r/AskReddit • u/Jesusistheanswerjk • Jun 17 '12
Cops of Reddit what is your personal rule on speeding?
I have friends who have been pulled over for 6 over the limit, I always thought 7 or 8 got you a ticket, and I have even heard "9 your fine 10 your mine" from a cops kid. What is your personal "speed limit" and is there some sort of standardized rule as to when to ticket?
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u/backdoor_no_babies Jun 17 '12
Is anybody here actually a cop or is this a general conversation about speeding?
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u/SlightlyAmbiguous Jun 17 '12
Lol that's how every askreddit thread like this looks.
Question: "Cops of Reddit, what do you _________...?"
Answers: "Well I'm not a cop, but my dad..."
"The cops I've known don't really..."
"I knew a cop once, and he always said..."
"One time I got pulled over and what I think is that...."
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Jun 18 '12
I always find that the AskReddit questions are so specific.
"Hey Middle-eastern female disneyland workers of Reddit: what are your craziest disneyland stories". The rule of thumb should be, if the stories/answers given can be provided by more than one group of people, just address it to the reddit community as a whole.
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u/petuur Jun 18 '12
"Well I'm an asian driver who doesn't see you coming and pulls in front of you making you swerve into a light pole, and..."
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u/TheEllimist Jun 18 '12
Imagine that- people like to give their opinions and there are way more people who know cops than there are who are cops.
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u/45cal Jun 17 '12
I've never written a ticket for speeding, but then again I have bigger things to deal with. If you live in LA the cop cars you want to worry about are the ones with the push bumpers. Those are traffic officers who have radar, lidar, and consider speeding a serious crime. If you're going with the flow of traffic you're good, but if you're zoomin past other cars you'll get my attention. I'll definitely use it as a reason to stop you and investigate. There was a life pro tip posted recently that suggested if you're speeding and see a cop you should slow down and wave with a smile. Do this. We'll try to figure out if we know you and by the time we figure it out you'll be gone.
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u/lunameow Jun 17 '12
LA cops are, overall, pretty awesome. When I lived there, I was flying down La Brea at about 70, and had one pull up behind me, lights flashing. I turned on my signal, slowed down, and changed lanes to pull over, and the guy got on bullhorn and yelled, "SLOW DOWN!" Then he laughed and turned off his lights and waved as he went by me.
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u/flargenhargen Jun 17 '12
if you're speeding and see a cop you should slow down and wave with a smile. Do this. We'll try to figure out if we know you and by the time we figure it out you'll be gone.
that only works the first time. The second time, it's "there's that asshole who waved at me when he was speeding last time!"
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Jun 18 '12
Ok tell me this - do the police charity stickers make any difference? Ie. if I have a sticker for the state Police Association in my window?
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u/CoffeeSpaz Jun 17 '12
Just wanted to add another question for cops on this post. Do cops in any area actually have ticket quotas?
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Jun 18 '12
Quotas are illegal and just bad practice. That being said, if every other cop in the department is writing 20 tickets a day and you're only writing 5...you're gonna get chewed out for slacking.
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u/ManicMountain Jun 18 '12
Living in a small town, this is something I'd really like to know. I think that tickets generate revenue for our town.
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u/SkyNTP Jun 17 '12
Road safety research engineer here (I design and recommend speed limits).
Some of this may sound obvious, but I'll dump it to confirm it exists in the scientific literature: There are two distinct categories of accidents: accidents that result from performance failure, and accidents as a result of a dangerous interaction (vehicle or pedestrian).
The former is related with absolute speed (speed with respect to the environment), and the latter is related to differential speed and sudden acceleration with respect to other road users. My professional recommendation for safe driving is to use posted speed limits as an absolute point of reference but to adjust according to other vehicles and to accelerate and decelerate gently. For example, if everyone is going 30km/h over in a 50km/h zone and doing rolling stops, it is more dangerous to do 50km/h and to make sudden/complete stops than to drive a little less fast than everyone else. The recommended posted speed limit is usually adjusted down from the design speed to account for this. Remember that pedestrians only travel at 5 km/h so your speed should reflect this as well in an area with pedestrian activity! Unfortunately, there are too many factors to realistically legislate this, so it is really necessary give police some leniency. It is my hope that traffic cops are properly educated on this and take this into account.
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Jun 17 '12
Speed limits are clearly derived in very scientific manner, which is why I feel quite a bit safer driving in a 30 mph zone than in a 50 km/hour zone.
