The Worst Speed Trap Cities In The United States
November 16th, 2007 Posted in Speed Limits, Speed Traps, Traffic TicketsThanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year. As people prepare for their holiday trips, they should be on the lookout for speed traps.
Nothing can ruin a vacation more quickly than an undeserved speeding ticket. As a public service, the National Motorists Association (NMA) has prepared a list of the worst speed trap cities in all fifty states.
This list was created from the NMA’s SpeedTrap Exchange (www.speedtrap.org), a site devoted to identifying the location of speed traps.
The results were drawn from a combination of two sources.
The first source was an online poll on the NMA network of websites (www.motorists.org & www.speedtrap.org). The poll asked visitors to choose the worst speed trap city in their state. The second source was an analysis of the postings on www.speedtrap.org over the last two years.
All motorists would be well-advised to keep these locations in mind while driving this holiday:
ALABAMA
Worst Speedtrap: Montgomery
Dishonorable Mention: Birmingham, Huntsville, Uniontown
ALASKA
Worst Speedtrap: Anchorage
Dishonorable Mention: Fairbanks, Juneau, Seward
ARIZONA
Worst Speedtrap: Tucson
Dishonorable Mention: Gilbert, Phoenix, Scottsdale
ARKANSAS
Worst Speedtrap: Little Rock
Dishonorable Mention: Augusta, Fayetteville, Parkin
CALIFORNIA
Worst Speedtrap: Fresno
Dishonorable Mention: Fullerton, Los Angeles, San Jose
COLORADO
Worst Speedtrap: Colorado Springs
Dishonorable Mention: Aurora, Denver, Fort Collins
CONNECTICUT
Worst Speedtrap: Enfield
Dishonorable Mention: Danbury, Groton, New Canaan
DELAWARE
Worst Speedtrap: Newark
Dishonorable Mention: Dover, Felton, Fenwick Island
FLORIDA
Worst Speedtrap: Waldo
Dishonorable Mention: Lawtey, Ocala, Orlando
GEORGIA
Worst Speedtrap: Pendergrass
Dishonorable Mention: Atlanta, Duluth, Marietta,
HAWAII
Worst Speedtrap: Honolulu
Dishonorable Mention: Kailua, Kaimuki, Maui
IDAHO
Worst Speedtrap: Boise
Dishonorable Mention: Idaho Falls, Lewiston, Post Falls
ILLINOIS
Worst Speedtrap: Naperville
Dishonorable Mention: Carol Stream, New Lenox, Peoria
INDIANA
Worst Speedtrap: Indianapolis
Dishonorable Mention: Bloomington, Culver, Fort Wayne
IOWA
Worst Speedtrap: Des Moines
Dishonorable Mention: Ames, Cedar Rapids, Davenport
KANSAS
Worst Speedtrap: Shawnee
Dishonorable Mention: Leawood, Overland Park, Topeka
KENTUCKY
Worst Speedtrap: Louisville
Dishonorable Mention: Lexington, Middlesboro, Owensboro
LOUISIANA
Worst Speedtrap: Woodworth
Dishonorable Mention: Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Metairie
MAINE
Worst Speedtrap: Kittery
Dishonorable Mention: Augusta, Falmouth, Portland
MARYLAND
Worst Speedtrap: Frederick
Dishonorable Mention: Columbia, Hagerstown, Waldorf
MASSACHUSETTS
Worst Speedtrap: Worcester
Dishonorable Mention: Lowell, Newton, Springfield
MICHIGAN
Worst Speedtrap: Livonia
Dishonorable Mention: Ann Arbor, Redford, Warren
MINNESOTA
Worst Speedtrap: Minneapolis
Dishonorable Mention: Bloomington, Elk River, Plymouth
MISSISSIPPI
Worst Speedtrap: Starkville
Dishonorable Mention: Jackson, McComb, Tupelo
MISSOURI
Worst Speedtrap: Foristell
Dishonorable Mention: Curryville , Independence, St. Charles
MONTANA
Worst Speedtrap: Missoula
Dishonorable Mention: Darby, Havre, Joliet
NEBRASKA
Worst Speedtrap: Omaha
Dishonorable Mention: Bellevue, Grand Island, Lincoln
NEVADA
Worst Speedtrap: Las Vegas
Dishonorable Mention: Henderson, Pahrump, Reno
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Worst Speedtrap: Manchester
Dishonorable Mention: Nashua, New London, Somersworth
NEW JERSEY
Worst Speedtrap: Paramus
Dishonorable Mention: Bridgewater, Monroe Township, North Brunswick
NEW MEXICO
Worst Speedtrap: Albuquerque
Dishonorable Mention: Cuba, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho
NEW YORK
Worst Speedtrap: Brooklyn
Dishonorable Mention: Batavia, Rochester, Staten Island
NORTH CAROLINA
Worst Speedtrap: Raleigh
Dishonorable Mention: Charlotte, Greensboro, Wilmington
NORTH DAKOTA
Worst Speedtrap: Grand Forks
Dishonorable Mention: Fargo, Thompson, Washburn
OHIO
Worst Speedtrap: Columbus
Dishonorable Mention: Akron, Canton, Lindale
OKLAHOMA
Worst Speedtrap: Caney
Dishonorable Mention: Moffet, Moore, Kiowa
OREGON
Worst Speedtrap: Portland
Dishonorable Mention: Beaverton, Eugene, Springfield
PENNSYLVANIA
Worst Speedtrap: Horsham
Dishonorable Mention: Feasterville, Harrisburg, Warrington
RHODE ISLAND
Worst Speedtrap: Providence
Dishonorable Mention: Johnston, Pawtucket, Warwick
SOUTH CAROLINA
Worst Speedtrap: Greenville
Dishonorable Mention: Columbia, Gaffney, Society Hill
SOUTH DAKOTA
Worst Speedtrap: Sioux Falls
Dishonorable Mention: Rapid City, Wagner, Yankton
TENNESSEE
Worst Speedtrap: Nashville
Dishonorable Mention: Memphis, Piperton, Smyrna
TEXAS
Worst Speedtrap: Houston
Dishonorable Mention: Arlington, Austin, Estelline
UTAH
Worst Speedtrap: Sandy
Dishonorable Mention: Roy, Salt Lake City, West Valley City
VERMONT
Worst Speedtrap: Wilmington
Dishonorable Mention: Barre Town, Island Pond, Norwich
VIRGINIA
Worst Speedtrap: Virginia Beach
Dishonorable Mention: Chesapeake, Emporia, Norfolk
WASHINGTON
Worst Speedtrap: Bellingham
Dishonorable Mention: Black Diamond, Ritzville, Seattle,
WEST VIRGINIA
Worst Speedtrap: Summersville
Dishonorable Mention: Charleston, Gauley Bridge, Hurricane
WISCONSIN
Worst Speedtrap: Rosendale
Dishonorable Mention: Appleton, Milwaukee, Waukesha
WYOMING
Worst Speedtrap: Thermopolis
Dishonorable Mention: Cheyenne, Jackson Hole, Rawlins
Although these are the worst speed trap cities in the nation, arbitrarily low speed limits combined with heavy enforcement means there are many other areas in which drivers should be alert to avoid traffic citations.
