This new California law means driving over 100mph could lose you your license instantly

California is planning to introduce a brand-new speeding law.

And its introduction could bring severe penalties for offenders.

The new pilot program is a joint venture between the DMV and the California Highway Patrol.

And those caught driving over 100mph could lose their license instantly.

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California is fed up with speeders

The state of California is firmly putting its foot down (no pun intended).

And that is because state authorities are some of the busiest in America when it comes to speeding offences.

Since 2010, fatalities and serious injuries related to speeding and aggressive driving have increased by 52 percent, according to the California Department of Transportation.

And authorities in the Golden State have clearly had enough.

It was recently announced that a new pilot program is being introduced throughout the state.

The program, called Forwarded Actions for Speeding Tickets, is a joint effort by the DMV and California Highway Patrol (CHP).

This program was immediately brought in last week.

Steve Gordon is the Director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

In an interview with the LA Times, Gordon commented on the program.

“We want to take immediate action against dangerous drivers before their carelessness leads to a deadly crash,” Gordon said.

 “We’re being proactive, and together with our CHP partners, we’re ready to put the brakes on this reckless behavior.”

Program could take license away from offenders

At this point, you might be wondering if the scale of these offences can actually be real.

But it turns out that the problem is as serious as it sounds.

According to the California State Transportation Agency, CHP officers issue around 1,600 citations to drivers speeding at more than 100mph each month.

In 2024 alone, CHP officers issued 18,000 citations for these offences.

So what does the new pilot program aim to achieve?

Under the new program, all drivers caught speeding in excess of 100mph will automatically have their cases forwarded to the DMV’s Driver Safety Branch.

The DMV will then have the discretion to review the case – and the driver’s history – and determine next steps.

In case you were wondering, the DMV has the power to impose penalties that could include the suspension or revocation of driving privileges.

This process will also proceed completely independent of the court-based legal process.

A corresponding fine system will also be operated at the same time.

Drivers caught exceeding the speed limit by 11-15mph will face a $50 fine.

Those caught speeding by 15-25mph will receive a $100 fine, whilst driving by more than 26-99mph over the speed limit will result in a $200 fine.

If you’re silly enough to be caught speeding by more than 100mph, then prepare to fork out $500 for a fine.

The speeding program is being trialed and monitored over the course of the next year.

Data and impact will then be considered alongside that from the previous year.

It will be fascinating to see what impact the new speeding program has.