ORLANDO, Fla. – Drivers who endanger others by speeding 100 mph or faster on Florida roads could be sentenced to jail time under a new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday.
Motorists who exceed the speed limit by 50 mph also face possible incarceration once the new law takes effect July 1.
Under the “Dangerous Excessive Speeding Act,” anyone convicted of operating a motor vehicle 50 mph or more above the posted speed limit, or driving 100 mph or more “in a manner that threatens the safety of other persons or property or interferes with the operation of any vehicle,” can be sentenced to a maximum of 30 days in jail and a $500 fine for a first offense.
Subsequent convictions for dangerous excessive speeding carry a sentence of up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Driving privileges can be revoked for up to a year if multiple convictions occur within a five-year period.
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Recent News 6 reports have highlighted apparent speeding on Central Florida roads.
A YouTube channel called “Speed Demon 407” featured videos of motorcycles that appeared to race along Interstate 4, Semoran Boulevard and other local roadways at speeds exceeding 150 mph.
Dallas Ashley, a descendant of the France family that founded NASCAR, was associated with that YouTube channel but denied being the unidentified biker seen in videos showing high-speed stunts.
[WATCH: NASCAR leader’s grandson tied to motorcycle stunt videos on Central Florida roads]
People living in southern Lake County have complained to law enforcement that Bay Lake Road and other thoroughfares near Groveland have attracted speeders and other reckless drivers.
[SEE: Groveland residents demand action after close calls, crashes]
An off-duty Osceola County deputy sheriff was recently suspended for “unbecoming conduct” after a fellow deputy stopped him for apparent speeding.
“On my way to a call, I see this BMW going like a hundred miles per hour. Swerving. Not putting on signals or anything like that. Not stopping at the stop sign,” the deputy who conducted the traffic stop told a supervisor.
Since that deputy did not have radar equipment, he could not prove how fast the car was travelling, according to an internal affairs report.
[VIDEO: Off-duty Osceola deputy accused of speeding]