Motorists who wish to enjoy their travelling time this weekend should visit www.speedtrap.org for a full list and specific locations of speed traps.
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Englewood Ohio has the worst speed traps in the whole country!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve seen six cops watching for speeders just going through there one time
If you have ever been to Florida, then you have been told to watch it around certain areas. Some are more infamous than others. Most notable is a city north of Gainesville and south of lake city called Waldo. It is hard to miss. Yes, you can drive too fast and pass right by without noticing, but rarely will this be possible.
For you see Waldo is a speed trap…
…Yet, not your ordinary speed trap…WHY?
Because several miles, before you reach Waldo, there is a huge billboard that clearly states,
Warning: Waldo SPEEDTRAP.
If this weren’t enough, just around the city limits there are white speed limit signs superimposed on larger bright yellow signs that signify the rapid reduction in speed allowed. From 65 to 55 to 45 to 35…within several hundred yards of each other.
Now, you are doing 65mph still, or 49, or even 37 miles per hour while in this town, and you are pulled over and the police officer gives you a ticket. They say, “You are speeding, here’s your ticket, pay your fine”. Do you have anything that you can say in your defense? More than likely NO.
O.K. let’s try something. Let’s take down all of the signs from the billboard to the 55mph, 45mph, and the 35mph. NO SIGNS!…Now you are driving the same way. So when the police officer pulls you over and says “You are speeding, here’s your ticket, pay your fine”. What!!!? Wouldn’t that make you outraged that they could give you a ticket, yet you never knew what Waldo’s legal speed limit was?
What’s the point?
Let me ask you, have you ever had anyone say to you, “You’re a sinner, you need to accept Jesus, or you are going to hell!”? Doesn’t that sound judgmental? I mean, who are they to say who goes to hell and who doesn’t?
Exactly the point.
Where are the SIGNS?
Have you ever heard of the Ten Commandments?
The Bible says that God wrote them with His Own Finger.
That is how you can know if you broke His law…not just what a person thinks.
Shall we?
PLEASE No Speeding through this section.
There will be a test.
Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything in your life? Have you ever lusted after someone? Premarital sex? Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word? Have you ever created a god to suit yourself? (I believe…) Have you dishonored/disobeyed your parents at anytime in your life? Have you always set aside 1 day a week to honor God?
If you answered yes to all or any of these questions…you have violated God’s laws.
On Judgment Day…when you stand before God.
If God judges you based on the 10 Commandments would you be innocent or guilty?
If you are honest with yourself, you know you’d be guilty and go to hell.
So what can you say for yourself?…Nothing.
Sin is transgression of the law.
But God is rich in Mercy in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Repent (turn away from sin), trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation…read the Bible and obey what you read. God will sustain you and keep you in this life and the one to come.
tractteamjax@aol.com
Yes…I did this May 6th last year…but I see others don’t see “the” signs yet. God Bless.
If you get a chance check out http://www.trapster.com, it can be used to warn users about speedtraps, check points, red light cameras, ETC.
This explains how it works—>http://trapster.com/presentation.php
A quick explanation: Using your mobile phone you can quickly alert users about speed traps, red light cameras, mobile speed vehicles, etc. In turn, you are warned by others reporting these traps.
There are other features too utilizing your phones GPS, to plot trips, get directions, live traffic updates and more…
I was ticketted Sunday night May 17 in Fayetteville West Virginia. It was just past one of the lights and I was clocked at 68. Now the road has a speed limit of 65, but every light they cut the speed limit down to 50 MPH. There was no signs after the light and I assumed I was okay. The officer was by the embankment with his car well off of the road. Less than half a mile further down the road the speed limit was back to 65 MPH.
I knew this area was a speed trap as a friend’s wife got a ticket in the same area 8-10 years ago.
I just want to post this for others going through this North/South highway as in my mind it is a trap and they are using it for their profit!
Black Diamond Washington.
The main road through town SR 169 is closed south of the town due to major bridge repairs. This has major amounts of traffic bypassing the town until at least June 2009. Not only are the towns businesses going through a very rough patch.
Apparently the city is too. The city police appear to be even more “proactive” in trying to raise funds for the city coffers. If you thought it was bad before…….
I live in Booneville Ms our population is about 8000 in our local paper it shows tickets written each week by the city police and the county sheriffs dept and the city of Booneville averages 215 tickets per WEEK while the sheriffs dept averages 20 , The whole city of Booneville is a ticket waiting to be written I have a copy of a ticket quota posted on my website that was written and signed by the Cheif of Police in Booneville after it was found out about the Cheif attempted to deny it existed but It does and is posted for all to see on my site ..
http://prentissvoice.com/component/option,com_mojo/Itemid,5/p,7/
So beware if you travel thru Booneville Ms
AVERAGE 215 tickets per week? That’s over 11,000 tickets per year. For a town of 8,000 including babies and children too young to drive. Dayumn! Must be the speedingest town in the universe. Or a LOT of tickets given to outsiders. Used to call them Yankee Traps. Wonder how many of them were actually speeding, or obeying the law but couldn’t stick around to fight it in court.
I’m surprised that Tucson was actually voted worst speedtrap. After getting back from Pheonix a few weeks back, I would’ve thought they would be the worst by far. Guess I was wrong.
Well, for those who think that Big Brother has taken over with Super Databases of information, I was surprised this afternoon. My son was in Michigan last summer and got two traffic tickets. They took his license ‘in lieu of bond’ and since the tickets hadn’t been paid yet, they suspended the license.
Not being sure how Michigan can suspend a Texas drivers license, I took my son to the TX DPS office and told them he’d lost his license. He showed proof of his identity, they ran a check on his driving record, and was issued his replacement license. It wouldn’t be a very good idea for him to try driving in Michigan but he’s in Texas.
Yep. Got his car insurance and they ran a check on his Texas license, and no tickets.
Mike,
Michigan and Wisconsin are the only two states that don’t participate in the Driver’s License Compact or the Violator’s Compact.
If you get a ticket, or fail to pay for a ticket in either of those states, and you aren’t licensed there, then nothing happens to you. The ticket won’t be reported to your states licensing agency, and your license won’t be suspended based on reciprocity. Even if you get a DUI in those states, any associated suspension, points, etc won’t carry over to your home state’s licensing agency. (It would still show up on your criminal history though.)
The bad side to that is, that if you are stopped in those states with an out-of-state license, you could be subject to arrest and posting of a bond to assure payment of the fine, which is essentially what they tried to bully you into with taking the Texas license. On the flip side of that is that when Michigan or Wisconsin driver’s go out of state and get stopped, they face arrest and posting of bond in the same way.
