North Carolina and South Carolina Speeding in the News

Most readers of this blog know that we consider speeding tickets to be a massive scam.  Everybody speeds at some point, it's just a question of what happens to those who do.  In Virginia, any speed more than 20 MPH over the speed limit OR any speed above 80 in any zone is charged as reckless driving.  That means that at 81 in a 70, drivers face a permanent criminal record, up to a year in jail, AND up to a year of license suspension.  How's that for a roulette of bad fortune?!

NC Senate Leader (and
accused speeder) Phil Berger

Fortunately for North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger, he didn't get caught in Virginia.  According to this recent article, Berger is facing a charge of 77 in a 55.  Berger stated that he didn't realize that the speed limit had changed from 65 to 55.  That doesn't usually pull a lot of weight in front of most judges, but then most defendants aren't in charge of the State Senate.  Of course, he would be facing a reckless driving charge in Virginia at that speed.  Ironically, even if he had been in a 65 zone, he still would have been at 12 over the limit, which can get you a criminal charge here.

Also, it looks like the South Carolina legislature may also get up to some mischief by introducing a new type of speeding citation.  According to this recent article, Rep. Todd Rutherford is sponsoring a bill to impose fines of up to $150 for speeding less than ten miles per hour over the speed limit.  The fine is now $15 to $25, but the new proposal is touted as "revenue... in the coffers of the state of South Carolina".  At this stage, local governments are so desperate for revenue that they aren't even pretending that speeding tickets are about safety - it's strictly a revenue issue.  But at least the new proposal wouldn't result in insurance hikes - the biggest rip off in the speeding scam!

Highway speeds of 81 MPH - safe and sound or reckless and dangerous?




Actual Screenshot from the
Telegraph Article Online

  Speed limits are based on common sense, right? Well, not really. For example, in Rockbridge County, VA, the speed limit on the interstates has recently been raised to 70 MPH. What many people fail to realize is that any speed above 80 MPH in VA can and will be charged as reckless driving, a serious criminal offense that can result in thousands in fines, license suspension, and jail.

At 81 MPH, many drivers in the Lexington, VA area find out that they are one mile per hour on the wrong side of the law.  But a recent article on Britain’s speed limits caught my eye because it revealed that in Italy and France, the speed limit is 81 MPH. The UK is considering an increase to 80, and parts of Texas are 80 MPH zones. But while it may be perfectly legal to cruise through the Pyrenees Mountains at 81 MPH, it will get you a criminal record in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

One has to wonder where a person can find more wide open spaces – France, or Appalachian Virginia. I suspect that roads in Virginia are at least as safe for high speed travel. It just goes to show that Virginia’s reckless driving speeding law makes criminals of people who are just doing what most would consider inoffensive and safe driving.