Many people in Ohio get a thrill from driving fast. Speed limits are set based on a number of safety factors, though, and the law treats speeding seriously. After a law enforcement officer pulls someone over for driving over the posted limit, the driver may be wondering what penalties are in store.
The Hamilton County Clerk of Courts provides a Payout Schedule Information pamphlet that provides the amount a driver must pay for various traffic violations. The fine will depend on a number of factors, such as how many miles per hour over the limit the vehicle was traveling. Fines typically begin at around $130. Higher rates of speed in a school or construction zone can increase the amount of the ticket considerably. The ticket may also indicate that the violation requires an increased fine.
Perhaps just as serious—or even more so—are the points that a driver accumulates on his or her record. Ohio law states that traveling more than 5 mph over the speed limit when the limit is lower than 55 mph equals two points, as does traveling more than 10 mph over a speed limit of 55 mph or higher. Traveling more than 30 mph over any posted limit will net the driver four points. Street racing is in a different category from speeding and involves two vehicles driving side by side. This violation receives six points.
Why are points so bad? A driver who receives 12 points within a two-year period will have his or her driver’s license suspended. And driving with a suspended license after earning 12 points results in an additional six points.