In 1974 I lived in CA and that was when the National 55 went into effect. Within that year, I’d racked up a half dozen speeding tickets, which I’d paid. CA didn’t have a Point system at that time. In mid-1975 I moved to MI, turned in my CA license and got my MI license. Then MI transferred all my speeding offenses in CA to my MI license, attached their own Point system to them, and then decided I had too many points against my license, and suspended it for 6 months. Whatever Compact or Circle Jerk MI does or does not belong to, the one thing I’m certain is that there is nothing predictable about MI. I’m glad to have long since been away from there.
Published in THE NEWSPROGRESS Mecklenburg County Virginia on Feb. 4 2009 will now have super enforcement of speeders to compensate for lack of Federal Budgeting. What a shame they will make the same people that are experiencing this economic decline pay for the overtime for ten deputies to execute this plan and to fill thier pockets Way To Mecklengurg Va. You have been warned they actually published this in thier newspaper. a good place to stay away from.
tourist, there is only one comment for this. I have seen where the police crackdown on speeding and eventually speeding tickets go down from where they origianally were when everyone slows down. i am sure the newspaper wanted to write an issue that sells because people like to complain about things that usually turn out to not be true.
I was driving through South Dakota this past summer on I-90 sure enough just after we crossed the border into South Dakota traveling at 110mph we got pulled over Cop took us out of the car and another unit came and carted us off to jail. Can you believe that Jail for speeding. don’t the cops have anything better to do than harass the driving public?
From Minnesota or Wyoming? It’ll make a difference.
My husband and I were driving though Blackville, SC. on Saturday. Coming out of town, we came around a curve and saw a police officer sitting on the side of the road facing us. We looked up and saw the 55 MPH sign across from him. My husband was driving 47 and I encouraged him to speed up. The officier pointed at the woods as we passed and then did a U turn flashing lights at us. We pulled over and he told us to go to the next road. He did the same to the truck behind us. (2 for 1!) He told us that the speed limit around the curve was 35 and the 55 sign was not in play until we passed by it. Between the curve and the sign he said we were going 44 and gave us a ticket. I felt that this was a speed trap and told him so. My husband was driving and he ignored me. He was interested in the fact that we were “just passing though”. Blackville is 65 miles from home. Too far to return to court. Oh well, $82 down the drain.
Society Hill, SC
On 1/11/09 my wife and I were returning from Florida (visited a terminally ill relative there). We were going north in SC on U.S. 52. We saw the overhead sign saying speed limit sign 35 citywide in Society Hill. I immediately slowed from 55 to 35. We went through the town and cleared it. Afterwards I accelerated to 55. It was only then that I saw a cop car behind me with lights flashing. I pulled over to let it pass and it pulled over behind me. He gave me a ticket for $185. Told him I’ve been driving since 1966 and never had a speeding ticket and repeated the story above. That didn’t matter. The ticket was for 55 in a 35 zone. I did see the radar device with “55″ showing. I think he followed me out of town and then shot the radar gun on me. The problem is that, after a 40+ year record with only 2 minor lane violations in the U.S., my state of NC could suspend my license and my insurance rates could skyrocket.
Any advice on this? Thanks.
In August 2007 I got pulled over just west of Rawlings Wyoming for straying over the white line on the right shoulder.I wasnt speeding infact I was 5 miles under the limit but the officer pulled me over and gave me a warning citation for what he claimed was my being distracted by the GPS on the dash. I think that he was looking for an excuse to stop me because I had Califoria plates. Farther down the road the WHP was what seemed like everywhere just sitting on the side of the road with the radar out. On that trip I drove over 5000 miles and went through 13 states and Wyoming was the only place that I had any contact with law enforcement. To this day I think it was micky mouse crap and just an excuse to mess with a California driver. Im 58 and that was my one and only trip to Wyoming.
Hi Fred,
You were lucky you didn’t stay overnight in Rawlins. This is the most depressing, disgusting garbage-can city I have ever seen. If I ever have to drive across Wyoming again I’ll make sure to schedule the trip so that I don’t have to stay in that skunk nest. The Wyoming state penitentiary is there and it’s a toss-up whether the prisoners are in worse shape than the people who live in this rat-hole town voluntarily.
Long live the National Motorists Association!
You think I should ask the judge for lieniancy (sp) because I have a clean record, tell them I learned my lesson and would just like to keep my record clean ? or how would I word that request ? my court thing says pre trial
Remember Ohio and Michigan do not have reciprocity. So your Michigan ticket will not show up on your driving record in Ohio.
Ask the court to lower the fine to 75 in a 70 zone. 5mph over on a Michigan freeway does not have any points associated with it.
Steve, worst case scenario is exactly what’s specified on your ticket. If you were charged with reckless driving, it would specify reckless driving. If the ticket specifies speeding 16 over in a 70 mph zone, then that is exactly what the charge is, speeding. There is a schedule of fines, and points, for such charges. The Court Clerk, listed with the phone number on your ticket, can tell you exactly what the fine and points will be. That is your worst case scenario. You can go ahead and pay it by mail, or you can go to court and hope for leniency, and still pay no more than what the fine would already be, or possibly less. If nothing else, you can always beg for a lower fine. Judges have been known to do that, say, lowering the offense to 80 in a 70 zone.
Michigan does not allow jury trials for speeding tickets.
16 over is not reckless.
55mph is barely legal on a Michigan freeway. 55 is the MINIMUM allowable speed limit.
Fight every ticket !!!
what is the worst case scenario I’m looking at?
in terms of fines and points.
is 16 over considered reckless driving?
is there a risk of jail time ?
I’ve heard for 20 over, people in Michigan getting 2 points and a $120 ticket… then I’ve also heard 4 points and $800
I do not believe I was going 86, I believe it was the Taurus behind me that was going that fast. I know I was going 80… But I do not believe I was going 86.
I had no sarcasm in my voice… I was a textbook example of what pulled over person is supposed to be. I kept my voice level and calm. the whole time on the side of the road, I kept my hands visable on the steering wheel. he came up to me, leaning in my window and began yelling at me. I was pulled totally off of the blacktop shoulder so he had plenty of room and did not have to worry about getting hit.
Unless you plan to plead Not Guilty, and go to trial, those laser factors won’t do you much good. Oh, I do agree, if you have the time available to you, always appear for your ticket. A judge may accept your explanation, or the cop may not show, for whatever reason, or you may be allowed to plea to a no-points offense (same fine, but your insurance doesn’t go up),etc. You might try and fail, but if you don’t try, then you’ll definitely fail. So it’s worth the effort.
On the other hand, if you do plead Not Guilty and actually fight the ticket, here’s what will happen. Nothing more at the hearing. You simply plead Not Guilty, and that’s that. You’ll then see the Clerk for a trial date. You’ll also be asked if you want a jury trial or a bench trial. A bench trial is no jury, you have to convince a judge. A judge’s mind is often already made up, so I always ask for a jury trial. At a point, in between, you’ll get a pre-trial date to confer with the prosecutor. They have the right to know on what grounds you’ll be contesting the citation, whether your position is that you didn’t do the offense, or you did, but you can prove that it was different than stated, or that there is legal precedent why it does not apply to you, etc. There is no discussion of the merits of the case, only the basis of your contest. If your basis is valid enough, they may decide before the court date to drop the charge. Or they may proceed.
