The Florida Legislature made changes to the statutes regarding driving and
operating motor vehicles. The best source I have found so far is an article by
Bob Arndorfer at Gainesville.com
The House Bill 1697 is loaded with new wording and new statues. I am still trying to read thru all the legalize and have been talking to local law enforcement on what they are aware of. So I'll start this Thread and maybe we Floridians will be better prepared to be good citizens. So I'll try to summarize what I read and hear...
1) You must use a turn signal when overtaking another vehicle or lane change (previous lanquage was vaque ,now it's specific) .
2) Min speed on interstate goes up from 45 to 50.
3) under 18 driver gets a primary offense for no seat-belt and the under 18
driver gets tickets for any passenger (f/R) not buckled up.For drivers over
18 it remains a secondary offense (i.e. must pull ya for something other
than seatbelt. IMO kinda dumb not to buckle up as a habit ...
also how does an 18 year look different than a 19 year old ?
4) Boom Box distance from 100 to 25 feet.
5) The license plate must show the "FLORIDA" ; the decal ; and the number.
Some frames I have seen block out parts.
6) Red light fines go from $60 to $125 (effective 10/1/05)
7) There are some other changes effecting motorcycles ; railroad crossings ;
your mug shot on the driver's license, etc...
I'm still hunting for the wording but I seem to remember something about
LEFT-LANE only drivers...
Regarding Reckless Driving and Operating in a safe manner there are changes that will allow different enforcement . I'm still looking for the wording in the statutes (shame the process of finding out what our laws are is so difficult) that reflect what I'm hearing but I'll mention them ...
Tire Chirping and Smoking is ticketable ; Tint reflectability wording has changed ; exhaust tone/sound must remain close to stock for the vehicle ; and finally this one was on the books but I was never aware : Excessive speed over 30 mph above the posted speed is a felony and a jailable offense. (61 in a 30 and you could go to jail with a felony) and the price of violations has been "inflation adjusted"...
As we all know the law enforcement officer has the option to use his discretion regarding any violation of a FL statute , but it sure helps if
the citizens know the laws before we get ticketed for violating them.
IMHO : I kinda feel that "hot rodding is part of our heritage" but the laws and their Taxation effect are moving us off the Street and onto the Track...
Anyway talk to your friends/ police buddies and maybe we can all be fully informed and then make our decisions accordingly with our 350+ torque.
Last edited by Xcommuter : 07-01-2005 at 12:13 PM.
1) You must use a turn signal when overtaking another vehicle or lane change (previous lanquage was vaque ,now it's specific) .
AMEN
4) Boom Box distance from 100 to 25 feet.
DOUBLE AMEN
and finally this one was on the books but I was never aware : Excessive speed over 30 mph above the posted speed is a felony and a jailable offense. (61 in a 30 and you could go to jail with a felony) and the price of violations has been "inflation adjusted"...
It used to be 15 over they "could" jail you 30 over mandatory ,,I had one for 100 over on Dixie (135 in 35,20 years ago,very young,very stupid)) so I know first hand..
I would be very intrested how the tint law has changed,,all my vehicles are just over (illegal) on the darkness factor but I have never been stopped for it in 20+ years thankfully.
The Florida Legislature made changes to the statutes regarding driving and
operating motor vehicles. The best source I have found so far is an article by
Bob Arndorfer at Gainesville.com
The House Bill 1697 is loaded with new wording and new statues. I am still trying to read thru all the legalize and have been talking to local law enforcement on what they are aware of. So I'll start this Thread and maybe we Floridians will be better prepared to be good citizens. So I'll try to summarize what I read and hear...
1) You must use a turn signal when overtaking another vehicle or lane change (previous lanquage was vaque ,now it's specific) .
2) Min speed on interstate goes up from 45 to 50.
3) under 18 driver gets a primary offense for no seat-belt and the under 18
driver gets tickets for any passenger (f/R) not buckled up.For drivers over
18 it remains a secondary offense (i.e. must pull ya for something other
than seatbelt. IMO kinda dumb not to buckle up as a habit ...
also how does an 18 year look different than a 19 year old ?
4) Boom Box distance from 100 to 25 feet.
5) The license plate must show the "FLORIDA" ; the decal ; and the number.
Some frames I have seen block out parts.
6) Red light fines go from $60 to $125 (effective 10/1/05)
7) There are some other changes effecting motorcycles ; railroad crossings ;
your mug shot on the driver's license, etc...
I'm still hunting for the wording but I seem to remember something about
LEFT-LANE only drivers...
