Florida Officers Crack Down on Super Speeders as Deputies and Troopers Hear Bizarre Excuses During Roadside Stops Statewide This Year
FORT MYERS, FL — Florida law enforcement agencies are stepping up enforcement against so-called super speeders, and the stops are producing everything from nervous admissions to outlandish explanations. Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 1, officers recorded 2,721 cases statewide, according to the figures cited by Gulf Coast News.
In traffic stops across the state, drivers have offered excuses that range from needing to reach a cheating girlfriend to rushing to a hospitalized grandmother or trying not to soil their pants. Troopers and deputies say the comments are familiar enough to be memorable, but not persuasive enough to avoid a citation or arrest when the driving reaches dangerous speeds.
Troopers on Colonial Boulevard say 90 miles an hour is still dangerously fast
Gulf Coast News joined Florida Highway Patrol Trooper David Blake during a ride-along on Colonial Boulevard in Lee County, where he stopped two drivers traveling 90 mph and 91 mph. Neither driver met the legal threshold for a super speeder arrest during that encounter, but Blake said both were still going far too fast for public roads.
Blake said many motorists try to explain away the behavior with familiar lines. Some insist they did not notice how fast they were going. Others say they were distracted, late for work, or trying to get home to feed a pet. In his view, those explanations do little to change the risk created by speed that far exceeds the limit.
Officers across Florida say the excuses can be surprising and sometimes personal
Law enforcement officials quoted in the story said the excuses often become the most striking part of the stop. DeSoto County deputies, for example, were told by one driver, “I’m actually on my way to my cheating girlfriend’s house.” Jacksonville police heard a driver at 111 mph claim, “My grandma is in the hospital, and I’m trying to get to her.”
Orange County deputies also heard a blunt confession from a driver who said, “I just had coffee, and I had to poop my pants.” In Flagler County, another motorist told deputies, “Oh, I have an appointment with my barber.” Lee County officers heard a different kind of honesty when a driver said the reason was “just because he has a Supra.”
A deadly Lee County crash still shapes how officers think about speeding
Blake said one crash from four years ago continues to motivate his work. He recalled responding to a fatal wreck in Lee County involving a college student coming from FGCU. According to his account, a speeding vehicle was involved in a collision after another driver ran a red light and T-boned the car.
He said the young woman died and that he had to make the next-of-kin notification to her family. Her parents, grandparents, and others were at home for graduation preparations when he arrived with the news. Blake said moments like that are why officers keep targeting dangerous speeds before they turn into life-changing tragedies.
Rural roads in DeSoto County add extra hazards to high-speed driving
DeSoto County Sheriff James Potter said speeding is especially dangerous on rural roads, where the risks can be less predictable than on major highways. He pointed to the possibility of deer, hogs, or even cows crossing the road, along with disabled vehicles, debris, or a stranded driver around a blind curve.
Potter said his deputies have also heard unusual excuses during stops. One driver claimed to be speeding while trying to catch a cheating girlfriend. Another said he needed to use the restroom. Potter’s message was that rural roads leave no margin for careless driving when conditions can change quickly.
Florida's super speeder law brings arrests, fines and license suspensions
The state’s super speeder law took effect on July 1, 2025. It allows officers to arrest drivers who go 50 mph or more over the posted limit, or who drive 100 mph or more in a way that endangers others. Officers say the law gives them another tool to respond before a speeding case turns into a fatal crash.
Blake told one driver during the ride-along, “You’re ten miles from that. You’re ten miles away from going in handcuffs.” He also emphasized that even 90 mph in a 55-mph zone is dangerous. Second offenses can bring up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, while repeated violations within five years can lead to a license revocation of at least 180 days and as long as one year.