That’s where research and preparation is vital, because you’re no longer throwing yourself on the ‘mercy of the court’ but rather you’re fighting the law. You accepted their weapon of choice, which is the law, and you’ll need to be somewhat versed in it. In the law itself regarding your situation, and in case law (precendent) in how it’s been argued in the past, the pros and cons of those arguments, and your ability to successfully cross-examine the officer’s testimony sufficiently to bring his accuracy into question. There is also courtroom procedure that the prosecutor knows well which can be used to block you if you’re not prepared. There is a process of Discovery (determining what evidence the prosecution will use against you), as well as the process and costs of subpoena to introduce your own evidence, not to mention the rules of evidence to introduce it into court.
Make no mistake, a court battle is just another form of an Old West gunfight, and just because you know what a gun might look like, it doesn’t mean you’re ready to do battle. Of course, if you plan to be a gunfighter, you’ll need to start sometime, now is as good a time as any, and at least if you lose the first time, your gunfighting career isn’t over. But it can still be painful and you’ll need to be dedicated and determined if you want to eventually be successful.
Steve a rainy day is an even better reason “not” to be speeding. If you were able to slow to the 55 mph then why did you have to speed up to 86 mph right away? You would have been able to pass her right away like you said you did and pull in front of her and do whatever speed you liked because you had a 55 mph driver slowing down the lane.
The tone in your voice may have been what upset the officer not what you said. He may have thought it sounded sarcastic.
The older lady that cut me off was travelling at approximately 55 miles per hour. I ended up passing her after I got my ticket, and I have a digital dash, so I kind of slowed down to see just how slow she was going.
it was not a traffic jam situation. But, there was a heavy flow due to Thanksgiving weekend.
I know it’s “wrong” to speed. I know there are other ways to handle any situation, but at a spur of them moment, a car cuts in front of you at one car length traveling 20 mph or better slower than you, you have to pick what response is the quickest… and that was my choice.
My ticket also says on the date for when to call by… 5-1-1978 which is when I was born, so I didn’t know when exactly I had to call in by… :/
Reading the Laser page… these are factors that help me I think.
Rainy day.
Cluster of cars in a tight group.
He scanned me while sitting inside his car through the windshield.
I was polite, never admitted guilt, and even thanked him for the ticket. he yelled and got in my face by leaning in my window… it kind of bothered be, but I did not lose my cool with him. He never even bothered to run me to see what kind of record I had. just took my License and Insurance, would not wait for registration… went back to his car, and like 1-2 mins later. I had a ticket.
Reguardless, I still plan to fight the ticket. what can it hurt ?
James Young it was not said that the lady who cut him off was almost at a stop so hitting the brakes was only to slow down slightly. If slowing down would have caused an accident then the police stopped the wrong person and should have stopped the person that was tailgating.
Radar detectors, when used in conjunction with CB radios and mobile police scanners, are highly effective. Chatter on the CB and scanner tell me when cops are nearby.
{Your option was to hit your brakes, and change lanes when it was safe for YOU to do so.}
The likely result of that would have been a multi-vehicle pileup. The last thing you want to do in heavy traffic is hit your brakes.
Steve, someone cut you off, so you had to swerve, thereby cutting someone else off, speeding up to avoid being hit in the rear. Neither conservative nor liberal judges will buy into that excuse. The underlying premise in driving is to be in control of your own vehicle, regardless what someone else may do. Your option was to hit your brakes, and change lanes when it was safe for YOU to do so. The woman who cut you off may, or may not, be cited for careless driving. Them’s the breaks; they don’t always get nailed. You can only make sure you’re doing what YOU are supposed to be doing.
Maybe they really were targeting only out of state tags, although for cops, a ticket is a ticket. But again, in court, it won’t exonerate your offense. The cops, when faced with many offenders, can pick and choose which ones to catch, with no criteria to defend about their choices.
Lastly, court dates are assigned based upon the cops’ availability. They have certain days of the week in which they appear in court, and that’s when your case is assigned. The cop will be there unless he gets sick or killed. Postponement of a court date only helps if you intend to actually contest the citation, not simply argue your position to the judge. The longer the time, the cloudier the cop’s testimony becomes, even with good notes, and can be more easily be undermined during cross-examination.
Jeff, asking if someone did not take various precautions after the fact is pretty pointless since it’s already obvious that they didn’t. But don’t put excessive faith in radar detectors. Even the old K band is undetectable until it’s switched on. Usually you get warning when it’s used to check someone else. With laser, or LIDAR, there’s not enough splatter to warn you when someone else is targeted, and if yours goes off, it most likely means you’ve already been nailed. Radar detectors are only a tool, among several others, and a barely adequate one at that. Better than nothing, but certainly not dependable.
Steve 86 in a 70 mph zone is not slightly over the limit. Also during many holidays many states run extra police patrols so you have to watch your speed closer and obey all laws. In Illinois they advertise “police every 10″ which means that police are every 10 miles on the the interstate which is pretty true to fact. In the past many accidents and deaths happened over the holidays and with increased police presence the numbers are down a lot.
No, I don’t own a radar, nor a CB…
if the limit is 70, I usually will top out at 75… so its not like I’m extreme with my speeding.
I was only speeding there because I had a taurus performing a proctological exam, and ranger to my right… so I couldn’t move.
when the cops pulled out, one of them almost hit me. I was in a bad place at a bad time… I was only going over 75 in the fast lane, because an OLD OLD OLD woman in a cadilac cut me off, so I had to whip left to avoid hitting her… then the taurus flying up on me… I had to speed up to avoid causing an accident.
So, I was really in a bad place trying to not cause or have an accident…
It just bothered me, that the only people being pulled over, had ohio plates… Michigan cars were moving faster… but they did not get ticketed. I think they gave us tickets, thinking we would not fight the ticket, and just mail in a check.
Sreve-
Were you not using a radar detector or CB radio?
The day before Thanksgiving, I was driving up to visit my parents in Lake Orion, Michigan. I live just south of Toledo, Ohio.
I-75 has been closed in downtown Detroit for over a year, so they are diverting traffic onto I-275 in Romulous (did they take their city name from Star Trek?)
I had an old woman cut in front of me when I was in the middle lane, so I had to speed up to get around her and avoid an accident, there was also a car RAPIDLY coming up behind me in the fast lane. I got pegged by a VERY VERY rude officer in a speed trap right by Detroit metro airport.
His partner almost hit me whipping off of the center divider to go after the guy in front of me, I almost hit the Ford Ranger in the middle lane next to me as I tried to avoid the first cop.
I got pulled over by the second cop, and we were all in a big line up of cars pulled over getting tickets.
My officer wrote me up for 86 in a 70, did not offer to write for 80 or even 85. He was PAINFULLY rude and got in my face yelling at me. I am Caucasian he was African American, I really hope that wasn’t the cause of why he was so rude. He was also a CITY cop that pulled me over on the interstate.
