Georgia lawmakers have proposed a new law which would make all semi trucks traveling 10 mph above the speed limit a “super speeder.”
Under current state law, anyone driving over 85 miles per hour on a highway in Georgia is considered a super speeder and subject to additional fines and penalties. Convicted super speeders are required to pay a $200 fee, in addition to the normal speeding ticket fines.
Under the new proposal, any commercial vehicle traveling 10 mph above the posted limit would also be considered a super speeder. The proposal does not affect passenger vehicles.
This means if a semi truck and passenger vehicle were both doing 65 mph in a 55 mph zone, only the semi truck would be considered a super speeder, even though both vehicles were traveling at the same speed.
Rep. Ron Stephens, (R-Savannah) proposed the bill as a result of the April 22 semi truck crash that resulted in the death of five nursing students.
The proposal has received support from both republicans and democrats in the state.