When you’re driving down the highway, you don’t want to see blue lights in your rear-view mirror. Unfortunately, these situations usually lead to a traffic ticket. While fines vary from state to state, some places are worse than others. If you’re behind the wheel, here are the five worst places to be busted for a moving violation.
Georgia
If you’re driving through the Peach State, you don’t want to be involved in a hit and run accident or ticketed for speeding. If either of these happen, prepare to make a withdrawal from your bank account. In Georgia, judges have the ability to impose fines of $1,000 or more at their discretion, so it’s a good idea to slow down and pay attention to the speed limit.
Illinois
According to Abels & Annes, roughly 11 percent of all police-reported crashes involve a hit-and-run, and, shockingly, about one in five pedestrian fatalities are caused by hit-and-run accidents. Nearly 2,600 traffic fatalities every year are attributable to hit-and-run drivers. If a driver leaves the scene of an accident without meeting these requirements, he or she may be found guilty of a felony, and will have his or her driver’s license revoked. If the accident results in death, the crime is a Class 2 felony that is punishable by imprisonment from three to 14 years.
Texas
According to the National Motorist Association, a survey of drivers determined that most view the Lone Star State as having the most speed traps. In the 2015 survey, Texas came in as having 1,383 speed traps, which beat California by more than 300. Because of this, it’s a good idea to watch for speed limit signs and pay close attention to your speedometer.
Hawaii
If you want to say aloha to your money, try going over the speed limit in Hawaii. According to the National Motorist Association, the state was determined to have more speed traps per 1,000 miles of highway than any other state, with an average of 4.74 traps per 1,000 miles. Therefore, it’s a good idea to obey the state’s 60 mile per hour highway speed limit, since it can cost you plenty if you don’t.
Massachusetts
For drivers who get a ticket in Massachusetts, choosing to fight the ticket is not worth the effort or cost. The only state with non-refundable court filing fees, you could end up paying several hundred dollars for your ill-fated appearance before the judge.
District of Columbia
Based on research from AAA Mid-Atlantic, D.C. drivers can get tickets even though they may have never driven through a particular part of the area, and are assumed guilty until proven innocent. Based on statistics from D.C.’s Office of the Inspector General, in a one-year period 2.83 million tickets were written there, generating over $83 million for the district.
Needless to say, driving through any of these areas can result not only in tremendous inconvenience, but also seeing your bank account take a big hit. More information about these moving violation nightmares can be found at bestride.com/news/entertainment/5-worst-states-traffic-ticket.