Traffic tickets: Safety or Revenue Enhancement?

[kickazzz2000]

Just a couple of weeks ago, I got pulled on a stretch of my towns main boulevard doin 49. I saw a cop sittin in a parking lot in an unmarked car, and only then did I think about what the speed limit actually was. A few seconds later that car was on my tail, and after the next traffic light, turned his lights on and pulled me.

Before he could even ask me if I knew how fast I was going, I immediately started with "Sir, I'm sorry about that, I was going 49. I thought this was a 45." He said nope, the 45 doesn't start until the McDonalds 3 lights up. I said oh ok, and handed him my licesnce. I couldn't find my registration, fumbled around in my wallet (with his flashlight shining on it). I made sure to hold my Medical License prominently while I was fumbling around looking for the registration. Never did find it, but showed him my proof of ownership. Oh, and repeated that I was really sorry and honestly thought it was a 45.

He let me go, he really just wanted me to slow down. A lot of times I think city cops are actually better than troopers. I guess it goes by where you live. In Charlotte, where I grew up, and Greenville, where I live now, cops have better things to do than pull speeders. However, the NC, Va, and MD state patrols have something stuck up their you know whats, and it seems like all revenue. Especially on 95.

[Jerseyman4]

Its hard to judge what speed limit the 3-5 lane boulevards (the fast food strip/shopping center strip boulevard set up) are if there is no speed limit posted, so it can easily range between 35 or 45 in NC (50 in a few eastern NC areas). One way to make an educated guess is to know if you are inside the city/town limits or not. If you are outside of town, it will be likely 45mph but inside the limits, typically 35 but not unusual to be 45 still. Other things to look for is how straight and wide the boulevard is, as well as how many businesses are along the boulevards (last one does not usually determine it). Finally, see how fast most people are going and go with that speed. Usually statewide, they are good at posting limits very well in general so this is an isolated case to me. Town/city cops for the most part, are uneducated and have no more than a high school diploma so just kiss their sorry ass of getting out of a written citation involving points and you should be ok, no matter how wrong or stupid they are.

However, the NC, Va, and MD state patrols have something stuck up their you know whats, and it seems like all revenue. Especially on 95.

Cant forget SC, they are the worst by far out of the aforementioned states driving ANYWHERE.

[tamias6]

One tactic that helps a bit is to find a grouping of vehicles on the road and to make your way into the middle of the group and maintain the same speed as the surrounding cars. Cops tend to pull over ethier the vehicle in the front of the pack or the one in the rear. The front vehicle yields a solid radar reading while the one in the rear is easy pickings to get to.

Also, if you are looking to buying a new vehicle, stay away from sporty models and don't get red colored ones. Almost every vehicle I'm seen pulled over is a red sporty model.

One more thing, radar detectors do no good. The radar guns Cops use nowadays are so advance that by the time your radar detector picks up somthing, the Cop has already got a solid reading. Plus once pulled over, if the cop sees your radar detector, you'll get busted harder than if he didn't see it. Don't try hidding it because many cops also have Redar detector... detectors.

[Jerseyman4]

One tactic that helps a bit is to find a grouping of vehicles on the road and to make your way into the middle of the group and maintain the same speed as the surrounding cars. Cops tend to pull over ethier the vehicle in the front of the pack or the one in the rear. The front vehicle yields a solid radar reading while the one in the rear is easy pickings to get to.

No offense but if your behind the pack chances are, you are not going fast enough for the cop to pull you over unless this is a wolfpacking group you are talking about, then yes i agree.

Also, if you are looking to buying a new vehicle, stay away from sporty models and don't get red colored ones. Almost every vehicle I'm seen pulled over is a red sporty model.

Red cars do not get this problem as much as it used to.

One more thing, radar detectors do no good. The radar guns Cops use nowadays are so advance that by the time your radar detector picks up somthing, the Cop has already got a solid reading. Plus once pulled over, if the cop sees your radar detector, you'll get busted harder than if he didn't see it. Don't try hidding it because many cops also have Redar detector... detectors.

Very true. Come on now, if your going to speed... practice keeping your eyes on teh road, your mirrors and probable hiding spots of where cops could be hiding. Using a radar detector is just downright being lazy

[bmorescottamanda]

I think it's a little of both.

[runawayjim]

One tactic that helps a bit is to find a grouping of vehicles on the road and to make your way into the middle of the group and maintain the same speed as the surrounding cars. Cops tend to pull over ethier the vehicle in the front of the pack or the one in the rear. The front vehicle yields a solid radar reading while the one in the rear is easy pickings to get to.

Also, if you are looking to buying a new vehicle, stay away from sporty models and don't get red colored ones. Almost every vehicle I'm seen pulled over is a red sporty model.

One more thing, radar detectors do no good. The radar guns Cops use nowadays are so advance that by the time your radar detector picks up somthing, the Cop has already got a solid reading. Plus once pulled over, if the cop sees your radar detector, you'll get busted harder than if he didn't see it. Don't try hidding it because many cops also have Redar detector... detectors.

the whole "sporty red cars get pulled over more often" thing is not true anymore, at least not around here and definitely not by state cops who don't care who you are or what you're driving. a red camaro is just as likely to get pulled over as a grey station wagon.

i don't think cops have radar detector detectors, but they probably have better technology than the radar detector companies. your best bet is to just be aware. but then again, your best bet is to not be driving more t han 10mph over the speed limit anyways.

