Speeding tickets

[Hawker]

Have driven a lot in Europe on the Autobahn and in Italy too where people legally travel much faster than over here with no carnage like promised by the insurance lobby and local governments who utilize this huge cash cow. That is not to say they don't have speed limits as they most certainly do, nor do they not desperatly need the money for all their social programs. They have just thought it out better and learned how to mix the varying vehicle and driver capabilities without handicapping one group. Then they enforce that. You want to drive slow in the left lane on the Autobahn creating a dangerous situation. Then you get the big ticket, not the fast movers. We're not yet advanced enough here to figure that out, so we take the $$$ approach and declare it all in the name of safety.

Fla. came closest to moving when it got all the way to the Governors desk to be signed into law that slow drivers in the high speed lanes could be pulled over and cited even if they weren't exceeding the speed limit. Insurance lobby bought him off as they saw the end of their rip-off of the public at hand if this ever got started. Our sheriff's traffic div. head got on TV and said that speed was not the big danger we face in driving, but rather the slow drivers blocking flow of traffic leading to an ever increasing road-rage problem.

I know, I'm for the most part singing to the choir on here. Just tired of people thinking that the speed laws are there for some other reason than what they really are. And yes, I do have a clean driving record, with annual drivers training /testing and until recently was working as a crash investigator for the SO until I got a cushy job in another Div.

 

[LittleBigFoot]

In the info booklet for the basic driver's ed tests in Colorado, it says that accidents are caused by a disruption in the flow of traffic.

That could be some one speeding OR some one driving wicked slow.

CO also passed a law about keeping up with the flow of traffic. If the majority of cars are driving, lets say 65 in a 55 mph zone, cops won't pull you over for keeping up.

I've also seen a lot more minimum speed limits out in the country.

But a law is a law. I got 600 bucks in fines because I traveled through the express toll lanes on the toll road. (My chip wasnt up to date in their system, but I had it) I got it talked down to 28 dollars.


Just my 2 cents.


Adam

 

[MAKG]

DK, civil disobedience is fine under some circumstances, but that means you take the penalties.

The law may be stupid, but rule of law depends critically on people not just being able to ignore it.

You never said all collisions were between two vehicles where the other one is speeding, but that's the only example you gave, and it was the only comparison you were considering for risk.

As for the "no carnage in Europe" statement, that's just wrong. When accidents happen on the Autobahn, they are BAD. They aren't as frequent because there are A LOT MORE laws, like use the left lane only for passing (and it's actually enforced). There ARE speed limits for some classes of vehicles such as trucks and busses (and it's really slow -- 100 km/h), so the "interrupting flow" argument kinda has some trouble there.

The road is also designed for much higher speeds. The pavement is twice as thick. It gets resurfaced almost annually. And have you ever seen a German pothole?

An 80 MPH collision with a deer or a tree is quite likely to be a fatality. A 60 MPH collision has half the energy, and probably won't be. Most of the safety equipment in the vehicle is designed for low and medium speed collisions, because that's what most of them are. The arguments that driving 80 MPH is safer than 60 MPH even under heavy speeding traffic are BS. Have you ever heard of a right lane? Just because everyone else is doing something stupid does not make it less stupid for you to do it.

 

[LittleBigFoot]

On I25 here in Denver, all 6 lanes each way are usually doin at least 10 over. No matter what the time of the day.

 

[MAKG]

Umm, I've been to Denver a number of times.

All the local interstates, including I-25, see regular traffic jams, and the speeders are very modest. I-25 doesn't have 12 lanes for very much of its length; that's the problem. It's 4 lanes past the Boulder turn-off.

Honestly, I've heard all this before. I used to say it about LA traffic. It's BS, at least in the cities.

