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Kansas Liberty: 14 August 2008
Higher fines, lower speed limits?
Sebelius' energy council recommendations target drivers
The Kansas Energy Council, a volunteer group formed by a 2004 executive order by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, is calling for a doubling of fines for speeding on highways.
If that recommendation becomes law, a person caught going 20 mph over the speed limit on a highway would pay a fine of $180 instead of the current $90 fine.
In addition, a convicted speeder would be subject to court costs that vary from county to county. In Johnson County, court costs on a ticket for going 20 mph faster than the speed limit is $75.
The council also recommended that drivers who exceed the speed limit on highways by 5 mph be issued tickets that would be treated as moving violations, which can translate to higher auto insurance rates. Currently, drivers can be ticketed for going less than 10 mph over a highway speed limit, but those tickets are considered non-moving violations and do not affect insurance rates.
The council's recommendation to lower the speed limit in Kansas drew a quick response from one Democrat.
After the council recommended that the state’s top speed limit, now 70 mph, be reduced to 65 mph as a way to reduce greenhouse gas and encourage energy efficient driving, Sen. Janis Lee, a Kensington Democrat and a member of the energy council, told colleagues that there was no way the Kansas Legislature would approve a reduction in the speed limit.
The council will accept public comments on these and other recommendations between Sept. 8 and Oct. 10.
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