The most commonly committed crime in the United States is speeding. In fact, the majority of Americans fully admit that they break the posted speed limit on a regular basis. If you’re a regular driver, you probably know certain areas or towns where speed traps are common. You’ll slow down and be extra careful when driving through these areas, but what about the United States as a whole? Which states are the strictest and most lenient when it comes to speeding? We explain in today’s blog.
The Best and Worst State For Speeders
To determine which states are the hardest on speeders, WalletHub.com looked at the driving laws, fine amounts, reckless driving penalties and overall speed enforcement for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Here’s a look at the top ten strictest states on speeders. The sub rank of “Reckless Driving Penalties” and “Speed Enforcement” made up the overall score:
1. Colorado – Tied for 2nd in RDP, Tied for 10th in SE.
2. Arizona – T-10 RDP, T-2 in SE.
2. Delaware – 1 in RDP, 23 in SE.
2. Illinois – T- 8 in RDP, T-4 in SE.
5. New Mexico – T-10 in RDP, T-4 in SE.
6. Virginia – T- 8 in RDP, 14 in SE.
7. Iowa – T-24 in RDP, 1 in SE.
7. Massachusetts – T-2 in RDP, T-31 in SE.
9. Alabama – T-10 in RDP, T-15 in SE.
10. Washington D.C. T-15 in RDP, T-10 in SE.
For those of you wondering where Minnesota landed on the list, The Land of 10,000 Lakes came in tied for 31st, with a ranking of tied for 27th in Reckless Driving Penalties and tied for 31st in Speeding Enforcement.
Speeding Findings
Other interesting findings from the study include:
- Texas, Utah, South Dakota, Pennsylvania and Mississippi are the five states that are the most lenient on speeders.
- Minnesota is one of seven states that does not have a specific law in place prohibiting racing on highways.
- 26 states have a mark where speeding is automatically considered reckless driving. In Minnesota, driving 30 miles over the posted limit is automatically considered reckless driving.
- Although jail time is not mandatory, Minnesota has a rather high mandatory minimum first offense fine for reckless driving of $1,000.
For more information about the study, click here, and if you’ve been ticketed with a traffic violation, consider hiring an attorney to help contest the ticket.
