Reading speed limit coverage you start to notice patterns. Astonished British tabloids, “the sky is falling” prophecies, TV reporters with radar guns who think numbers are important, reluctant California cities forced to base speed limits on safety instead of emotion, and New Hampshire state troopers arresting a 100 mph driver in the middle of nowhere.
It happened again last weekend, police arrested another driver for going over 100 on an Interstate in middle-of-nowhere, New Hampshire.
There’s not much along I-93 between Concord and Franconia Notch except trees and a few signs warning of moose or high winds.
And state troopers in the median.
When I read these stories two thoughts fight for first place in my head.
First, or maybe second, why are they patrolling there?
Second, or maybe first, why is this news?
Somebody went to the trouble of putting out a press release, and some other bodies in the media spread it around the region. You don’t read about high speed stop in Massachusetts unless there’s a weird news or serious crime angle. Once those drivers cross the line, even on southern I-93, they become news.
I suppose I should welcome the reporting. I learned a few things. State police do use aircraft, but not very often. Some people are stupid enough to record themselves weaving through traffic at 100 mph. In New Hampshire you might get arrested for triple digit speeds. Down here that’s a regular speeding ticket.
If I believed all police did was zap 100 mph speeders I wouldn’t mind, but I doubt they are so discriminating.
Although New Hampshire has partially reinstated the 70 mph limit it had until 1973, the limits still encourage abusive enforcement. They would have to add another 10 mph along northern I-93, and a lot more farther south, to get to the level where drivers doing nothing wrong wouldn’t have to panic at the sight of a light bar.
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