Photo by Taylor Beach
By Kyler Van Vliet
Sen. David Gowan (R- District 14) proposed a bill that would save Arizonans money and save them from higher car insurance premiums.
Gowan proposed SB 1127 on the 12th, a bill that he designed to help both the citizens of Arizona and its police officers. One of the key aspects of the proposed bill is if a driver is speeding up-to 10 mph over in 55, 65 or 75 zone then you can be cited for the offense of “waste of a finite resource” instead of a speeding citation.
This comes as good news as the offense of “waste of a finite resource” carries a fine of $15, whereas fines for a speeding ticket start at $250 for going 10 mph over the speed limit and raise by $50 for every additional 5 mph over.
The bill also adds that the state Department of Transportation cannot use the offense to add points to a person’s driving record after being cited and ADOT can’t report the citation to someone’s insurance company, which often results in higher premiums.
Gowan said that the bill provides law enforcement with a supplementary option during traffic stops.
“Police officers aren’t out there trying to just tag you for everything,” he said. “They want to keep things safe and rolling.”
SB 1127 will also alter the current criminal legislature regarding speeding in Arizona.
Under current law, it is a criminal offense to exceed a posted speed limit in a business or residential district by more than 20 mph. That comes with maximum penalties of up to 30 days in jail, $500 dollars in fines and one year of probation. That same law also makes it a crime to drive at more than 85 mph in the state.
Gowan wants to update that last part to make the criminal penalty effective only if someone is doing at least 20 mph over the posted limit. Gowan has stated that with this bill he hopes to bring the law into conformity with the public’s perception of it.
The bill was proposed last year and got a 17-13 vote in the Senate, but it never reached a hearing in the House.