Sammy Hagar’s Legendary Speeding Tickets: Before and After ‘I Can’t Drive 55’

Sammy Hagar, the rock legend behind hits like ‘I Can’t Drive 55’ and frontman of bands like Van Halen and Montrose, had an unbelievable history of speeding tickets before releasing his iconic track. In a recent social media post, Hagar revealed that he had accumulated a staggering 34 speeding tickets before the song’s release. His license was even revoked multiple times, and his car insurance cost him a whopping $135,000 per year. However, since the success of ‘I Can’t Drive 55,’ Hagar claims to have only received two speeding tickets. It seems like this song truly turned his driving habits around. In an exclusive interview for A&E Network’s biography special on Hagar, the singer shared the inspiration behind the song. After a frustrating encounter with a cop who ticketed him for going 62 mph in a 55 mph zone with no other cars on the road, Hagar felt compelled to write the hit track. ‘I can’t drive 55,’ he famously declared. This event sparked the creation of one of Hagar’s most iconic songs, showing how a simple traffic stop can lead to music history.