Panel hears bill to add $200 fine for drivers exceeding speed limit by 30 mph

The House Public Safety Committee took testimony on House Bill 111, the "Excessive Speed Deterrent Act," which would add an additional $200 fine for drivers convicted of exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 30 mph.

Sponsors said the proposal targets a small subset of citations they described as the "worst of the worst"—offenses that place other road users at extreme risk. Sponsors cited Ohio State Highway Patrol data (materials provided to members) showing troopers issue roughly 250,000 speeding citations annually and that only about 4% are for speeds more than 30 mph over the limit. "These are the individuals who put our families at extreme risk," a sponsor said.

Members asked whether higher fines alone deter hazardous driving and whether other sanctions or publicity campaigns should accompany the change. Representative Brent and others urged the sponsors to study whether jurisdictions that raised fines saw reduced incidents and to consider public education so drivers know about the new penalty. Representative Gambari asked whether judges would have discretion; sponsors said the $200 increase would generally be mandatory except in cases of indigency and that the bill includes a statutory indigency provision.

Sponsors and counsel said points and other administrative penalties remain governed by existing law and that they would provide committee members with details on points and prior fine cutoffs.

The committee closed the first hearing without a vote; sponsors said they would provide additional data on effectiveness and points to the committee.