 

[john cub owner]

Well fellas, I am the geezer on the site, old enough to be the father of most of you, and grandfather to some. I am not a professional driver, but my work required a lot of driving, mostly in rural areas and small towns, to the tune of about 3 million miles since I got my license in 64. I have had not tickets, but have had a couple of warnings, and they were justified. I am seeing a lot of bitching about speed limits, etc. in this thread, but you need to stop and think. On the Autobahn there are no side roads, very few ramps, etc. and it is shorter than many of the trips we make on interstates. Interstates are also not bad to drive higher speeds, only one way traffic, exits and entrances are ramps, etc. One of their problems though is the long distances many people drive on them getting fatigue, or highway hypnosis. When you leave these though, extra alertness and reduced speeds are needed, not because of how well you can handle a car, but because of side roads, limited vision, even children or adults walking along them. If you get a ticket, even one as low as $126, there is nothing wrong with asking for a reduction, especially if it is your first one, but if you consistantly don't mind risking injury or death to others, you need to go ahead and pay it, along with all the rest you will undoubtably get for the rest of your life.

 

[ranger1999 Bob]

Some cops are just jerks about writing tickets..but most of the time a ticket is warranted and you should pay the fine. If you were speeding and you know you were speeding then pay the fine and get it over with. Here in NYC the judges dont want to hear anything and no matter what the evidence you wind up paying anyway. Like i said if they concentrated on the idiots who weave in and out and tailgate or otherwise drive reckelssly the roads would be alot safer
look at it like this millions of bloodsuckers on welfare need yout ticket revenues so they can continue to leech off the system

 

[Hahnsb2]

In the info booklet for the basic driver's ed tests in Colorado, it says that accidents are caused by a disruption in the flow of traffic.

That could be some one speeding OR some one driving wicked slow.

CO also passed a law about keeping up with the flow of traffic. If the majority of cars are driving, lets say 65 in a 55 mph zone, cops won't pull you over for keeping up.



Adam

Thats the way it should be! I hate driving anywhere with my dad with me, he always telling me Im speeding and to slow down, I look in the mirror and a semi is catching me on a hill! I saw fawk that shit, Im keepin with the flow, its far safer! As Ive said before, Ive been by tons of cops radaring while doin 10 over while I was keeping with the flow and never been pulled over, in a high traffic volume area they are mainly worried about the dangerous speeders who lane surf (BTW the next fawker I see lane surfing around me is going in the ditch!!!) and fly by everyone else.

 

[351ranger]

Go to court, it's your right why the hell wouldn't you use it? I've gone many times and got out of lots of shit. Makes it all worth it in the end. And if going to court isn't being a "man" I guess I'm a big pussy. Sorry I like to use my rights.

 

[dangerranger0690]

my license suspended for 3 months for 4 20mph+ over tickets at $202.50 each... i need to slow down

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I set the cruise at 2-3 over, it seems to help. If that isn't good enough for you feel free to pass, ride my bumper and I will hit the trailer brake test button on my brake controller to get your attention. It is pretty tough to call somebody obeying the law a disruption to traffic, personally I would pin that on somebody that was driving beyond their vehicle's limits trying to keep up and stringing it out for over a quarter mile of highway.

 

[BigClemsonFan]

There would be nothing wrong if you didn't do it.

You DID do it. You are guilty.



Pleading not guilty means you are saying you didn't do it. That's a lie. Take your penalty like a man and quit trying to dodge your responsibility.

Can't agree with ya here Mike. Even though you did it, doesn't mean you are guilty. The burden is upon the prosecution to prove it. I'd rather plead not guilty and make the officer and prosecution prove it. If no one challenges a ticket, would the officer keep his or her training current? Or would he or she not worry since it would never be challenged?

I was given a citation for speeding. He wrote me a ticket, I asked him some questions later via mail. We went to court and I won. He made a mistake in using his equipment. Was I speeding? Probably. Did I learn a lesson? Yes, I do drive slower now. Did he learn a lesson? I hope so. Next time he'll pay more attention so he doesn't have to lose on a technicality.

 

[rangernotlifted]

i went and said this officer never showed me the radar gun when i asked and i got let off, then the second one i subpeniad the officer and he didnt show so it got dropped