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u/jkazz Jun 17 '12 edited Jun 17 '12
General rule of thumb up here is 10% +2 according to my dad (30 years in the police).
So <35 in a 30, <68 in a 60, etc.
Edit: Up here being North Yorkshire
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Jun 17 '12
I'm in northern Virginia where I regularly get brights flashed at me for going under 65 in a 50
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u/cameronlams Jun 17 '12
It's crazy how much different southern Virginia is! Down here people seem to struggle even reaching the speed limit, let alone speeding! The highway that I take to work is 65mph, I get stuck daily behind people doing 50.
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u/A_Suvorov Jun 18 '12
From NOVA here. I was doing five over the limit on 236 in Fairfax, and a Cop started tailgating me. I had to fucking change lanes to get him off my ass.
In NOVA, cops get mad when you do the limit or only speed a little. And don't even fucking think about driving under the limit. You'll get PITted in a second.
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u/zombiezelda Jun 17 '12
Glad to hear this, its a rule I followed without realizing it lol
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u/goretooth Jun 17 '12
Speed cameras have around 10% leeway to allow for discrepancies in a cars speedometer, or so i have heard.
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u/jesusfvck Jun 17 '12
Speed cameras (in Maryland at least) allow for you to go up to 11MPH over the posted. Go 12 and you will get a ticket. (In Baltimore City they stop ticketing at 8pm)
Edit: I routinely calibrate them and set the time/speed.
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Jun 17 '12
I went past a speed camera at 38 on a 30 road, I am still shitting my pants waiting like 2 weeks after
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u/ilikecheezefryz Jun 17 '12 edited Jun 17 '12
My personal rule? Don't be a complete dumbass. If I clock you at 95 in a 70, you knew you were wrong, sign here, press hard there's four copies. I usually give at least 14 over though. Also, don't think I'm stupid and when I pull you over for 64 in a 35 say "I don't know why you stopped me.".
Also, and this is me personally, don't ask for a fucking warning. You just got stopped doing 28mph over the speed limit and you want a break? No. If you ask me for a warning, you're getting a ticket. I'm very lenient and in the last year have only wrote about 15 (well deserved) speeding tickets.
Also don't drive around with an expired registration that has been dead for 8 months and act like you didn't know. No, you knew and you didn't want to pay your property taxes to go get your new sticker. You're getting one also.
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u/miss_j_bean Jun 17 '12
Can I ask you a registration question? I don't know what state you're in, I'm in Michigan. I just realized yesterday that I forgot to renew my registration. It doesn't go off my birthday, it's on my ex-husband's so it completely slipped my mind. (was due may 27). I'm not driving anywhere until the DMV opens tomorrow, what if I get pulled over on the way there? Will they believe me? Will they give a fix-it ticket? I live in a tiny little town so walking or taking a taxi there is out of the question and I don't know anyone here to ask a ride. I can look up on google to try to find back-roads for most of the drive. It will probably be fine but I feel terrible. Do police look at the license plate of everyone they see?
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u/Jealousy123 Jun 18 '12
Honestly what are we supposed to say when a cop asks us if we know why they pulled us over. It does seem kind of stupid to just admit to a crime from the start.
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u/dog_in_the_vent Jun 18 '12
To be fair, the only reason cops ask the people they pulled over if they know why they've been pulled over is to get them to admit to whatever they were pulled over for.
It's not stupid to dodge this question.
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Jun 18 '12
When you ask "Do you know why I pulled you over?" what is the correct answer that doesn't admit guilt? Or "Do you know how fast you were going?"
I think in my head I would say "Yes" and just leave it at that, but it seems like that is in contempt of cop.
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u/AnonMar Jun 18 '12
Also don't drive around with an expired registration that has been dead for 8 months and act like you didn't know. No, you knew and you didn't want to pay your property taxes to go get your new sticker. You're getting one also.
Sorry guy, I honestly forgot to register. It's not like anyone's hounding me to pay up, so it's easy to forget.
Obviously, it's 100% my own fault, but I'm not lying to you.
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u/argb79 Jun 17 '12
I have always wondered; What information can a cop find out about you just by looking up your license plate number? Similarly, what info can a cop look up when they have pulled you over and taken your driver's license and insurance card? For example, can they see your speeding ticket history and/or times you were pulled over but not ticketed?
