When you're driving on a busy street or on the highway and you see the one car driving the speed limit and getting passed by every other car, that's probably me. I'm not exactly sure why but I've always been like this when it comes to driving. Maybe I'm just cheap and never want to have to pay for a ticket? Maybe when I was younger I thought my parents would take my driving privileges away?

I'm not really sure. I've just never been in that big of a hurry to feel the need to speed to get anywhere. I've always had this attitude that there are so many things on the road you can't control.  One of the few things you're 100% in control of is how fast you want your car to go. 

You can't control if other drivers are speeding, driving recklessly, or driving impaired, so I've always wanted to try and keep my safety in my own hands, even if it's just a little amount. That and I'm frugal, (my fiance would say cheap) I don't want to shell out any money on speeding tickets. 

Where does Iowa rank, in the United States, for speeding ticket costs? According to this Yahoo article, Iowa ranks 34. A normal speeding ticket will cost you $80 if you're going 11-15 mph over. $80 doesn't seem that terrible except Iowa adds on a 35% surcharge afterward. The state that holds the biggest fine is Nevada, which even for first-time speeders, can cost up to $1,000.

Traffic Camera with Lights
Courtesy: trekandshoot - Thinkstock
loading...

Hopefully, you don't end up with any speeding tickets in general but Iowans can look forward to 5 more years of traffic cameras when traveling on I-380. I would suggest just driving the speeding limit and these cameras won't be something you have to worry about.

The most expensive traffic ticket you can receive in Iowa (with a valid driver's license) would be for a hit and run, which would cost you up to $797, and increase your insurance rate by 65% according to The Zebra.

*Note* There are bigger fines you can receive if you are caught driving under the influence with a suspended license, according to Lawyers.com

Stay safe on the roadways this year, and remember if you don't want a speeding ticket, they're pretty easy to avoid. Just drive the speed limit.

Have You Seen All of these License Plates in Iowa?

Here are 25 different license plates you can see throughout Iowa.

Hilarious Iowa DOT Signs

Anyone else share a sense of humor with a state's Department of Transportation? Just me? Well, every Monday the Iowa Department of Transportation puts up a sometimes hilarious, sometimes straightforward message on their road signs across the state. This is called "message Monday" and Iowa DOT tries to entertain and educate drivers through these signs. Here are just a few of our favorites.

More From AM 950 KOEL