Troopers and deputies across Southwest Florida are cracking down hard on “super-speeders.” Since July, when the new Dangerous Excessive Speeding Law kicked in, officers have been slapping cuffs on drivers caught racing down the highways at terrifying speeds.
This new law, in effect since July 1, gives police a lot more power. Now, if someone’s flying over 50 mph over the speed limit or hitting triple digits, officers can pull them over and, if they choose, arrest them on the spot. Florida Highway Patrol can stop that vehicle and has the discretion of putting handcuffs on that person, sending a powerful message of zero-tolerance.
Since the law took effect, state troopers have arrested at least 122 drivers under the new rules. That number doesn’t even count the busts made by local sheriff’s deputies and city police. Jail time and car impoundment are on the table.
The numbers behind the crackdown are sobering. Florida loses around 3,200 people a year on its roads. Every day, nine people die in crashes. In Southwest Florida alone, 182 people died in nearly 21,000 wrecks last year.
Speeding has always been a thorn in Florida’s side, but “super-speeding” raises the stakes. Blow a tire at 100 mph, or lose control for a moment, and the consequences can be catastrophic. The law doesn’t just target reckless drivers with jail—there are points on your license, too. Get caught driving 50 mph over the limit, and you’re looking at four points, the same penalty as blowing past a stopped school bus. Rack up enough points and you’re off the road: 12 points in a year means a 30-day suspension, 18 points in 18 months gets you three months, and 24 points in three years earns a year-long suspension. Fatal reckless driving tacks on at least three more points.
Local law enforcement agencies are posting their own arrest numbers. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested at least 31 drivers under the new law by early December. Cape Coral Police picked up at least eight, Fort Myers Police two, and Sanibel Police one—an 87-mph motorcyclist blazing down a 35-mph road. In Collier County, deputies made 36 arrests, with October alone seeing 10 people taken in. Marco Island Police had one arrest in December.
And the crackdown keeps picking up speed. By late October, troopers in Lee and Collier counties had made 83 super-speeder arrests. By early December, that jumped to 158—almost one a day. Troop F, which covers a sizable chunk of Southwest Florida, hands out thousands of dangerous driving citations every year.
Law enforcement agencies are hoping this sends a wake-up call with the goal of preventing the loss of innocent lives because of reckless speeding.