But I happened to notice the guy behind me, passed me while I was being pulled over, he did NOT slow down, he was from Michigan. Every other car in the line was from Ohio, with the exception of one car from Mass.
This all occurred 1-2 days after the OSU/Wolverine game that U of M lost. I wonder if it was a vendetta because of that?
The point I am trying to make in a roundabout way, is Michigan must HATE getting tourist dollars to set up speed traps to specifically trap out of state people.
Prior to the old woman cutting me off, I was traveling between 75 and 78, which I know is speeding… but I had plenty of Michigan plated cars passing me. I had only sped up to avoid slamming on the brakes, or having an accident.
I’m on workman’s comp right now… I can’t afford a massive ticket, I could barely afford to go visit my parents. I have a 100% clean record, never got a ticket before now and I have been driving for 15 years. I have no criminal record… nothing.
I have been with friends and even my dad that got speeding tickets, and cops always ran their records and cut them a break if they had a good record, or wrote it up for exactly what they were doing if they had a bad record.
Why did this cop not cut me any slack at all ?
Do any of you out there think I should bring up the 2 near accidents, and all the Ohio tickets they wrote that day when I go to court ? I called on Thursday December 11th to get a court time… thinking it would buy me a little time… my court date is Monday December 29th. I have heard logic of postponing the date… But I’m thinking I run a good chance he may be on vacation that day.
What about other stretches of I-696, such as between Telegraph and I-275?
There is no such thing today as a $5 fine for simple speeding, so that is a specious argument. And while speed may well be a factor in a reckless driving charge, the sole factor of speed is not the deciding element. If speeding is the charge in Texas, then arrest is not permitted, only a ticket.
Todd, it happens often in Texas that two drivers may both want to switch at the same time to the middle lane on a 3-lane (or more) highway. Each driver must ensure a safe lane change, but there is a slightly higher priority for the driver in the leftmost lane who is moving to the right. But as in all driving, who has the ‘right’ is not so important as who is in control of safety.
In fairness to Jeff, there is a stretch of I-696 between Greenfield and Hilton through Royal Oak, MI in which drivers feel compelled to drive 5 mph faster than the others, no matter what speed the others are doing. This can lead to speeds approaching 100 mph on that stretch at certain times of the day. I would not say that it’s routine, though.
I have one question for anybody listening. Have you ever seen two drivers both switching into the same lane at the same time? This happened to me a few times. One time I was driving on a 3 lane freeway. I was in the right lane and I wanted to switch to the middle lane. When the middle lane was clear I started moving into the middle lane and at the side of my eye there was a black SUV also switching into the middle lane. I saw this and got back into the right lane and the suv got back into the middle lane. Had we not seen each other we both would have hit side to side.
Randy I can’t speak for Mike but I think he is talking about that their needs to be other factors involved in speeding in order for it to be considered reckless driving. Simply going 100 mph when conditions permit it is not reckless driving. Randy if the freeway has alot of interchanges where exits are on both sides then yes every driver should try to match their speed to all the other drivers around them. Under those conditions any driver going way below or above should get more than just a $5 fine.
So Mike, someone that is driving 45 mph over the limit at 100 mph in a city where other vehicles driving 55 mph to 60 mph are switching lanes because exits are on both sides of the interstate should only get a $5 fine? Exactly what happened to tracker is why there are 55 mph limits in a city. Someone driving signigicantly over the limit, 45 mph over in fact, has a far greater chance of getting into an accident and hitting someone than someone driving close to the limit. That is why it is reckless driving.
Todd – drivers on I-696, I-275, I-75, US23, and I-94 routinely drive 90mph.
You can exceed prima facie speed limits under certain conditions. So yes Randy, you can legally exceeds limits that were set legally.
That’s why you are neither a law enforcement officer nor a lawyer. As I said, if the officer feels that a charge of reckless driving is warranted, the driver MAY then be subject to arrest rather than simply a citation. Other conditions must exist in order to prove reckless driving than just exceeding the speed limit, even by 45 mph.
But still, a driver cannot be arrested in Texas (and numerous other states) simply for speeding, no matter how much his speed exceeded the posted limit.
In real life, vague generalities make poor law, poorer law enforcement, and oppressive court precedent.
Ok Mike if speeding is not reckless driving if 45 mph over the limit in traffic then I do not know what is. It is not reckless driving if it was not for the speeding.
You are trying to argue something for the sake of arguing .
Sorry to dispute your claim, Randy, but in Texas, the Transportation Code 543.004 specifically states that a driver who violates the speed limit cannot be arrested but only ticketed. If the speed is such an excess that the officer feels that arrest is warranted, the driver must be charged with a different offense, such as reckless driving. But then, it’s no longer simply speeding, and additional factors must be proven to show recklessness.
Many other states have laws specifically precluding arrest, allowing only a citation, for simply exceeding the posted speed limit.
Sorry my past comments might have had grammer mistakes.
Jeff only in Michigan can people legally disobey limits that were set legally. Any other state you would be put in jail.
Randy I can agree with you. Jeff you have truth in what you are saying too. One time when I was driving on an open freeway where there was no on ramps and nobody around me. The speed limit was 55 mph but I was doing 90 mph safely. It felt like nothing. My mom was in the car even and she wasn’t scared.
What if the 55mph speed limit is illegally underposted? Then the cops writing speeding tickets should be put in jail.
Todd one more thing you left out, anyone driving 100 mph in a 55 mph zone with other traffic around should be put in jail for a few years.
Tracker that car going 100 mph should have been more attentive. He should have slowed down ahead of time and that person who was doing 100 mph should have matched their speed with the speed of the other vehicles around. If the person going 100 mph did that then maybe that accident could have been avoided.
I also have one tip for you. This tip in which I am about to give you is all in good intent. Ok the tip is if you are on the freeway where your rear view mirror is obstructed by something and you can only see from your side mirrors please change lanes very slowly. This gives the people around you enough time to react to your lane change. Oh and lets not forget to always leave your turn signal on through out the whole lane change.
todd,
I thought it was great you keep to the left beyond the speed limits when you are supposed to. I was driving a ten ton dump at 55mph trying to make a lane change for over a mile and a half after going under a bridge where two lanes changed to five for merging traffic. My exit lane was was the next one after the interchange and the speed limit was 55mph. In the mile and a half people were passing me at 70 mph and more even though I had my turn signal on the full time. I could not see out my middle mirror because of my load so I watched my side mirrors.I got across two lanes when I heard tires screeching but saw no one and finally saw an oncoming car standing on its front end from anti-locking his brakes. He was coming at over 100mph as determined by the accident report after he passed me through the extreme left or emergency lane lost control and played carnival bumpem cars with three other vehicles in front of him. I could only reach slightly over 60mph with my foot going through through the gas pedal and the floor because of my weight. The first question I was asked was did I cut him off. I told the officer yes. I could only get to 60 and it was a 55 zone.
