Does it seem like all Florida drivers think it's OK to speed?
You may not be entirely wrong. A new national survey from AAA on driving attitudes shows that many American drivers consider going 10 miles an hour over the posted limit to be perfectly fine, and nearly half believed that keeping up with traffic was safer than following a number on a sign.
While most drivers surveyed considered speed limits appropriate, they didn't necessarily think those limits applied equally to everyone, and three in 10 drivers agreed with the idea that "no one actually drives the speed limit." The report included both focus group discussions with 58 drivers and a survey of more than 16,000 drivers around the country.
In the 646 Florida drivers surveyed, 44% considered themselves "sometimes" or "frequent" speeders, while 56% either never exceeded the speed limit or did so only rarely.
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That kind of normalization of speeding isn't good. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding was a factor in nearly 30% of traffic fatalities in 2024.
"Too many drivers have convinced themselves that speeding is just part of driving," said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. "The reality is that crashes don't care what's considered normal. The faster you're going, the less time you have to avoid a dangerous situation."
Last month, Florida Highway Patrol troopers issued 2,714 speeding tickets during the annual Operation Slow Down crackdown.
Many drivers in the Sunshine State have no moral problems with speeding at all, the survey found. When asked,
42% said it was safer to drive with the flow of traffic than obey the speed limit
38% said that when they do speed, "I don't go so fast that I worry about dying if I get in an accident"
26% say that no one actually drives the speed limit, "speeding is just the norm nowadays"
13% say that speed limits are targeted to the most inexperienced drivers to make sure everyone drives safely
9% say they speed all the time, "and I've never been pulled over"
Nearly 90% of the Florida drivers surveyed said they avoided speeding enforcement, and 44% of those also warn others.
Florida drivers surveyed had different answers as to why they speed.
29% - To get around slow drivers
22% - To get to my destination faster
18% - So that I won't hold up traffic
15% - Because that's just how I normally drive
14% - Because the way the road is built makes me drive faster
While just under half of the drivers surveyed said they didn't speed because of the dangers to others, 80% said they kept to the speed limit to avoid tickets. The top motivators not to speed among Florida drivers were:
80% - Because I don't want a speeding ticket
70% - Because I don't want to get into an accident
49% - Because it puts other road users at risk
49% - Because there's too much traffic
Florida drivers surveyed were in favor of certain anti-speeding measures, with percentages increasing the further away those measures got from their neighborhoods.
More Floridians supported increased police presence or ticketing in their own neighborhoods (83%) than the national average (79%), and that percentage jumped to 89% in high-risk areas and 90% for crash-prone areas.
They weren't quite as much in favor of automated speed cameras, which have come under fire recently for fears of unwarranted surveillance. Just over 63% wanted those near where they live, with percentages in the 70s supporting them elsewhere.
Even fewer drivers want electronic warning signs (42%), speed humps (42%), or rumble strips (38%) in their neighborhoods, and only 35-39% supported traffic circles anywhere.
The drivers surveyed were in favor of intelligent speed assistance (ISA) technology inside vehicles, but they wanted to stay in control.
Just over 50% were in favor of alerts, the same as the national percentage. When it came to devices that limit the vehicle's speed, 42% supported them if they could be overridden, compared to the national percentage of 35%. But only 26% of Florida drivers supported speed limiters that couldn't be overridden, compared to 23% nationally.
If you're driving in Florida, you should know the state has a new law against "super speeders" that started last year. It created the crime of "dangerous excessive speeding" for anyone going 50 mph or more over the speed limit, or driving at 100 mph or more in a manner that threatens the safety of other persons or property or interferes with the operation of any vehicle.
Your first super-speeding ticket means up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine of $500. After that, it's 90 days in jail and/or a gine or $1,000 each time, and the chance of getting your driver license revoked for at least 180 days. The ticket also requires a mandatory court hearing.
According to Florida Statute 318.18:
1-5 mph over the limit: Warning
10-14 mph over the limit: $100
15-19 mph over the limit: $150
20-29 mph over the limit: $175
30 mph over the limit and above: $250
However, each county or municipality can decide its own traffic fines, which can be higher. Fines are also increased, sometimes dramatically, for repeated offenses or for speeding through school zones, toll booths or construction zones. Fines will also increase if you commit other violations while speeding or if you are involved in an accident.
Felony speeders can see fines of $1,000 or more, and repeat offenders may have their licenses suspended for up to a year.
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida's best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: These Florida drivers say speeding is common and often feels safer
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