Arizona ranks as the second toughest state on speeding
Jul 22, 2015, 5:00 AM | Updated: 5:00 am
Arizona may not have laws against texting and driving, but when it comes to cracking down on dangerous drivers, Arizona is at the top.
Linda Gorman with Triple-A of Arizona said that is important, because speed kills.
“If you look at 2014 for example, we had over 20,000 speed-related crashes and 239 deaths as a result of speeding,” Gorman said. “Or excessive speeding was a factor or they were speeding too fast for the conditions.”
According to WalletHub, no other state offers stiffer fines for a reckless offense at $2500, and only one state gives more jail time for a second offense than Arizona’s 20 days. Overall, WalletHub ranks Arizona as the second toughest state on speeding behind Colorado. Texas is most lenient.
Criminal speeding tickets can be issued when a driver exceeds 85 miles an hour or 35 miles an hour near a school crossing when those signs are out. Gorman said cops across the state have done a great job cracking down on speeders.
“It is a major factor in most collisions,” Gorman said. “In fact, it’s the most common driver violation that we see.”
And while there is no jail time or license suspension for a first offense, you can get the 20 days behind bars for a second offense and 6.5 points toward a suspension, both among the toughest in the U.S.