Oh and I forgot to say Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Jeff I am not the type of guy who will block the passing lane if people want to pass. I normally would stay near to the right. The only time I would stay in the left lane is when I’m on a straight freeway doing 100 mph when nobodys around and when on ramps are near. I do this because vehicles can appear on the on ramp to merge into the right lane and if I going 100 mph in the right lane than me and the vehicles merging on will have a problem. If I am in the left lane then there will be less chance of a problem since I am more far from the merging traffic. Don’t get me wrong because if I am in the left lane doing 100 mph and I see traffic merging on I slow down to match their speed and I look for an opening in the right lane and then I move into the right lane so if the cars merging on wants to pass in the left lane they can do so. If I am in the left lane doing 100 mph when conditions permit it safely on the freeway and I see a vehicle way in the back of me moving faster than me I move to the right lane so that he/she can pass me safely. I hope that this clears up the miscommunication in which we had.
Oh I forgot one thing. If I was on the German autobahn than I would be more comfortable at doing 100 mph in the right lane since drivers up there can handle speed variance more better than the ones in America. I would still use the “Keep Right Except to Pass” technique. If I am in the U.S. on a straight freeway going 100 mph in the right lane near an on ramp and if cars appear they might just pull out right in front of me because I don’t think all U.S. drivers look far back into their riew view and side mirrors before merging on. More drivers in Germany tend to look far back into their rear view and side mirrors.
O’Realy you make a lot of sense but we will probably never see drivers training as a priority as you and I would like, at least in my state of Oklhoma. The last time a bill came before the Oklahoma legislature several years ago it passed but went from mandatory to recommended and had no money attached to it. That basically means the law became a moot subject and a waisted endeavor despite being supported by the AAA.
While I agree we need speed enforcement there’s a number of problems associated with speed enforcement. Particularly in smaller jurisdictions it draws limited police resources from crime prevention and investigation. Further, drivers around here have learned that if you don’t speed your practically immune from any other ticket aside from maybe running a red light.
In my driving environment the speeding ticket have become the bread and butter ticket for revenue (municipal economic benefit) e.g. wrong law for wrong reason. The downside? Drivers now view traffic tickets as a revenue device rather then a punishment. Thus it’s value as a safety tool has been lost. It’s just another cost to getting there. It’s just wasn’t their lucky day.
Additionally, speed enforcement has precluded or distracted from enforcing laws that prohibit all the other bad driving habits you aforementioned in some of your previous posts. In doing so I believe it has not reduced accidents but have increased them by focusing solely on speeders. I really believe we must begin to focus enforcement on unsafe driving habits, following too closely, change lanes frequently, excessive cell phone usage and better lane discipline e.g. drivers who tie up the inside lanes (fast lanes) on multiple lane highways. Radar/Lidar will do none of that.
And we must remember it’s easy to blame speeding for accidents but most accidents do not result from a singular factor. It seems to me that speeding tends to be a contributing factor rather then a trigger factor.
Anouther serious negative consequence that speed enforcement has caused is loss of confidence in law enforcement. What’s the first thing most people think of when you mention the word “cop”. They remember those flashing red lights in their rear view mirror. Most people who see a cop around them does not feel protected, quite the opposite effect. Why? Their experience with a cop at a traffic stop. It’s even worse if that cop ends up abusing the driver in some form, either real or perceived.
For most drivers I believe speed is right up next to safety in their priority. It’s the reason air travel has become the preeminent choice of travel despite the torture a trip can sometimes entail (I work for a airline).
I just watched a History channel program on high speed trains. Boats with hydrofoil technology have been developed for high speed marine transportation. High speed computers, high speed networks, Internets …..on and on. Speed is the choice. Higher speed products are in demand at higher prices. Driving is no different.
Having said that I agree that unrestrained speed is not good either. It has to be used with sensible guidelines by drivers who a competent to drive a selected speed, in equipment design to operate at those selected speeds, etc. One thing is for certain, two numbers on a sign does not determine a safe drive.
Drivers training for our youth is such a obvious factor to accomplish better drivers and allow higher speeds that it’s a no-brainer yet nobody wants to make it a priority.
Even some of the better current programs in our schools are not sufficient. It needs to be treated with the seriousness that it deserves. Why let young drivers develop bad driving habits and make mistakes and crashes on the highway when they can be made safely in a simulator?
All traffic ticket money should be diverted to drivers training at local schools. This would be a funding source not derived from taxes. That would also reduce the incentive to write more frivolous tickets while enhancing funding for drivers safety programs for our youth.
We have some of the most educated citizens in the world with one of the lowest driving skill sets. Go figure.
The left lane is for passing only. Get in, pass, move back over to the right.
Sorry I made a spelling error. The error is in caps.
“Randy thats why I stay in the far left lane which is far from the merging traffic when I go 100 mph but the second I see traffic merging on I slow DOWN to match their speed.”
Some cars can handles 100 mph safely like the BMWs, Audis, VWs, Infinitis, etc. Mike I don’t think I would go 100 mph in a pickup truck. I would only do that in a car that can handle it safely.
Randy thats why I stay in the far left lane which is far from the merging traffic when I go 100 mph but the second I see traffic merging on I slow do to match their speed.
Michigan has “no-fault” auto insurance, so Randy is correct – it would not be my fault.
The Audi I drove last week was more than capable of handling 100+ mph speeds. I can speak from experience.
Don’t know about the others, but I have done in excess of 100 mph with other drivers on the highways with me. I have a pickup with a high center of gravity and it’s just not safe. Period. Even on straightaways through NM. I also have a minvan that was not designed for such a speed. Again not safe. I have a car that, while not designed for 100+ mph speed, handles it quite well. However, on the occasions where I did exceed 100 mph, much faster than the rest of the traffic, it was encumbent upon me to ensure their safety at all costs. Most people do not take the responsibility seriously, as though speeding is a ‘right’. And even then, had I been stopped, I could not have argued the legitimacy of such a stop since I carry no certification that I’m especially adept at such driving skills and therefore exempt from the laws that apply to mere mortals.
The original attempt of this forum was not about speeding as some kind of right, but speed traps in which artificially low speed limits are applied, so that Law Enforcement can wait to pounce on those who exceed it by 4 mph with excessive high fines as a penalty. Such as a 5-lane, one-way service road that is an access road to I-75 in Hamtramck, MI that’s posted at 25 mph.
Although these days, it’s remembered largely as an example of a joke, remember the national survey a couple decades ago, in which 98% of the respondents considered themselves to be Above Average drivers.
Todd sounds like some interstates are not safe to drive 100 mph on then doesn’t it if people merging in are driving a lot slower? Jeff would be driving 100 mph though and if he it someone it would not be his fault.
O’realy I can see your point. Drivers in America is not as good as the ones in Germany. I am in no way mocking all American drivers because some are very good drivers. America has both its good, avearge, and bad drivers.
I don’t think Jeff is reckless. Jeff are you reckless?
O’realy have you ever done 100 mph in the U.S. under safe conditions?
In Hawaii there is an on ramp called the “University on ramp.” That on ramp is so very short since it only gives you about 20 feet to merge onto the freeway. Cars have to come to a complete stop to let the vehicles on the freeway pass and then when there is an opening you sometimes have to gas it hard.
