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10-04-2008, 11:47 AM
New Flori<WBR>da law raise<WBR>s the stake<WBR>s for speed<WBR>ing offen<WBR>ses
Gary Taylo<WBR>r | Senti<WBR>nel Staff<WBR> Write<WBR>r
Septe<WBR>mber 30, 2008
Lead-<WBR>foote<WBR>d motor<WBR>ists might<WBR> be heade<WBR>d strai<WBR>ght to the poorh<WBR>ouse when a new state<WBR> law takes<WBR> effec<WBR>t Wedne<WBR>sday.
Excee<WBR>ding the speed<WBR> limit<WBR> by more than 50 mph will carry<WBR> a fine of $<WBR>1,<WBR>000 on the first<WBR> offen<WBR>se under<WBR> the law.
That fine will escal<WBR>ate to $<WBR>2,<WBR>500 with a one-<WBR>year revoc<WBR>ation<WBR> of the drive<WBR>r's licen<WBR>se on the secon<WBR>d offen<WBR>se and $<WBR>5,<WBR>000 with a 10-<WBR>year revoc<WBR>ation<WBR> of the drive<WBR>r's licen<WBR>se on the third<WBR> offen<WBR>se.
Previ<WBR>ously<WBR>, the fine for excee<WBR>ding the speed<WBR> limit<WBR> by more than 30 mph was $<WBR>250. All speed<WBR>ing fines<WBR> are doubl<WBR>ed in schoo<WBR>l or const<WBR>ructi<WBR>on zones<WBR>.
Two other<WBR> new laws,<WBR> aimed<WBR> at motor<WBR>cycli<WBR>sts, carry<WBR> the same penal<WBR>ties and also kick in Wedne<WBR>sday.
On avera<WBR>ge, troop<WBR>ers in Centr<WBR>al Flori<WBR>da catch<WBR> four or five motor<WBR>ists a week drivi<WBR>ng at 120 mph to 150 mph, said Flori<WBR>da Highw<WBR>ay Patro<WBR>l Sgt. Kim Mille<WBR>r.
That most often<WBR> occur<WBR>s on State<WBR> Road 417 in the area of Boggy<WBR> Creek<WBR> Road,<WBR> Flori<WBR>da's Turnp<WBR>ike in Osceo<WBR>la Count<WBR>y and some secti<WBR>ons of Inter<WBR>state<WBR> 4, she said.
The new motor<WBR>cycle<WBR> laws are aimed<WBR> at stopp<WBR>ing rider<WBR>s from doing<WBR> "<WBR>wheel<WBR>ies,<WBR>" which<WBR> occur<WBR> when the front<WBR> wheel<WBR> of a motor<WBR>cycle<WBR> leave<WBR>s the groun<WBR>d, and from impro<WBR>perly<WBR> attac<WBR>hing or displ<WBR>aying<WBR> licen<WBR>se plate<WBR>s.
The fine for doing<WBR> a wheel<WBR>ie is a littl<WBR>e more than $100.
Jeff Veit of Orlan<WBR>do said he knew the laws were being<WBR> consi<WBR>dered<WBR> but did not reali<WBR>ze they had passe<WBR>d.
Veit,<WBR> 56, who has been ridin<WBR>g motor<WBR>cycle<WBR>s since<WBR> he was 17, said he suppo<WBR>rts the laws again<WBR>st doing<WBR> wheel<WBR>ies and excee<WBR>ding the speed<WBR> limit<WBR> by 50 mph. In fact,<WBR> he said,<WBR> "I'm not sure $<WBR>1,<WBR>000 is enoug<WBR>h.
"
But Veit quest<WBR>ions the licen<WBR>se-<WBR>plate<WBR> law: "<WBR>That one doesn<WBR>'t make sense<WBR>.
"
Mille<WBR>r said rider<WBR>s often<WBR> make their<WBR> tags hard to read becau<WBR>se they don'<WBR>t want to be caugh<WBR>t. The new law requi<WBR>res that the tag be cente<WBR>red on the bike,<WBR> be at least<WBR> 24 inche<WBR>s above<WBR> the groun<WBR>d and be displ<WBR>ayed so numbe<WBR>rs and lette<WBR>rs can be read from left to right<WBR>, she said.
Polic<WBR>e offic<WBR>ers might<WBR> use some discr<WBR>etion<WBR> in writi<WBR>ng ticke<WBR>ts for licen<WBR>se-<WBR>plate<WBR> viola<WBR>tions<WBR>, givin<WBR>g time for biker<WBR>s to be educa<WBR>ted, Mille<WBR>r said.<WBR> "Law enfor<WBR>cemen<WBR>t under<WBR>stand<WBR>s that peopl<WBR>e have to know that it is illeg<WBR>al," she said.
But, she said,<WBR> there<WBR> can never<WBR> be an excus<WBR>e for excee<WBR>ding the speed<WBR> limit<WBR> by 50 mph or "for your front<WBR> wheel<WBR> to be over your head.
