Cheap speed in Ohio

[Final Effort]

From my hometown paper.

COLUMBUS Ohio Highway Patrol troopers issued 1,416 speeding tickets last year to drivers going more than 100 mph, an offense that Ohio labels a minor misdemeanor and is punishable by a $150 fine.

In Ohio, local judges have leeway to impose court costs and other fines for speeding and reckless operation, another common charge in speeding cases that is also a misdemeanor in Ohio.

Madison County Municipal Court Judge David Picken said he recently ordered a motorcyclist who clocked 167 mph to the maximum punishment the charges warranted - fines totaling $440, a six-month license suspension and a court-ordered driver's safety course. He felt it wasn't enough.

"A speed like that should warrant more," Picken said. "That's ludicrous, and it's blatant ignorance of regard for life and limb."

Judges in Virginia have recently begun jailing drivers ticketed for going faster than 90 mph. Beginning this year in Hawaii, jail time or community service is required for any speed higher than 80 mph, according to the National Motorists Association.

In Kentucky, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, high speeds can earn a driver an automatic license suspension. In Tennessee and New Mexico, speeds over 100 mph automatically assesses eight points on a license.

A standard Ohio speeding ticket adds two points to a driving record, but a driver is usually assessed four points for a violation that's 20 mph or more over the speed limit. Under state law, a driver's license is suspended when 12 points have been accumulated within a two-year period.

Although jail isn't an option, some judges require speeders to make a court appearance. For example, no one caught driving over 30 mph over the speed limit near Circleville can just mail in their fine.

"I want to look them in the eye and have a little remediation chat," Circleville Municipal Judge John Adkins said.

An analysis of Ohio police records by The Columbus Dispatch showed that unsafe speed contributed to 14 percent of the 70,895 crashes investigated by the Highway Patrol in 2006.

Most of those ticketed were driving high-performance automobiles such as BMWs, Audis and Acuras. However, troopers say even compact family cars such as Kias can reach triple-digit speeds.

Police records showed one person was ticketed for driving at least 100 mph in a 35 mph-zone in 2006, and six drivers were cited for reaching triple digits in 45-mph zones. The top speed of all recorded citations in 2006 was 135 mph, clocked by a motorcyclist on a smooth, flat stretch of Route 33 near Lancaster in central Ohio.

Troopers said they'll go to great lengths to catch people speeding over 100 mph, including recording license plate numbers and then mailing tickets several days later, or sending a plane or helicopter to track speeding motorcyclists.

Trooper Mark Bisel, who patrols a rural part of Route 33 near the Honda plant in Marysville in central Ohio, ticketed 10 drivers going faster than 100 mph last year, more than any other trooper in the area.

Each person knew exactly how fast he was going, he said. At high speeds, drivers can't make up excuses.

"Automakers don't put the speedometer in the trunk," he said. "It's right there between your hands and where your eyes can look."

[Grayeagle]

"Automakers don't put the speedometer in the trunk," he said. "It's right there between your hands and where your eyes can look."

Make that guy a Detective!!

He don't miss much, yanno?

-Frank -evil grin-

[Guest Kens06]

I kind of get your point about cheap speeding fines in Ohio?

Hell, 12 over on the 101 in Scottsdale will cost you more than a 100 mph pass in Ohio!

It seems like speeding is a 'contributing factor' in ONLY 14%, NOT the 'cause' of those crashes in Ohio.

What are the #'s for talking/texting on a cell, reading a map, eating your breakfast, doing your makeup??

I can handle someone trying to increase traffic flow, more than someone impeding it!!

Ken

[Bigfoot]

"Automakers don't put the speedometer in the trunk," he said. "It's right there between your hands and where your eyes can look."

"But ociffer, I was going so fast, I wanted to make sure I was safe and keep my eyes on the road." "Now get outa my way!"

[Desertdawg]

It seems like speeding is a 'contributing factor' in ONLY 14%,

But if someone is in a wreck and they were just 10 mph over the limit, then I bet they were on this list...

Now take the few that hit triple digits or highter and lets see the numbers???

I know this is a really stupid way to justify extreme speed, but they want to throw out stupid numbers!!!

[Donbecker]

It seems like speeding is a 'contributing factor' in ONLY 14%,

But if someone is in a wreck and they were just 10 mph over the limit, then I bet they were on this list...

Now take the few that hit triple digits or highter and lets see the numbers???

I know this is a really stupid way to justify extreme speed, but they want to throw out stupid numbers!!!

Sounds really similar to the cr@p MADD pulls with 'alcohol related fatalities'...not necessarily the cause.

There should be a law against fudging numbers...

[Eddie44]

As they say Don "figures never lie, but liars certainly can figure!".

[Bigfoot]

Sounds really similar to the cr@p MADD pulls with 'alcohol related fatalities'...not necessarily the cause.

I think I have to disagree with this one.

[Donbecker]

Sounds really similar to the cr@p MADD pulls with 'alcohol related fatalities'...not necessarily the cause.

I think I have to disagree with this one.

That's cool. That's what makes this country and this forum great.

However, if you have a second consider the following links:

1. MADD statistics: http://www.madd.com/stats/1298

2. MADD's references: http://www.madd.com/stats/4456

On the references page search (Ctrl + F) for "DOT HS 809 323". Directly after it you'll find this text:

NOTE: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines a fatal traffic crash as being alcohol-related if either a driver or a nonoccupant (e.g., pedestrian) had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.01 grams per deciliter (g/dl) or greater in a police reported traffic crash. Persons with a BAC of 0.10 g/dl or greater involved in fatal crashes are considered to be intoxicated.

So the way I understand this is, if I am intoxicated, leave the bar and am walking down the sidewalk and someone that has no alcohol whatsoever in them runs off the road and onto the sidewalk, fatally injuring me, that counts.

The entire figure rests on "related" instead of "caused" which IMHO would be the legitamate, honest figure. Some folks see "related" and think or imply that the alcohol had some "cause" in the fatality. According to the above, this is not necessarily the case.

I really don't want to hijack this thread (and didn't intend to with my prior post) but you might find the following site interesting: www.duiblog.com

One article of particular interest to me is this one:

article

"The Transportation Department said that drunken driving deaths (in 2006) rose 2.4 percent to 17,941 after a slight decline in 2005. It was the highest level since 1992 when 18,290 deaths were reported."

We have all these new laws and tougher restrictions, roadblocks and seizure of licenses. Proof (of effectiveness) is in the pudding, and MADD is all out of tapioca...

[roneva]

Hell, I've been stopped in Ohio so many times I have lost count. My worst one was for going 60mph in a 55. Now that was just chicken sh*t. That's how Ohio writes so many tickets.

[Donbecker]

Hell, I've been stopped in Ohio so many times I have lost count. My worst one was for going 60mph in a 55. Now that was just chicken sh*t. That's how Ohio writes so many tickets.

Liz and I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Knew more than one person that got tickets for going one mile over the limit.

I don't think the speeders are as dangerous back there compared to all the folks that forget how to drive in bad weather.

We had a nickname for snowy weather - the "white death".

The first snow of the season you might as well stay home, ubelievable amount of accidents.