I just keep up with the flow of traffic. If traffic is going 10 mph I do 10 mph or if traffic is going 75 mph I go 75 mph. The only time I would go 105 mph+ is if it is a sunny day, straight freeway with a median/stronge guard rail, and very little to nobody around. I never would zoom by in the right lane next to an on ramp where vehicles can appear to merge on but I stay in the lift lane which is more far from the on ramps. I never would zoom through 70 mph traffic at 90 mph and I would never do 100 mph on a road where there are intersections. I would never zoom around a turn fast. Just plain simple I would not act stupid at 90 mph+. If this was the German autobahn than passing 80 mph traffic at 98 mph is safer but for the U.S. where “Keep Right Except to Pass” is not done alot, some drivers don’t check there rear view mirror as much as the ones in Germany before changing lanes (someone can pull out right in front of me), etc I would never go faster or slower than the flow of traffic unless no other cars are around.
Jeff if the flow of traffic is going 90 mph than just keep up. When me and my family drove from LA to Nevada people where going 100 mph.
Jeff which freeway do you drive on where you and some other drivers do 90 mph?
What about all those other drivers passing me?
Jeff, I guess for you it’s just dumb luck…even a “Bubba” like you can’t outrun fate forever. Here’s hoping that you and your Michael Schumacher-like driving prowess doesn’t get someone else hurt one day. Press on with your reckless attitude, and maybe one day you can make yourself a statistic. Won’t hurt my feelings, as long as you don’t take someone else with you.
But then again Jeff, maybe your last name is Gordon and you’re a famous race car driver, and you know how to drive a car better than the average American, but somehow based on your attitude and past statements I find that highly unlikely. But if you are, then by all means, you are one of the few in this country that has the skill and experience to safely drive 80-90 mph (or more) through traffic. Again, I doubt your a professional race car driver, but if you are, then press on good sir.
I still haven’t heard how the experiment with your friend and his car went…you asked me how much of a difference 15 mph makes. Well, go out and see: let your friend hit you with his car going 10 mph, and then let him hit you going 25 mph and see if it feels any different. Guess you’re not willing to take THAT risk are you? At least that won’t endanger anyone but you, and maybe hurt your friend’s car.
I drive 80-90 to work every day. Why am I and every one around still alive?
Bubba is many people, of all backgrounds. Bubba is the representative example for the driver who thinks he/she has the driving skill of a rally driver, and drives as such, when they are not skilled or experienced. Bubba is the guy/gal who drives with no regard for the safety of themselves or others. The person who thinks that reasonable traffic laws shouldn’t apply to them because they “know how to drive.” Bubba is the person putting on make-up, reading the paper, using both hands to eat their burger, or sending a text-message, all while flying down the road and changing lanes without signaling.
Bubba is a very large number of people on the road today. Bubba is symbolic of the multitude of drivers out there that drive SUV’s, pickups, family sedans, minivans, or other non-performance vehicles like they were, well, performance vehicles. They can be capable of fairly high speeds (often in excess of 100) but were never designed to safely manuever or handle at those speeds. Anyone who thinks their Ford Excursion was meant to drive 95 mph through traffic and can stop like a sports car should have their license revoked.
Does Bubba always obey all the traffic laws and never speed? No, which is my point…and the point of reasonable speed limits and enforcement. If the speed limit is 75 mph, and Bubba is driving 95 mph, then Bubba needs to be pulled over and taken off the highway.
I want to see Interstate speeds raised to reasonable limits, but there needs to be speed limits and there needs to be enforcement of those limits. If there wasn’t, then Bubba would be out there to drive with reckless abandon, without fear of consequences, putting me, you and everyone at risk. We, as Americas, need to fight for more and better driver training for those getting a license, and demand better traffic engineering. Until then, people will be treated like they are unskilled, inexperienced, and incapable of driving safely at high speeds because, well, we often ARE unskilled, inexperienced and incapable of driving at 90+ mph.
I like the Autobahn but there is just one thing I worry about. When you are carrying passengers in the back of your car their heads block the rear view. How in the world are you supposed to see cars coming up at 100 mph +. Pulling out to pass someone else when you can’t really see whats in your rear view mirror is not safe. I know you can use you side mirrors but even that is not as good as you rear view mirror when it comes to looking far back.
In Germany drivers are better, the autobahn is built well, and cars are well made. The autobahn is nice but it does have flaws.
I was watching a video on youtube and a guy going 150 mph hit a semi truck and his car went off the road. The car was messed up but the guy was able to walk away from the crash. I guess some people get lucky.
O’realy who is Bubba?
I’m sure Bubba obeys all laws and would never, ever speed.
Who is Bubba?
In some parts of the U.S. people on the interstates go about 90 mph. I remeber driving from LA California to Las Vegas Nevada and people where passing me at 100 mph.
To Jeff:
Rather than take anything constructive from my comments, you simply bring up incorrect or trivial points.
The advisory speed limit on the unregulated portions of the autobahns, is 130 kph (81 mph), but the sections with a posted speed are dynamic, and range anywhere from 60 kph (37 mph)in construction zones to the sections of autobahn running through Bremen, where the speed is posted at 120 kph (75 mph). So instead of looking up all your facts in wikipedia, maybe you should go to Germany and actually drive around and see what things actually look like in the ral world.
Now, if you actually had more than your elementary education in physics, you would be aware of such things as transfer of momentum, and conservation of momentum (take some time and look up those formulas) and how energy is transfered into objects as they come into contact. It’s not simply calculating kinetic energy from an object traveling 15 mph striking a fixed object. Do your homework before you ask questions about subjects about which you appear ignorant.
Again, I suggest you try the experiment of having your friend hit you with his car at two different speeds…experience is one of the best teachers, and you need a lot of experience.
Besides, I’m not worried about Bubba running into the back of me while I’m driving down the highway, I’m worried about Bubba running through the median and hitting me (or you) head-on, or running into the car on the shoulder with and a family of four in it that were waiting on a tow truck. Or the police car, ambulance or fire truck that is working a different accident on the road. There are other people that face consequences of your actions, not just you. Maybe, just maybe, people should think about more than just themselves, because they aren’t alone on the road.
Oh, and there is just a chance that maybe if Bubba doesn’t hit another car, but just runs into a tree, he might have a slightly better chance of surviving impact at 75 mph, as opposed to 90 mph…
If I’m driving 75 and Bubba is driving 90, the relative speed difference is 15mph. You do understand “relative velocity differentials” from your high school physics class? Based on your analysis, you don’t understand physics. How much kinetic energy is involved in a 15mph crash?
What is the speed limit on major portions of the Autobahn? 81mph – higher than anywhere in the US.
To Todd,
No, I advocate better design and maintenance of highways and I think real drivers training should be mandated before you get a license. I don’t mean driver’s education, I mean track and class time in a professional school, and strict testing requirements as well as stiffer penalties for driving without a license or on a suspended/revoked license. Speed is most dangerous in the hands of unskilled, inexperienced drivers.
