TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A new Florida law is about to kick into high gear, creating much harsher penalties for “dangerous” speedsters.

The law (HB 351) establishes a new criminal offense under state statutes: “dangerous excessive speeding.”

More specifically, the offense refers to situations where drivers:

• Go at least 50 mph over the speed limit

• Speed at 100 mph or more in a way that threatens the people or property around them

While reckless driving is already a crime in the state of Florida, courts have already held that simply speeding too much doesn’t necessarily count.

In addition, speeding itself is generally considered a noncriminal traffic infraction, punished primarily with fines.

Consequently, HB 351 will finally make excessive speeding a chargeable offense, in addition to any related fines for such speeding violations.

Under this law, someone who commits “dangerous excessive speeding” can be punished as follows:

• Upon a first conviction

  • Up to 30 days in jail;

  • A fine of $500; or

  • Both

• Upon subsequent convictions

  • Up to 90 days in jail;

  • A fine of $1,000;

  • Both

• Upon subsequent convictions within five years

An earlier draft of the legislation’s sister bill contained a clause enabling law enforcement to seize a driver’s vehicle for 30 days if it was used for reckless driving, along with stricter punishments for convictions. Nevertheless, legislators eventually chose to exclude these stipulations from the bill.

Regardless, HB 351 is slated to take effect on July 1 alongside over 120 other new laws. You can find the full list of those laws here.