Planning a summer road trip in Florida won't be the same anymore. Starting July 1, a new law will take effect that toughens penalties for certain driving offenses. The consequences will no longer be just financial, but also criminal.
The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) sends a clear message to drivers. Two types of speeding violations will now be considered crimes, with the risk of immediate jail time. The measure aims to curb a behavior that has cost thousands of lives on the roads.
A law with much harsher penalties
The new legislation is called House Bill 351. It renames "extreme speeding" as "dangerous speeding." This category allows the judge to send offenders to jail for up to 30 days.
In addition, the punishment may include a $500 fine. If they reoffend within five years, the penalty becomes much harsher. They could face up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, and license revocation for one year.
What offenses can land you in jail?
There are two situations that trigger this law. The first is driving 50 mph over the speed limit (80 km/h), the second is driving at 100 mph (161 km/h) or more anywhere in the state. In both cases, it's no longer possible to pay a fine by mail.
The driver must appear before a judge, even the first time, as it's considered a criminal offense. The law was created after the death of Anthony Reznick, an 11-year-old boy. He was struck by a driver going 85 mph (137 km/h), and the person responsible, with more than 20 previous tickets, wasn't criminally charged.
Senator Jason Pizzo promoted the rule in his memory. "This law is for Anthony," he said in the Senate. The bill was approved unanimously and received support from both parties.
More control on the roads of the Sunshine State
In 2023, Florida issued more than 683,000 speeding tickets. About 2,600 were for driving more than 80 mph (129 km/h) over the limit. Between 2019 and 2023, one in ten accident deaths was due to speeding.
With the arrival of summer tourism, the goal is to curb recklessness. Supporters claim that the threat of jail is more effective than a simple fine. The phrase that sums up the spirit of the rule is clear: fear works.