States with the priciest speeding tickets

By Forbes.com

Taking a road trip home for the holidays this year? Be sure to go easy on the gas pedal, particularly if your travels take you up or down the East Coast.

According to the statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the I-95 corridor between the deep Southeast and New England includes four of the 10 U.S. states carrying the highest fines for speeding -- Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland and New Hampshire. All hit up speeders for a maximum of $500 or more for a first offense. Judges in Carolina and Georgia, not to mention 16 other states, have the discretion to add jail time.

The national median for a first offender's top-end fine is $200, according to the NHTSA. And even states with lower standard fines sometimes have exceptions. Connecticut, for example, generally caps fines for first-time speeders at $50, though exceeding 70 miles per hour on a "multiple lane, limited access highway" will usually bring double or triple that amount. In Massachusetts, anyone caught going more than 10 miles per hour above the limit is socked for $10 for every additional mile, over and above the state's $50 minimum.

Driving hits the pocketbook

And be on the lookout in financially strapped rural areas and beach towns thick with tourists. Both are notorious for raising revenue by sticking lots of people with speeding tickets.

Getting stopped by a police officer for speeding doesn't necessarily mean you'll get written up. Those with the skill and know-how to talk or act their way out of a ticket have saved themselves a lot of money over the years. Rule No. 1, of course, is being polite to the officer. No need to antagonize someone who's in a position to set you back hundreds of dollars.

"The guy has a gun, badge, billy club and a ticket book, so be nice to him," advises Alex Carroll, author of the book "Beat the Cops," which offers tips on getting out of tickets. Others include little things like removing sunglasses, turning off the stereo and pulling over far enough so that the officer isn't practically standing in the passing traffic while he quizzes you at the driver's side window. A little consideration can go a long way.

Also, Carroll points out, never volunteer information. Wait for the officer to tell you why he pulled you over. Launching into an immediate apology for speeding can bring an extra charge if the officer had initially stopped you for a faulty taillight.

Measuring the financial impact

How hard a speeding ticket hits you in the wallet can vary according to several factors, including how fast over the limit you were going, no matter where in the country you're caught. Is it your first offense, or are you a multiple offender? Half the states in the U.S. use a "points" system to measure drivers' moving violation history. Piling them up increases both fines and insurance rates. Also, were you caught zipping too fast through a school zone or construction area? If so, expect to pay as much as double the normal fine in some states, thanks in part to targeted efforts by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

"We're recommending enforcement in certain areas, like school zones and work zones. The idea is to go after the worst offenders first," says Jonathan Atkins, an association spokesman.

Not surprisingly, young males are nabbed for speeding more than anyone else, NHTSA figures show, with 38% of men under 21 caught in the act last year. In fact, it's not until you reach the men's 35 to 44 age group that the number of speeding incidents comes in below that for 15- to 20-year-old females.

When it comes to trying to get out of a ticket, some people really know how to get creative. Carroll relays a story of a woman who carries a camera in her car, purely as a prop to show cops as she tells them she's rushing to the hospital to meet her pregnant sister, for whom she promised to take pictures during delivery. Then there's the guy who always drives around with a full water bottle at the ready. Anytime he's pulled over, he pours a little out onto his lap, and then tells the approaching officer he's been trying to rush home ahead of a bladder emergency.

"He always gets out of tickets," Carroll says.

Penalties for first-time speeders

State	Jail time	Fines	State	Jail time	Fines
Alabama	Up to 10 days	Up to $100	Montana		$10-$100
Alaska		Up to $300	Nebraska		$10-$200
Arizona		Up to $250	Nevada	Up to 6 mos.	Up to $1,000
Arkansas	Up to 10 days	Up to $100	New Hampshire		Up to $1,000
California		Up to $100	New Jersey	Up to 15 days	$50-$200
Colorado		$15-$100	New Mexico	Up to 90 days	Up to $300
Connecticut		Up to $50	New York	Up to 30 days	$30-$400
Delaware		$20	North Carolina	Up to 60 days	$100-$1,000
Washington, D.C.		$15-$100	North Dakota		$5->$99
Florida		$25-$250	Ohio		Up to $100
Georgia	Up to 12 mos.	Up to $1,000	Oklahoma	5 to 30 days	$10-$200
Hawaii		Up to $200	Oregon		$75-$600
Idaho		Up to $100	Pennsylvania		$35
Illinois		Up to $1,000	Rhode Island		$50
Indiana		Up to $500	South Carolina	Up to 30 days	$15-200
Iowa	Up to 30 days	$50-$100	South Dakota	Up to 30 days	Up to $200
Kansas		Up to $500	Tennessee	Up to 30 days	Up to $50
Kentucky		Up to $100	Texas		$1-$200
Louisiana	Up to 30 days	Up to $175	Utah	Up to 90 days	Up to $750
Maine		$25-$250	Vermont		Up to $175
Maryland		Up to $500	Virginia		Up to $200
Massachusetts		Not less than $50	Washington		Up to $250
Michigan		Up to $100	West Virginia		Up to $100
Minnesota		Up to $200	Wisconsin		$30-$300
Mississippi	Up to 10 days	Up to $100	Wyoming	Up to 30 days	Up to $200
Missouri	Up to 6 mos.	Up to $500

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

This article was reported and written by Tom Van Riper for Forbes.com.