"
Gary Taylo<WBR>r | Senti<WBR>nel Staff<WBR> Write<WBR>r
Septe<WBR>mber 30, 2008
Lead-<WBR>foote<WBR>d motor<WBR>ists might<WBR> be heade<WBR>d strai<WBR>ght to the poorh<WBR>ouse when a new state<WBR> law takes<WBR> effec<WBR>t Wedne<WBR>sday.
Excee<WBR>ding the speed<WBR> limit<WBR> by more than 50 mph will carry<WBR> a fine of $<WBR>1,<WBR>000 on the first<WBR> offen<WBR>se under<WBR> the law.
That fine will escal<WBR>ate to $<WBR>2,<WBR>500 with a one-<WBR>year revoc<WBR>ation<WBR> of the drive<WBR>r's licen<WBR>se on the secon<WBR>d offen<WBR>se and $<WBR>5,<WBR>000 with a 10-<WBR>year revoc<WBR>ation<WBR> of the drive<WBR>r's licen<WBR>se on the third<WBR> offen<WBR>se.
Previ<WBR>ously<WBR>, the fine for excee<WBR>ding the speed<WBR> limit<WBR> by more than 30 mph was $<WBR>250. All speed<WBR>ing fines<WBR> are doubl<WBR>ed in schoo<WBR>l or const<WBR>ructi<WBR>on zones<WBR>.
Two other<WBR> new laws,<WBR> aimed<WBR> at motor<WBR>cycli<WBR>sts, carry<WBR> the same penal<WBR>ties and also kick in Wedne<WBR>sday.
On avera<WBR>ge, troop<WBR>ers in Centr<WBR>al Flori<WBR>da catch<WBR> four or five motor<WBR>ists a week drivi<WBR>ng at 120 mph to 150 mph, said Flori<WBR>da Highw<WBR>ay Patro<WBR>l Sgt. Kim Mille<WBR>r.
That most often<WBR> occur<WBR>s on State<WBR> Road 417 in the area of Boggy<WBR> Creek<WBR> Road,<WBR> Flori<WBR>da's Turnp<WBR>ike in Osceo<WBR>la Count<WBR>y and some secti<WBR>ons of Inter<WBR>state<WBR> 4, she said.
The new motor<WBR>cycle<WBR> laws are aimed<WBR> at stopp<WBR>ing rider<WBR>s from doing<WBR> "<WBR>wheel<WBR>ies,<WBR>" which<WBR> occur<WBR> when the front<WBR> wheel<WBR> of a motor<WBR>cycle<WBR> leave<WBR>s the groun<WBR>d, and from impro<WBR>perly<WBR> attac<WBR>hing or displ<WBR>aying<WBR> licen<WBR>se plate<WBR>s.
The fine for doing<WBR> a wheel<WBR>ie is a littl<WBR>e more than $100.
Jeff Veit of Orlan<WBR>do said he knew the laws were being<WBR> consi<WBR>dered<WBR> but did not reali<WBR>ze they had passe<WBR>d.
Veit,<WBR> 56, who has been ridin<WBR>g motor<WBR>cycle<WBR>s since<WBR> he was 17, said he suppo<WBR>rts the laws again<WBR>st doing<WBR> wheel<WBR>ies and excee<WBR>ding the speed<WBR> limit<WBR> by 50 mph. In fact,<WBR> he said,<WBR> "I'm not sure $<WBR>1,<WBR>000 is enoug<WBR>h.
"
But Veit quest<WBR>ions the licen<WBR>se-<WBR>plate<WBR> law: "<WBR>That one doesn<WBR>'t make sense<WBR>.
"
Mille<WBR>r said rider<WBR>s often<WBR> make their<WBR> tags hard to read becau<WBR>se they don'<WBR>t want to be caugh<WBR>t. The new law requi<WBR>res that the tag be cente<WBR>red on the bike,<WBR> be at least<WBR> 24 inche<WBR>s above<WBR> the groun<WBR>d and be displ<WBR>ayed so numbe<WBR>rs and lette<WBR>rs can be read from left to right<WBR>, she said.
Polic<WBR>e offic<WBR>ers might<WBR> use some discr<WBR>etion<WBR> in writi<WBR>ng ticke<WBR>ts for licen<WBR>se-<WBR>plate<WBR> viola<WBR>tions<WBR>, givin<WBR>g time for biker<WBR>s to be educa<WBR>ted, Mille<WBR>r said.<WBR> "Law enfor<WBR>cemen<WBR>t under<WBR>stand<WBR>s that peopl<WBR>e have to know that it is illeg<WBR>al," she said.
But, she said,<WBR> there<WBR> can never<WBR> be an excus<WBR>e for excee<WBR>ding the speed<WBR> limit<WBR> by 50 mph or "for your front<WBR> wheel<WBR> to be over your head.
"