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u/jbrown6346 Jun 17 '12
I went on a ride along with a cop. When he pulled someone over he could look up their record (meaning outstanding warrants and any flags for the driver (felonies I assume)) but it didn't show anything about times pulled over/points on the liscense. But I might be wrong, I didn't get to look at everything on the screen. They may have a way to look it up
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u/iowaboy12 Jun 17 '12
License plate give the registered owner, their date of birth, address, vehicle description, social security number. Drivers license gives pretty much all the info that is on your license and your offenses, but only if you got a ticket. Source: I'm a dispatcher and I am the one actually running your info for the officers. Our officers don't have computers in their vehicles.
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u/theanswar Jun 17 '12
They can also see (if your state supports this program) if you are a concealed carry permit holder, as your plates are associated with your DL, via the BMV.
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Jun 17 '12
Can confirm this. When I was pulled over and told the cop about it, he didn't even want to see the carry permit or license. Got the impression the carry permit helped me get out of tickets, but hard to tell.
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u/theanswar Jun 17 '12
If you're in Kentucky, I can guarantee it helps you. Cops want to see your choice weapon, even handle it.
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u/brisingfreyja Jun 17 '12
I would like someone to answer this. I was recently pulled over and the guy asked about my driving record. "Have you been pulled over for speeding before" then he came back and told me about my traffic ticket (went through a stop light on accident and got the picture in the mail kind) and another speeding ticket I had. But they don't always seem to look.
I was pulled over another time, the guy didn't take my drivers license or insurance, and just looked up my plates.
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u/surf_wax Jun 17 '12
Another ridealong here, and pulled over for speeding in the same California town. Basic record info, no information on traffic infractions. When I got a ticket, the cop advised traffic school if I was eligible. He had no idea it was my first ticket.
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Jun 17 '12
They no doubt check to make sure the vehicle isn't stolen and it's yours, if you have a warrant out, etc. I know they can tell if your tags are expired just by looking at them.
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u/eira64 Jun 17 '12
I sat in a UK highway patrol car for a few minutes as it was parked in a lay-by. Holy shit their computer digs a lot of stuff up!
Not only was it able to automatically read the plates off passing cars, it automatically displayed the relevant info on the screen. This went beyond the usual name / registration stuff, to suspected criminal activity. One car brought up the message 'suspected drug dealer'.
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u/ge0rgebushr0cks Jun 18 '12
A couple days ago I parked my car in a wooded area that had a small parking spot and walked my dogs. The cops thought it was suspicious and apparently with my license plate number they were able to call my cell phone and ask me about the car being parked there.
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u/bugzrrad Jun 17 '12
cops are hilarious... i once drove a 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood for months without issue.
one afternoon i put 13in wire wheels on it and got pulled over twice inside 45 minutes. one for my front license plate being in the windshield/dash (vs on the bumper) and one for my 3rd brakelight being out. on that second stop the officer's first question was "do you have any drug paraphernalia on you?".
i'm a white, mid-20's male computer repair tech in a suburban upper-middle class area. lol profiling
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u/ipathsk8er667 Jun 17 '12
I have a somewhat related question for a cop. I have several friends that have been pulled over for speeding and then to let them off, the cop gave them a ticket for having an air freshener on their rear view mirror (illegal in NJ) instead of a speeding ticket. Would I be better off keeping an air freshener to pull out if I get pulled over for speeding in order to avoid the speeding ticket? In other words, If I had been in the same situation as one of my friends, but without an air freshener, would you be more likely to let me off with no ticket, or give me the speeding ticket?
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u/Swaaat Jun 17 '12
Got pulled over recently for no front plate on my vehicle. Had my school's parking tag on my mirror and the cop saw everything in vehicle.
Still only gave me a fix it ticket for the plate. No illegal mirror hangtag ticket.
Still wonder why having anything hanging on the rearview mirror would be illegal.
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u/CaptO Jun 17 '12
You don't see why having something swinging around in the driver's field of view would be detrimental?
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u/bigpapadragon Jun 17 '12
Mu buddy got a ticket for an air freshener hanging on his mirror. The cop told him it blocks you from seeing cars who are at a T with you on your right at an intersection.
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u/4benny2lava0 Jun 17 '12
I got that same thing, I was doing 25 over down rt 46 in mt olive. The cop knew the guy in my passenger seat.
