You’re running late again.  Your alarm didn’t go off, you overslept, and now you’re frantically speeding down the road trying to make it to school on time.

You push the accelerator just a little more, thinking you won’t see a cop when bam—a white car with flashing blue and red lights is suddenly right behind you.  You’ve been caught, and now you must pay the price.

Speeding tickets are very costly and are something that no driver wants.  Sophomore Cade Sharp knows the consequences of speeding.

“I was running late and trying to make it to zero hour on time,” Sharp said. “I was driving 51 in a 35 and I got nailed.”

While some people consider speeding as driving a certain number of miles per hour over the posted limit, Hays Police Officer Brian Dawson talks about what the law considers speeding to be.

“Driving a vehicle over the posted speed limit is speeding,” Dawson said. “The more over the speed limit you drive, the more likely you are to get a ticket.”

According to Hays Police Department stats on speeding citations and warnings, from January to July of 2010, there were 274 speeding citations and 529 speeding warnings given.  In school zones, there were 46 speeding citations and 24 speeding warnings given.

“As far as traffic tickets go, speeding citations are issued more than any other type of ticket,” Dawson said.  “We also give out tickets for non-driving misdemeanor criminal acts such as theft, disorderly conduct and such, but as far as the traffic tickets go, speeding is number one.”

Possibly one of the worst things about getting caught speeding is paying for the pricey ticket.

“My ticket was $140, and I had to pay for it myself,” Sharp said.

According to the Ellis County speeding ticket laws, pricing varies depending on how much over the limit you are driving and who you get pulled over by.

When caught by a Hays Police Officer, the price of the ticket will be much lower because only the municipal court costs will be applied.  But when pulled over by a Kansas Highway Patrolman, a State Trooper or Deputy, the costs of district court are applied and the price is much higher.  Court costs will always be added to your ticket, even if you do not appear in court.

If you are driving 1-5 miles per hour over the limit, you will most likely get a warning.

However, if you are pulled over for driving 6-9 miles per hour over, you will be fined $30 and must pay a municipal court fee of $50.50.  This comes to a total of $80.50.

When caught driving 10-14 miles per hour over the limit, a fee of $40 must be paid along with the court costs for a total of $90.50.  If you are caught driving 15-19 miles per hour over the limit, you must pay $60 plus the court fees for a total of $110.50. However, when you are pulled over for driving at least 20 miles per hour over the posted limit, you must appear in court, and your charges will be decided then.

Overall, students agree that speeding is not the best idea, no matter how much of a hurry you are in.

“I was really mad at myself,” Sharp said. “I can’t even explain what was going through my head when I saw that cop car behind me.  I’m a little more cautious about my speed now than I was before.”

Dawson had some final advice for students wanting to speed.

“You should always drive the speed limit or a little slower, watch the roadway, and don’t get distracted by drinks, cell phones, passengers or other things,” Dawson said.  “Also, always buckle up, even though it’s a law, it’s a simple way to make your driving experiences a lot safer.

“Always remember that driving is a privilege not a constitutional right, and your driving privileges can be restricted, suspended, or revoked permanently if you do not obey the laws. If people choose to speed they are putting themselves, their passengers, and others on the roadway or near the roadway at risk.”

“They are also setting themselves up for criminal recourse like tickets, suspensions, or revocations of their driver’s license.  And they are potentially at risk for civil law suits for their disregard of others property and well-being if an accident were to happen.”