The movie franchise “The Fast and the Furious” has been a smash at box offices around the globe, raking in millions of dollars. Is it possible that these and other similar movies are partially responsible for an increase in people getting traffic tickets?
According to The New York Times (NYT), the answer is yes. They reviewed the number of speeding tickets issued over a five-year period. That time frame coincided with the releases of the “Fast & Furious 6,” “Furious 7” and “The Fate of the Furious.”
The NYT compared the three weekends after the movies released to the three weekends before the movies released. They found that people received speeding tickets for going nearly 20 percent faster. The average was 16 mph and after the movies released, it jumped to 19 mph.
In addition to traffic tickets for speeding, there were also tickets issued for “extreme speeding.” This occurs when an officer catches someone doing over 40 mph more than the posted speed limit.
So have the movies caused an increase in speeding tickets? People may indeed believe that are somewhat invincible when they “start their engines.” It’s something to consider, anyway, and should be done before the ninth movie of the franchise is released in 2020.
Traffic tickets are not something to be ignored. The points can add up quickly on your driving record and you could find that your license is suspended or revoked because of those tickets. That can become very expensive when you consider fines, probation and insurance rate hikes. An attorney can work with you and the court with the hope of mitigating the possible penalties.
Source: The Drive, “The Fast and the Furious Movies Are to Blame for Speeding Tickets,” Basir Khan, Jan. 30, 2018