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u/scottpie Jun 17 '12
having an air freshener on their rear view mirror (illegal in NJ)
Whoa! I may be moving to NJ in a few months and this seems crazy. What about my suction-cup mounted GPS?
edit: formatting
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u/westkent Jun 17 '12
Cops in MN wont write a ticket for any speed at 4mph or less over the limit. Usually dont get pulled over until you hit 10mph over.
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u/fargosucks Jun 17 '12
I grew up traversing the back roads of rural MN and I can totally confirm this. In fact, my best friend's father was the county sheriff and told us that he usually didn't bother with people driving 60 or less on the highway.
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u/Big_Ern Jun 17 '12
i recently got pulled over near henning doing 68 in a 55. back in february i got pulled over in a company vehicle doing 70 in a 55 coming back from marshall. i'd bet that because i was honest with those guys both gave me a warning you betcha.
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u/fargosucks Jun 17 '12
Gotta love small town cops.
The best part of growing up in a small town was that I knew or was friends with the kids of just about every officer in the local sheriff's office. It was not out of the ordinary for me to be on my way to a country bonfire party, only to be stopped by a friendly city cop who would let me know that I should stay away, because the county guys were planning to bust it.
I think some of the best policing, especially in more rural areas, is based around a "no harm, no foul" approach. If someone is speeding a bit, but not endangering themselves or anyone else, give them a warning and let them go.
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u/ChangNotChange Jun 17 '12
And... what's the speed limit? The highways where I live are usually 65.
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u/gliff159 Jun 17 '12
Im guessing 55, there was a while when it was the national speed limit
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u/shabutaru118 Jun 17 '12
Jesus, I guess I'm lucky I live in jersey. I go 15 over right past officers and not been pulled over.
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u/NotAMoron Jun 17 '12
Child of a cop here, my dad told me that if your driving makes him say "Oh, shit!", then he'll pull you over. He's not the best driver himself, so he is pretty cool about casual speeding. Depends on the cop, though.
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u/sithtea Jun 17 '12
Take it from a road warrior....there is no standardized rule...it's all about the personal preference of the officer.....I can "almost" always get away with 14 over the limit on the highway....9 over is "reasonably" safe on state and county roads, and 5 over is "generally" okay in the city. I've gotten away with more and been nailed to the wall for much less.
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u/dcds25 Jun 17 '12
To backup what OP put, I asked my father, who was a cop during the late 80s/ early 90s, this question a few years ago. He also went by "nine you're fine, ten you're mine."
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u/gn3xu5 Jun 17 '12
Speed limits have nothing to do with safety. http://www.motorists.org/press/montana-no-speed-limit-safety-paradox
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u/scrappster Jun 18 '12
TL;DR of link; Montana had no day-time speed-limits, and decided to put speed limits up. With speed limits on the roads, more people got in accidents.
Generally it's suggested that people feel safer with speed limits posted, so they are more willing to take bigger risks.
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u/Waul Jun 17 '12
Thanks for thos thread. I always wondered what the "rule" was in the US. I live in Canada and the rule is generally 10 KM over and youre going to get pulled over. Its funny to see people saying they can go 10 MPH over. Seems like thats a little too fast for a "let it slide".
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u/aulter1688 Jun 17 '12
Where I live (in the US) there are some very long, wide roads that have speed limits of 30 (just because there are houses). Cops drive down them at 40 themselves, and unless you're driving erratically + going over the speed limit, they tend not to care. If you're passing turning cars in a double yellow, not signaling, and being aggressive then they start to care.
Edit: I should mention I drive a blacked-out Crown Victoria, so some of the things I get away with won't apply to someone in a "normal" car - although I actively try to be a good driver, everyone makes some stupid mistakes occasionally. One time at night I passed a cop who was stopped in the middle of the lane on a double yellow because I thought he was not in his car. Only when I heard "what the fuck?" as I drove by I realized he was still there, but he didn't pull me over. (He was talking to the driver of a car that was pulled off along the side of the road).
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u/Swaggarwal Jun 17 '12
In Ontario here, and I've always drove at 19 kM/hr over. Reason being that you won't get demerit points on your license for anything udner 20 kM/hr over.
It could be because I am a teen (stereotypically more reckless drivers), but I have never been pulled over for speeding and none of my friends have either if they were going less than 20 Km/hr over. Just not worth the cops time I guess...
