Driving at more than 160 km/h on California roads will have consequences, and it will no longer be just a fine. From now on, it can become a direct ticket to losing your license almost immediately. The state has launched a new pilot program to stop those drivers who step on the accelerator as if they were inside Fast & Furious. And as you know, the higher the speed, the greater the chances that an accident will be fatal.
Extreme speed? Immediate response
The plan is called FAST (Forwarded Actions for Speeding Tickets) and was created through collaboration between the California Highway Patrol and the DMV. If you are caught driving at more than 100 miles per hour, your license will automatically be reviewed with the risk of losing it.
There is no longer a need to wait months for a judge to decide whether to suspend or revoke your license, because it will not have to go through the courts. The DMV believes that the traditional system is too slow and that the time it takes to issue a fine can cost many lives, so this had to end.
Why now?
Because the data is very alarming. Each month, approximately 1,600 tickets are issued for exceeding 100 mph, and speeding is behind nearly a third of road deaths in this state. There are also more and more drivers driving aggressively, impossible overtaking, acceleration that makes no sense. People do not see the risk on the roads, and that is a very big problem for road safety.
We do not care about your record
The program will not distinguish between repeat offenders and drivers with a spotless record. Exceeding that speed will trigger the protocol and the fine will be issued.
From the DMV they explain that what really deters is not the fine itself, but the speed and certainty of the punishment, because it is not about punishing, but about intervening before a tragedy happens.
More surveillance…
In recent months, more unmarked cars have been deployed, designed to blend in with traffic and ticket reckless behavior without raising suspicion. The result is that in just six months, tens of thousands of speeding tickets have been issued, more than 1,100 of them for exceeding 100 mph.
What this means for drivers in 2026
That you cannot drive that fast. It is not just a fine, you risk your license at that moment. Maybe this way people will understand that ignoring speed limits can cost us our lives.
The program will be evaluated little by little, and if it truly works by reducing the number of accidents and victims, it could become permanent.
But why are they doing this?
Because no one can or should break speed limits. It is something that concerns all of us, and we are all responsible for the lives we encounter on the roads. The rules say you cannot drive over 100 mph and you should not drive over 100 mph. It is not that hard to understand. We are not in a Formula 1 race or the Dakar Rally, so there is no need to drive that fast.
Message from Traffic
The director of the DMV insists that acting early can save lives and that reckless behavior behind the wheel must be stopped. Playing with speed is not a game, and we cannot put at risk those we meet on the road. Zero tolerance for excessive speed.