How many speeding tickets did Sammy Hagar get before and after writing “I Can’t Drive 55”?
The difference in the totals is almost unbelievable, mainly because Hagar had racked up nearly three dozen such offenses before writing the 1984 single, which was bolstered by a music video that was in heavy rotation on TV.
Prior to releasing the VOA standout “I Can’t Drive 55,” the Red Rocker received a whopping 34 speeding tickets, as he reveals in a social media post containing a video clip of the song’s origin story. He had even had his license revoked three times and his yearly car insurance totaled $135,000.
Hagar adds that he’s only received two speeding tickets since the song’s release. He calls the track “the gift that keeps on giving.” The singer is perhaps suggesting that he’s been caught speeding since, but has been let off without receiving a ticket for the offense.
READ MORE: Sammy Hagar’s Real Name Isn’t Sammy Hagar, But He’s Cool With It
How Sammy Hagar Wrote “I Can’t Drive 55”
In the above clip from A&E’s biography special on Hagar (watch June 30th at 10PM ET), the singer recalls the events that led to him writing “I Can’t Drive 55.”
One night, I was driving on the highway, it was black, there was nobody around. I’m cruising at about 62 [miles per hour]. A cop pulls up and pulls me over. ‘What the fuck is going on, man? Nobody on the highway…’ He says, ‘Yeah, you’re going 62.’ I said, ‘What’s wrong with that?’ He goes, ‘Because we give tickets for 62 around here.’
This guy was an asshole, man. I’m going 62 miles an hour in a 55 zone with no one on the highway at two o’clock in the morning. And i looked at my wife with kids in the back sleeping and I’m saying, ‘Man, I can’t drive 55,’ you know? And then, I swear it was like God struck me with lightning.’
When I got home [at] two or three in the morning, I picked up a guitar. I wrote the song. I mean, the whole song — that night. And it was the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my life.
Sammy Hagar on Tour
Sammy Hagar will embark on the Best of All Worlds tour on July 13, celebrating the legacy of Van Halen. Joining him is Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham.
See all of those upcoming dates here.
