state of the economy.
“Driving anywhere from 75 to 85 mph when the speed limit is set at a lower speed already results in a fine that ranges from $500 to $1,000,” Prine said. “What concerns me is whether people can afford to pay the state an extra $200. I do not condone people exceeding the posted speed limit, but I do feel it is a little bit harsh.”
Prine added that more people will probably appeal their citations because of the fee, causing more deputies to be tied up in court.
“We need to keep as many deputies as we can out patrolling the streets and keeping the community safe,” Prine said. Taxpayers still pay law-enforcement officers for their time in court. So, while the state may gain more money, local agencies may lose money paying for officers’ court time. The Super Speeder Law may just be the latest rush by lawmakers to fill coffers without considering the potential harm to both the citizens and the government representatives charged with enforcing the law.
Haste makes waste. Could the Super Speeder Law be the latest governmental policy to waste more taxpayer money?
What We Think
What We Think: Super speeders beware
- What We Think
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Elections: Creating a two-party region?
Twenty years ago, most area elections were decided during the primaries. Then, almost every candidate qualified as a Democrat. While there may be plenty of challengers on the ballot, many seats were decided in July or a few weeks later during the primary run-off.
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Thumbs up, thumbs down
THUMBS UP: To South Georgians making fine impressions on television singing competitions. Phillip Phillips of Leesburg won “American Idol” this week. Meanwhile, Lowndes High School graduate Stacia Watkins participated in the new ABC show “Duets.” Well done!
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Farewell to the vanishing ace
Donald S. “Bush” Bryan was not only a rare individual. He was part of a vanishing breed.
An Adel resident for the past 30 years, Bryan was a World War II flying ace. Not just an ace but a double ace. A pilot must down five enemy aircraft to become an ace; Bryan downed 13.3 enemy planes in Europe. The fractions represent planes downed with other pilots. -
A widespread mosquito alert
In announcing the discovery of a mosquito carrying the West Nile Virus strain, city and health officials did not include the specific location of the discovery.
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Of Guantanamo Bay and a Founding Father
Some readers may wonder how a Valdosta High School graduate could bring himself as an attorney to represent a Guantanamo Bay prisoner charged in connection to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
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Congratulations, VSU Softball!
This weekend, Valdosta State University Blazers Softball became the latest team to add to Valdosta’s TitleTown legacy.
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School’s out so watch out!
Summer is a time of rest, vacations and trips. It is a time when school is out, when people take time off from work, when people may stay out a little later. It is a time of swimming, trying new things, and seeking adventure.
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Qualifiers are next leaders
While the national media focuses attention on the presidential election, it should be remembered that we will also choose our local leaders this year.
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Thumbs up
THUMBS UP: To the 2011-12 arts season. Theatre Guild Valdosta’s rollicking comedy, “Caught in the Net,” officially brings to a close a magnificent schedule of shows ranging from theatre to opera to concerts to art exhibits and more from a variety of area venues. Theatre Guild will also open the 2012-13 season this summer with the musical “Into the Woods.” Until then, arts lovers can soon enjoy a new series of exhibits from the year-round Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts and three musicals starting in two weeks from Peach State Summer Theatre.
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Events that get things done
Finding something that repeatedly attracts the public is difficult enough, but finding an event that accomplishes that feat while also promoting your organization and helping others … well, in many places, that’s a rarity.
Not so for the Valdosta area. - More What We Think Headlines
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Elections: Creating a two-party region?
