NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Motorists driving 25 mph over the speed limit in Tennessee could be fined as much as $500 under a proposal advancing in the Senate.
The “super speeder” bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Jack Johnson of Franklin was approved Tuesday by the Senate Transportation Committee on an 8-0 vote with one abstention.
Johnson said the bill is needed because Tennessee court rulings have found that excessive speed alone is not enough to charge motorists with reckless driving.
The move to add penalties also comes amid dwindling ticket citations issued by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Troopers wrote half as many speeding tickets in 2008 as in 2001.
The companion to the Tennessee proposal is awaiting a vote in the House Finance Committee.