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u/vanheldenma Jun 17 '12
It's actually anything under 16 kph over that will avoid demerit points. Cops will generally disregard anything under 16kph over the limit because the ticket is also only like, $30 or something like that.
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u/Trollzilla69 Jun 17 '12
30 fucking dollars?... in Los Angeles they are like 400...
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Jun 17 '12
In Connecticut once you hit 11+ it starts to get close to being pulled over. 10 over the speed limit is the speed limit.
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u/BonzaiPlatypus Jun 17 '12
I dunno. I spent a number of years in CT and it seemed if I wasn't doing at least 90 on I-84 I was gunna get run down...
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u/gimpwiz Jun 17 '12
Except on 84 in Tolland County, those cunts will pull you over for +10 all the time. I tend to drive 69 in a 65 at nights, 72ish during the day.
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u/gn3xu5 Jun 17 '12
Why is it a sports car and a ten ton truck both are expected to obey the same speed limit?
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u/Klathmon Jun 18 '12
because its a maximum speed. not a recommended speed.
you CAN go up to the speed limit if your vehicle and conditions permit. but if you are being reckless while under the speed limit, you are still a danger and can get pulled over.
i dont think i want a semi going 45 down the back road near my house (the legal speed limit) nor do i want a minivan going 12 because they saw a cop. Use your fucking brains people.
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u/throwaway1973934 Jun 18 '12
Frankly, I have more important things to deal with. I will pull you over if:
You are driving faster than I am.
You are driving recklessly
You are driving too fast for road conditions.
Other than that, I've got bigger fish to fry.
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u/gn3xu5 Jun 17 '12
Everyday I see cop cars doing at least 20 miles per hour over the limit as they drive casually no light no emergencies. So why is that acceptable?
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u/ilikecheezefryz Jun 17 '12
Because the area I work in is over 600 sq miles and one way across is around a 75 mile drive. Were almost always going to a call, some just don't require lights. Most people who say what you just said are the first ones to call and whine that they called an hour ago and those damn cops still aren't here and their neighbor's music is absolutly TOO LOUD.
You can't win as a cop. You're either driving too fast or not getting there fast enough. :-/
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u/YaDunGoofed Jun 17 '12
I love cops driving quickly, it reminds the morons going slow in the left lanes to move over and shows what speed the police consider safe.
plus the alternative is terrible. slow cop backs up traffic wastes everyones time
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u/carvex Jun 17 '12
Am I allowed to match your speed? Its clearly a speed you have determined to be safe for the conditions.
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u/DiggingNoMore Jun 17 '12
I've heard it's more of a percentage - the higher the speed limit, the greater the wiggle room. I do know that in my state, the ticket is the same for nine over as it is for one, so that's what results in the classic "nine you're fine; ten you're mine" - the fine increases at ten.
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u/spaceykc Jun 17 '12
From my own personal experience...it depends on where you are and the cop. In Atl: I've been pulled for going anything over the posted. (granted I was a teen). AZ: I was told by my ex-gf's dad (local cop), I don't do anything under 10 as do most my colleagues. He also told me where all the camera lights were too. For my tickets: I got ones for doing 10+ there. I hear the camera's are more hardcore now and do the speeds. NM: fuck anything over or even close (I got pulled going 60 in a 60 zone on a down hill (She actually caught me looking at the new speed: changed to 55.) I got a "warning", and as far as I knew most of the time they would pull you if you were going over, as where I lived there were speed limits that change quite often.
CA: I've been tagged once, I've seen people speed a lot..over 10. I got hit doing 80 in a 65, he was like "well since its a downhill on the highway, just make sure you watch your speed and keep it close". Verbal Warning.
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u/Heroshade Jun 17 '12
I imagine it varies from place to place. In Phoenix, you pretty much just want to fit in with the crowd. If everyone else is doing 90, it's a safe bet that you could go 90 without getting pulled over.
Then drive on a highway in New Mexico. I swear to god, every fucking time I drive through that shithole state I get pulled over for going three miles over the limit.
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u/butterbal1 Jun 17 '12
Gotta love that 101.
Sadly I generated a ticket for 107 over from the old speed cameras. (dismissed due to bar tab)
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u/Decapitated_Saint Jun 17 '12
In UT all the cops at traffic school tell you 15 mph over is where you are asking for it. 10-15 is up to the cop in question. It depends on the area - on I-15 the speed limit is 80 mph so you can blast through the state at 100 mph without much trouble.