Regarding Reckless Driving and Operating in a safe manner there are changes that will allow different enforcement . I'm still looking for the wording in the statutes (shame the process of finding out what our laws are is so difficult) that reflect what I'm hearing but I'll mention them ...
Tire Chirping and Smoking is ticketable ; Tint reflectability wording has changed ; exhaust tone/sound must remain close to stock for the vehicle ; and finally this one was on the books but I was never aware : Excessive speed over 30 mph above the posted speed is a felony and a jailable offense. (61 in a 30 and you could go to jail with a felony) and the price of violations has been "inflation adjusted"...
As we all know the law enforcement officer has the option to use his discretion regarding any violation of a FL statute , but it sure helps if
the citizens know the laws before we get ticketed for violating them.
IMHO : I kinda feel that "hot rodding is part of our heritage" but the laws and their Taxation effect are moving us off the Street and onto the Track...
Anyway talk to your friends/ police buddies and maybe we can all be fully informed and then make our decisions accordingly with our 350+ torque.
I'll see you at the track then. Wed. the 6th or sat the 9th.???
I believe the left lane law also passed. It stated that the left lane was to be used for overtaking another vehicle. If you cruise in the left lane without passing an officer could ticket you. The only exception is if there is a left lane exit within 2 miles. This is for interstates also.
I would argue that a loudmouth exhaust sounds stock in tone, just not loudness.
Now what they should have done something about is all the pickups that have 12" to 15" lifts and the headlights blind you. Also if one of those hits a car there is no bumper protection for the car, it just rides up over the other vehicle turning minor accidents deadly. That is the reason 18 wheelers have the "D.O.T." bumpers and low front fascias and bumpers.
Oh well just my .02
The left lane law wasn't signed. Bush felt it would increase speeders. But you can go to a restaurant and drink wine, then take the unfinished bottle with you. And that won't increase the possibility of drinking and driving.
One important law you forgot, if you are caught racing on the streets, they can take your car. Kind of like 'Pinks', but you don't get to barter your position.
Now what they should have done something about is all the pickups that have 12" to 15" lifts and the headlights blind you.
They do, they just choose not to enforce it. Back when some counties had emissions testing, if a car pulled up for testing and it was smoking, they where to fail the car w/o testing. Never happened. Cops are also supposed to issue 'defective equipment' citations for that stuff, but they don't.
I live way out west in palm beach and around here everyone drives lifted diesel pickemups with massive exhausts you can hear inside your house as they roar by a block away. Only thing more annoying is the steady stream of riced out Harleys zooming by with their open pipe exhausts on the weekends. Its like a competition to see who is slowest and loudest at the same time.. Cops dont care..
Driving skills are going downhill all over the state. In North Florida you have to
use defensive skills 90 % and offensive skills 10 % . We all like speed or we wouldn't be on this forum , but I find it's hard to travel point A - Point B without yelling at some crazy move daily much less finding space to be aggressive. I-95 and I-75 can be madness with packs acting like Nascar in vehicles that are in need of repairs. The fun challenge is to find a GAP and cruise in it. Birds are old school and L is better (for LOOSER).
Back in the 70's you could see driver's that had the skills when hauling A but now I rarely see ANY car hauling A with some skill and coolness , except Goats...
Law enforcement has a tough job and they aren't compensated very well at that , just wish they would ticket for something other than speeding. Have you ever noticed how the FHP drive the speed limit when crusing , but rarely see that with DOT , Sheriff's , and local police ...
Still researching the Words and enforcement ideas on the New laws .
I really don't mind people who speed... I don't really consider them the idiots. It's the people who speed while swerving in and out of all 3 lanes of traffic and coming a foot to even inches from clipping the cars they're going by.
It's kind of funny though, where I live in the state with certain cities (Maitland, Sanford, Altamonte Springs) the police departments have very good, smart, and observant officers. Three quarters of the time they won't pull you over if you're going 15 maybe 20 mph over the speed limit as long as you appear to be "responsible" and safe while doing it. They instead wait for that one guy to go hauling ass down the road - driving like a freakin moron - before they take out and grab someone.
I never get tired of seeing a ricer go flying down I-4 flashing through all the lanes and then 5 miles down the road I see a FHP or Sheriff's Deputy with him on the side of the road.
__________________ Eating "Ricer Rockets" 4.7 seconds at a time.
AutoForums.com is the premier network of enthusiast-owned
enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
We operate more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share
experiences and opinions as a community.
Linear Mode