To Jeff,
Obviously you have no idea what it’s like to be on the autobahns, or what Germany really looks like. I Do. Germany may be densely populated and relatively small, but that doesn’t mean that the whole country is one big sprawling area of development. There are still many rural & undeveloped areas.
The autobahns in the rural/less developed areas of Germany do not have a posted limit (actually have signs that mean “unlimited” posted). In urban and suburban areas of the autobahns, there are actually speed limits posted (OH MY GOSH!!!). Those limits are based on traffic density studies conducted semi-annually and are very strictly enforced. The number of kilometers of “unlimited” highway in Germany is decreasing rapidly as populations spread, but the fact is, the autobahns DO have speed limits in some areas, and do have “unlimited” sections, in less developed area of the country…and the traffic volumes on those sections is not nearly as dense as it is on I-5 or I-95. Probably equal in traffic density to I-20 in west Texas (very low density and traffic volume).
Sure, Germans can get a license at sixteen, by coming here and getting it, then returning home. But for those that stay in the country to get their license the proper way, the age is 18. There are ways around the system, but that wasn’t my point.
Sure, the guy flying a plane at 400+ mph over your house could hit you, but you are obviously ignoring the point. Let me explain: there is this thing called kinetic energy (google it if you’re not familiar); a 3200 lb car traveling at 75 mph that strikes another object, transfers some of that energy to the object it strikes and vice versa. Now, a 3200 lb car that strikes the same object traveling at 90 mph transfers 1.6 TIMES the kinetic energy as it did at 75 mph! That is how speed kills…sure, a crash at 75 could kill you, but the chances of you dying from the transfer of energy and force of impact increases with speed. So, Bubba is more likely to kill himself and anyone else he hits if he is going 90 mph as opposed to going 65 or even 75. Not to mention the fact that, as speed increases, smaller steering and suspension inputs are required for direction change. You overcorrect at 90+ and your chances of recovery are virtually non-existent. Your biologic reaction time doesn’t change with speed, but the distance you cover over the same period of time is greater, and therefore there is less time to react. A deer in the road comes up on you a lot faster at 90mph than at 75 mph, and you will have less time to react and avoid the collision. Oh, and just imagine how much more damage that deer is going to do because of that little thing called kinetic energy that I mentioned.
If this isn’t making sense, then go out and stand in the street and have one of your friends hit you with his car, while only driving about 10 mph. Come back in and tell me how much that hurt. Now go out and do the same thing, but let your friend hit you driving 25 mph, and then let me know how much more that hurt…if you survive the impact.
I am not saying that speed limits are always appropriate (areas like I-20 or I-10 in west Texas could go unposted), but many US Interstates are too congested and US drivers are by and large too unskilled and inexperienced to drive 90+ mph in traffic.
We have no sense of moving out of the way, we are often too distracted in our cars, and our highways and vehicles themselves are often ill-equipped to handle very high speeds for extended distances. The Interstates are not autobahns and were never intended to be, because if that was the original intent, they would be built like the autobahns, and our cars would be designed to handle it, but the simple reality is, they aren’t and people should stop driving on them like they are. If you want to drive like you’re on the autobahn, move to Germany; or live with the realty here in the US.
I think 55 or 65 is unreasonably low on all but the most densely traveled Interstate, but I think a limit (75?) is neccessary for the safety of myself and my family, and for you and yours, because quite frankly, I’m not a WRC or Formula 1 driver, and I’m willing to put good money on it that neither are you.
The US Interstate Highways were designed for 90mph. That was the talk in the early 1970s before the 55 nonsense got started.
German Autobahns have the same, or higher, traffic density as US freeways. You obviously have never driven there. Germany has a population of 65 million people or more in a country the size of Colorado.
Germans can get a drivers license at 16. The way to do it is to come to the US, get the license, and then transfer it back to Germany.
Bubba could lose control of his Camaro at 55 or 45 or 35mph and kill someone. The pilot flying the airplane at 400mph over my house could lose control and crash into my house.
To O’Realy
Do you support mandatory 75 mph speed governors on every vehicle?
The German Autobahn an the US Interstate are not nearly as similar as you suggest.
The Autobahns have, on average, 1/5 the traffic volume of the average US Interstate. While the Interstate system was indeed designed to handle speed of 80-85 mph, the grading, superelevations, curve radius, etc on the autobahns are designed for much higher speeds. Also, the autbahns are far better maintained, and thicker: the average interstate is about 10-12 inches thick. The autobahns run from 24-28 inches thick, therefore they hold weight and wear far better.
Also, Germans must be AT LEAST 18 in order to get a driver’s license, and they are required to be in a “learner’s” status for 18 months before they get an actual license. The average German driver tends to be more experienced when they hit the road, as compared to their US counterparts.
Lastly, German (and most European) cars are designed and set up for autobahn speeds. Read through almost any US auto magazine and you will see mention of “softened” suspensions on BMWs and Audis, to accomodate the US market’s tastes. Think of driving any US sedan, say a Buick Lesabre, at 130+ mph. Sure you could, but are the tires, suspension, steering, or even seat bolsters, designed to handle it safely? Now put yourself in an Audi A8 at the same speeds…which one would you rather be in.
The simple fact is, The US Interstate and US cars and drivers will NEVER be on par with the autobahns of Germany, and people should stop whining that they should be able to drive as fast as they want on I-95. Until we, as Americans have cars, skills, attitudes, and roadways that can handle autobahn speeds, then we need to accept REASONABLE speed limits on Interstate highways, and not complain about enforcement.
Do I think 55 or 65 mph on Interstate is reasonable: absolutely not! Do I think that 90+ is reasonable either..NO!
You might have the driving skills of the late Aryton Senna, and be driving a BMW M3/5/6, but most of the idiots on the highways of this country don’t and never will, and those are the people that make speed limits on the interstate necessary. Speed limits are in place on the interstate so my family doesn’t have to worry about Bubba in his Camaro losing control at 95 mph and killing us, you or anyone else.
Just my two Lincolns.
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In Michigan, there may be 5 miles designated for construction work, even though a crew may only be working on just one mile. It allows them to set up the markers in advance, rather than have to move them each day. As long as there are the orange barrel markers, it’s a legal construction zone, even though no construction is going on. And fines are increased as a result of violations within those zones.
In Texas, fines are increased in a construction zone only when workers are present.
With the auto companies going belly-up, it’s not so far-fetched that the entire highway system in Michigan may become one entire construction zone, even though no construction can be afforded, simply to increase revenues for the state. They’ve been known to ticket drivers for failure to sign the back of their vehicle registration card, even though nobody knows why a signature is required in the first place.
If it is not a real construction zone, do construction zone speed limits still apply?
I thought speeders were so common that police did not need to resort to games like this?
NHDriver you must have very good roads if police have to set up a construction zone because they can not find any others.
NH DRIVERS!!! State Troopers have been setting up a FAKE construction zone near exit 4 and setting up speeed traps on both sides of the highway. By making a fake work zone they can DOUBLE your fine!
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