IA - Speeding Tickets For $1,375

[StlouisX50]

Speeding Tickets For $1,375

By Justin Foss, Reporter

By Justin Foss


Story Created: May 8, 2009 at 6:58 PM CDT
Story Updated: May 8, 2009 at 6:58 PM CDT

CORALVILLE - This spring and summer, the state will work on a lot of road construction projects, partly because of more funding from the federal economic stimulus bill.

With all of that work on the highways, law enforcement is keeping an extra eye open for speeders.

It doesn't take long to get Trooper Mike Hick's attention. He's made it his mission to get people to slow down in construction zones.

Sometimes, that means hefty fines.

"$1,375," said Trooper Hicks.

You heard him right, $1,375 for going 26 over the limit, and he said that happens more often than you might think considering the limit in the construction zones is only 55.

Chad Bender with the Coralville Police Department thinks more people are slowing down.

But, the Department of Transportation is paying him overtime to remind those that don't.

"Most aren't too happy and I think it finally sinks in that it's not worth going that fast in a construction zone," said Bender.

"What I've seen out here is just society, they've become so impatient, and they don't realize that a few miles isn't going to make that much difference, you're not going to save that much time," said Hicks.

For the second year in a row, Interstate 80 running through Coralville is squeezed into two tight lanes.

Troopers say they could sit here all day long and pick off speeders. But they say not only is it not safe to speed here, it's not safe to pull them over in the tight corners and lanes.

Hicks hopes just by keeping an eye on speeders, speeders keep an eye out too.

"And the next time they come through, 'Where's that trooper sitting at?' They're starting to look around and noticing what's around them instead of just driving down the road," said Hicks.

Hicks hopes people police themselves and slow down, but he's not afraid to do his job if they don't.

The maximum fine for speeding is $1,000, but that doesn't include court costs and other fees.

According to the State Patrol, the following is a list of total fines including court costs and fees in workzones, keep in mind this includes the fine being doubled because it is a workzone:

1-10 over - $253
11-20 over - $451
21-25 over - $715
25+ over - $1,375

[StlouisX50]

Damn that's high for 1-10 over and then the rest damN!

[lugnuts]

good to know. better watch out in IA