This year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is pressing ahead with a controversial speed-limiting proposal. But truck drivers should remain watchful – an analysis by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has revealed that law enforcement issues more speeding citations in 10 states than any others. The findings underscore how factors like just one missed MPH sign can be financially detrimental to professional drivers and raise concerns about highway safety when large vehicles exceed legal limits of velocity.
While most drivers of commercial vehicles boast excellent safety records, there are still certain states where you may want to be extra vigilant according to data from a recently-released report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Based on their analysis, here are 10 states where law enforcement issues the highest number of speeding violations.
Ohio: 14.95 percent of drivers were cited for speeding.
Iowa: 14.87 percent of drivers were cited for speeding.
North Dakota: 14.41 percent of drivers were cited for speeding.
Wisconsin: 13.43 percent of drivers were cited for speeding.
South Carolina: 13.35 percent of drivers were cited for speeding.
Virginia: 12.65 percent of drivers were cited for speeding.
Alaska: 12.40 percent of drivers were cited for speeding.
Washington: 12.17 percent of drivers were cited for speeding.
Colorado: 12.03 percent of drivers were cited for speeding.
Wyoming: 12.01 percent of drivers were cited for speeding.
Last year, Connecticut drivers had the lowest reported rate of being ticketed for speeding violations across America. This may appear peculiar in light of its truck-only mileage tax system, yet statistics revealed only 4.74% were issued tickets – almost half that of 9.18% as the national average. Conversely, Ohio’s fines generate considerable revenue to state coffers when it comes to fines incurred from traffic violations such as speeding by truckers. Ohio wasn’t alone in collecting hefty sums through high citations; TrafficTickets.com revealed which states imposed the maximum and minimum penalties amounting to big dollars last year, and the states below were found to impose the heftiest fines.
Illinois: $75 to $2,500
Arizona: 0 to $2,500
Colorado: $115 to $1,000
Nevada: $25 to $1,000
Iowa: $25 to $625
Connecticut: $198 to $560
Maryland: $80 to $530
California: $230 to $500
Hawaii: $200 to $500
Utah: $150 to $500
As veteran truckers know all too well, commercial drivers face even greater consequences when they receive a speeding ticket, as this doesn’t just mean writing out a check. Excessive speed and violations of other laws can have serious implications on the ability to secure among the highest-paying job opportunities available in transportation. In an effort to tackle America’s rising problem with unsafe driving habits during Operation Safe Driver Week, authorities issued more than 16 thousand warnings and citations – 8,586 tickets for illegally exceeding posted limits being handed down compared to only 1,891 seat belt noncompliance charges.
While most drivers are taking laws and safety very seriously, it never hurts to know the areas on your route where you might want to exercise extra caution.
Sources: thetruckersreport, insurify