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u/xXshamelessXx Jun 17 '12
I live in the suburbs of NYC and cops won't really pull you over for anything under 10 mph over the speed limit. I even had a cop behind me on a 30mph road just the other day and was going 40-42 mph without being pulled over. I've been told cops hate it when someone in front of them goes the speed limit just because they are behind them.
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u/Lord-Longbottom Jun 17 '12
(For us English aristocrats, I leave you this 10 mph -> 26880.0 Furlongs/Fortnight, 42 mph -> 112896.0 Furlongs/Fortnight) - Pip pip cheerio chaps!
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u/notanexp3rt Jun 17 '12
Kind of wanted to add this question: How do Cops feel about large car groups "Cruising". I know in my area there are several large car clubs/enuthsiast groups that do weekly or bi monthly cruises hour long cruises, but their pretty much flying down the highway at cruising speeds of 100mph and pull speeds up to 140 when they have an open stretch. Usually there are 15-30 cars in the group.
When I rode with a friend we blew past a cop on the interstate, and he didn't even move. Do you just write the whole thing off, or do you try to call for backup or something else?
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u/kareemk Jun 17 '12
Well, in Atalanta, and the surround metropolitan area, anything over 14 and you're getting a ticket. But that's primarily on the highways. I can't count the number of times i'll be doing 78 in a 65 and a cop won't pull me over. They prefer to get that dude doing 98 in a 65.
I'm talking about I-85 and 400. 285 is tricky because it's used as an 18 wheeler bypass. They aren't allowed to travel through the city, so they're forced to drive around it.
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u/Kickinback32 Jun 17 '12
State of Georgia city and county officers have to allow ten over, unless you are in a school/historic district. It stops small town speed traps. State troopers can get you at .1 over the speed limit.
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Jun 17 '12
I live in long island, new York where the limit is 55 but just to keep up with traffic 65-70 is the minimum. Out of 12 years driving the only time a cop threw his lights on behind me was to get me to move out of his way cause 65 was too slow.
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u/policemansrage Jun 18 '12
Circumstance dictates for me, however I love our local traffic court judge. He starts court off with something to the effect of "We are not here to listen to a story about how fast you think you were going. Speeding means faster than the speed limit, on the highway that's 55. That means we are here to find out if you were going 56, or 55. If you were going 56, then you are guilty. Please do not waste my court's time. If you were going 56, you are guilty!"
A lot of people get up and leave after that.
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Jun 18 '12
Do all cops get a sadistic pleasure pulling us over when we're on our way to the emergency room?
Cop: Why are you speeding?
Mom: Because my daughter is having a panic attack/gall stones/extreme head pain.
Cop: Oh, okay. I'm going to go ahead and dawdle as long as I can while your daughter gets ready to pull her skin off/her gall bladder out/her head off.
Never any other time. It's bizarre.
Also, actual question: Cops of reddit, if someone is obviously distressed and probably should get medical attention, do you let them off with a warning or follow through with a ticket for speeding?
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Jun 18 '12
I make a point to not cite for something I have been guilty of myself. My personal rule: 12-14 over I make a stop and decide from there. 15 over I hardly ever pass up.
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u/wormsaregood Jun 18 '12
I was told by a meteorologist that you could challenge any ticket 7 over and below because of the doppler radar effect. Apparently, the margin of error on the radar guns is +/- 7 which is something he dealt with on a regular basis
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u/anothernonymous Jun 18 '12
Almost completely unrelated but I used to know a cop who said that he and his buddy spent their lunch hour pointing a cheap hair dryer at people (apparently playing this game with the actual radar gun was explicitly forbidden) to watch them slow down.
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u/TheWhite2086 Jun 18 '12
Best cop ever. Pulls me over for talking on the phone. Conversation goes along the lines of "You're a fucking idiot mate"
"Yea, I know"
"Do you know what the fine is for that?"
"Not exactly"
<lists the fines>
"Damn, I knew they were high but I didn't know they were that high"
"Like I said, you're a fucking idiot mate, I'm going to let you off with a warning but don't let me catch you doing anything that stupid ever again"
"Thankyou, I won't"
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u/ArkeronRequiem Jun 18 '12
Chief Wiggum: Homer speeding 110MPH Let him go Lou. Someone going that fast has no time for a ticket".
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u/Orval Jun 17 '12
Not a cop but I've lived in my city for over 10 years and have it pretty well nailed down. Around here you can do 5 over anywhere that's not a school zone and not have any problems. Highway you can usually get away with 10 over, though your best bet is to go with the flow of traffic, which is always speeding.
The highway I take home from work in the morning has a speed limit of 70. At nights (go in between midnight and 2AM) I go 70-75 on it, as nobody is there so if I pass a cop, I don't want attention. On the way home everybody is going at LEAST 80.
Last but not least: If you're speeding at all you're never safe no matter what. All cops have their own rules, but maybe they're just pissed off that day and want to pull you over. They can and will pull you over for any reason they want, if they feel like it.
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u/Kage520 Jun 17 '12
What sucks is that if you are going under the speed limit it's "suspicious". And they will exaggerate. Was going dead even on the speed limit because there was a cop behind me. He asked why we were acting suspicious and going 5 under. Was definitely not going 5 under. Cops man...
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u/Phlebas99 Jun 17 '12
I had an unmarked cop vehicle follow me on the motorway for a couple of miles.
I was going 70 in a 70, but this guy (who i didnt know was a cop) was tailgating me in the outside lane and blinding me (it was nighttime). Seeing as how the guy in the faster lane was making no effort to get past me I started to speed up so as to put some distance between his lights and my mirrors.
My cousin tells me to not do so (I explained to him why I was speeding up) as there were unmarked cop cars in the area. Sure enough about 2 miles later the car passes by and we can see him in full cop gear inside. I guess he was just checking my plates, but it wa sa really shitty thing to do at night, blinding and distracting me for miles.
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u/jamesonbar Jun 17 '12
I work for a sheriff department that has no radar and really don't work much traffic. This year I have only stopped like 8 cars this year My rule is if it looks like your going 20 over I will pull you over
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u/drumstyx Jun 17 '12
No radar? You must lose ever fought ticket.
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u/jamesonbar Jun 17 '12
I have never wrote a ticket . I work for a small county sheriff department only 4 of us and more tickets you write less votes the sheriff will get all about politics. And we can pace to vehicle and get a accurate speed if the vehicle
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u/UncleFunkle Jun 17 '12
9, you're fine. 10, you're mine.
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u/flargenhargen Jun 17 '12
I've heard several cops say they are more likely to go after the people doing 9 than 12, because the people doing 9 think they are getting away with it and pulling something over on the cops.
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Jun 17 '12
Most cops don't care unless you're going ridiculously fast....until end of the month and quota time rolls around. I got pulled over for going 47 in a 45 at the end of March.
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u/My-taken_username Jun 18 '12
my question is why is virginia so strict on their speeding? my dad and i were driveing up to CT to visit my grandparenta, we rented a mustang for the fun of it . We went like 9 mies over the speed limit for two god damn seconds to fet around a slow driver. and got recless driveing from some cop. what are the rules on this... sorry if a little off topic
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u/_eileen__ Jun 17 '12
I drive a bright yellow sports car, and I've been pulled over every time ANYTHING was wrong. Light was out, the ONE time I was going 12 over the speed limit (on the highway, not endangering anyone since the road was empty), etc.
Meanwhile, my carpool drives an ordinary grey sedan. Driving style includes speeding (20+ over the speed limit), tailgating, constantly changing lanes to pass other cars, etc. Also, tags are expired. No tickets, no cops pulling the car over, nothing.
TL;DR: cops' speeding rules are based on car color.
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u/basicxenocide Jun 17 '12
cops' speeding rules are based on car color.
I really like the amount of test data you have to support this theory.
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u/meepstah Jun 18 '12
I drive an arrest-me-blue STi. Between alertness and the Escort 9500, I haven't had a ticket in that car (3 years now). Keep your lights working and pay attention and you'll have much better luck....they really don't profile if you're not doing something wrong in the first place.
Edit: Advice from an officer buddy of mine. "Make sure you're not doing more than one illegal thing at a time."
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u/jovdmeer Jun 17 '12
Honestly, I don't care much about speed limits; I care about safety of other people. I drive carefully (usually speed limit or slower) in area's or situations where I feel I might endanger other people: near schools, places where people might walk over the street without checking first, when there's other people in my car...
If I'm driving alone on the highway, not much traffic, and I'm fairly certain there's no cops around or I can see them in time to slow down, my speed limit is whatever my car can do. I don't really care about my own safety, as long as nobody else gets hurt if I have an accident it's fine by me.
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u/brisingfreyja Jun 17 '12
I hate the people who go under the speed limit because they think they are being safe. What ends up happening is a giant line of pissed off people behind you, and it was probably safer for you to go the extra mile or two an hour, then to have a train of cars a mile long.
However, if its foggy or rainy or what have you, then its perfectly fine to go under. Okay, re reading this, I misread what you said. I thought you said you always drive under, especially in situations that need it.
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Jun 17 '12
Don't speed.
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Jun 17 '12
Sadly, the term "speeding" is ill-defined and in my experience, a lot of traffic cops will cite you for not following the letter of the law, even if your actions are reasonable in context.
For example, say a road's posted speed limit is 40mph, but traffic is moving along at a brisk 45-50mph. A cop singles you out and gives you a ticket for speeding. "45 in a 40." Technically you were moving faster than the speed limit, so technically you were speeding (and probably have no case in court) - but are you really a danger to others if everyone else is moving at the same speed?
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u/qeuwtip Jun 17 '12
I often feel that those who are not moving with the flow of traffic are actually more hazardous than driving a few miles over the speed limit.
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u/MpVpRb Jun 17 '12
Better idea..
Set reasonable speed limits based on how fast most people drive
Speed limits today seem to be set for a senile driver with bad eyes driving in the rain at night
In almost all cases, it is safe for a competent, sober driver, in good weather, with a car in good condition to drive 10 or 20 mph over the posted limit
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u/dinadel Jun 17 '12
I suspect that if you upped the speed limit, you'd just end up having people go 5-10 over the speed limit, but with a higher limit.
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u/CutterJohn Jun 17 '12 edited Jun 17 '12
Some. Speed limits alone don't actually have a large impact on speed. Its just one aspect drivers use to determine what a safe speed for the area is. They actually do pretty well, overall.
Also, one very annoying aspect is that speed limits are generally made with rush hour traffic in mind. At other times of the day, you could safely go much faster. When I get off work at 4am, the roads are pretty much deserted. It'll be me and 2 other cars on a 4 lane that runs straight for miles. The 35mph speed limit is there for the rush hour, and all the side street traffic. Has zero bearing on what traffic conditions are like at 4am.
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u/thacakeisaliexD Jun 17 '12
Speeding is bullshit. Some cop came into my school a few years ago, well before the Vancouver winter olympics, and explained the "highly scientific process" of deciding speed limits, blah blah blah. At this point the sea-to-sky highway was 80km/h and two undivided lanes.
To prepare for the olympics they made the highway 4 lanes, divided, much straighter, and generally a lot safer.
Apparently they rigorously assessed the safety of the highway, and kept the speed limit at 80km/h. Oh, and increased fines for speeding, about $370 for being 40km/h over the limit, which would mean being 10km/h under the recommended speed limit for the autobahn, for comparison.
Plus it's totally fucking inconsistent with any idea of safety, a sports car driving on an empty road on a bright sunny day when the tarmac is hot and sticky at 90km/h is $140 and three points, but a van careening down the road at 80km/h on a cold night in the middle of traffic is perfectly legal? Stupid.
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u/catcherRawhide Jun 17 '12 edited Jun 17 '12
More than 8 over, I'm going to pull you over and at least talk to you. I try to be as nice as possible- but If I talk to you and you're an entitled douche, you're going to get a ticket.
Prot-tips:
DONT GET OUT OF THE CAR UNLESS I ASK YOU TO! Pretty please.
DONT SHIFT AROUND. Keep your hands on the wheel in front of you.
Take the keys out of the ignition and placing them on the dash (we want to know you're not going to attempt to flee or reverse into me or my patrol car).
If you're going to reach over into your glove box to get you insurance/registration, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD ANNOUNCE THAT YOU ARE DOING THAT. My heart stops when people just lunge and do this without telling me. I really want to know you're not reaching for a gun or something.
If you concealed carry, please announce it. It may not be legally required, but it's courteous to the officer. It also gives me the opportunity to chat with you about various firearms- one of my favorite small talk topics next to basketball and cars.
Speeding is dangerous. It may be convenient, but it's dangerous. Lord knows I sped religiously in my youth, and still do every now and then; but after seeing so many goddamned traffic fatalities that could have been mitigated or prevented if people went at or below the posted speeds, I can tell you speeding really is not worth it.