[dpbaker]

Here in Santa Clara, CA; not sure on the whole revenue/safety thing. but my guess is a lot of it has to do with safety. Revenue comes from parking tickets, and Santa Clara is crawling with meter-maids!! (Few meters, but lots of timed parking signs....) I rarely see people getting pulled over on my daily travels, but I'm seeing a lot more of those portable radar machines in places. Also, new electronic radar/speed limit signs recently installed near a high school. These aren't photo radar, so they can't issue citations. I think it must be about safety to a large degree.

[tamias6]

Red cars do not get this problem as much as it used to.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

In my region, it's more about safety. In my town, there's curfew if you're under 18, unless you're with an adult. There're special considerations for football games, band competitions, things like that though.

But, anyways, if you're driving down the bypass, and a cop pulls up beside you at a red light, sees that you're underage. They don't care. That is, if you're driving safely and not causing trouble. The ignore the curfew as long as you're not breaking any laws.

Now, once you get outside the city limits, they stretch it to the very edge of being blatently untrue. I got stopped once for "tailgating" in Woodsboro. I was going about 55 in a 60 MPH zone, and there was an SUV in front of me. We were both being slowed by this 18 wheeler ahead of us, so, the SUV in front of my decided to change lanes. They turned on their left blinker and move over, just a second later I did the same. When I got into the lane, I saw that there was an addtional car in the lane, ahead of the SUV. I looked past the car that was leading us and saw a policeman in the median. The SUV and I were going about 55-60 now, trying to get back up to the speed limit. Then suddenly, the car that was leading our line, which was speeding, suddenly braked and did so, so that they slowed down very rapidly. At the time of all this I was only 16, I hade been at the wheel for about 3 or 4 months, and had not gotten the reflexes I have now. Anyways, the fron car suddenly braked, the SUV, did the same, and lucky me, at that same time, we passed the policeman. As we passed, the SUV in from of my couldn't have been more than 5 feet infront of me. Right after we passed, I to braked, and slowed down. Then the policeman started to follow me, putting his lights on. I stopped on the side of the road. I turned on the cabin light, got my licence, proof of insurance, and all that good stuff. I rolled down the passenger side window, and placed my hands on the steering wheel so that everything was what it should be. He said, "Do you realize that you were tailgating that SUV back there son. Not to mention you were goin 75 MPH." I looked at him, bewildered, and said, "Sir, I'm sorry, but, I wasn't going but 55-60 MPH, and the SUV ahead of me broke so suddenly I coulded help but be so close to it." Then he said, "Now now son, don't try and fool me up, I ain't stupid."

After that, I just complied with him, and admitted I did all that stuff, cause I realize that there was no point in arguing. I got a ticket, ain't it fun. It just strange, usually the police inside the city limits are nice and they'll listen to what you have to say, and reason with you. But, once you get into the county, they go crazy.

[Jerseyman4]

I get tickets inside and outside the city limits as well as warnings inside and outside the city limits. Point being is that, the southern cops are crooked and uneducated in most cases. I do not beleive they are out for safety in most cases. Random broad daylight DWI checkpoints is about as safe as they get if anything.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

I get tickets inside and outside the city limits as well as warnings inside and outside the city limits. Point being is that, the southern cops are crooked and uneducated in most cases. I do not beleive they are out for safety in most cases. Random broad daylight DWI checkpoints is about as safe as they get if anything.

[95-Souf]

Im shocked no one from the State of Florida hasn't chimmed in yet.

Some of the most clever (if you want to call it that) speed traps are right here in FL.

In Jacksonville near where I reside, they have what I call Test Marketing. They will place this Radar box looking thing that tells your speed in big orange numbers along the side of the road. I guarantee you within a week, there will be cops posted up and giving out more tickets than a blacked-out Jaguars home game.

There have even been cases of police disguised as construction worker with radar guns on freeway overpasses. Although its usualy predicitable where there going to set up shop, you always have your typical cop laying low with there hazards on in a empty parking lot 11:30pm waiting for there next victim. It seems as though its a big game of cat and mouse, and if there isnt a quota, it sure as hell seem like it... and as a matter of fact Urban Planet, there was an incident recently where there police were called to a child abuse call in the Arlington section of town. It took police 20 mins to finally respond, and why... because the other cops in the area where too busy writing tickets. Dont belive me, archive First Coast New.com.

In NC on I-85 and I-95, if the police see a Florida, NY, or New Jersey tag; I think they automatically think drug runner!

[Thrillhouse]

Driving on the interstates in Michigan, you barely ever encounter cops so I think it is more about safety than anything else. Then again, I have gotten pulled over six times in my life (including by campus police) and have gotten just one ticket. Every town is different but you rarely encounter cops here. People drive just fast enough to not get caught out of respect it seems.

[drc72]

It's all revenue, very, very rarely do they enforce speed limits due to safety. They just want to bust balls and milk some money...

[Choirboy622]

Driving on the interstates in Michigan, you barely ever encounter cops so I think it is more about safety than anything else. Then again, I have gotten pulled over six times in my life (including by campus police) and have gotten just one ticket. Every town is different but you rarely encounter cops here. People drive just fast enough to not get caught out of respect it seems.

[Zomby-Woof]

Here is Michigan I hardly ever see State Police on the Interstates. I96 between Grand Rapids and Lansing I have been known to do 90+ and still have people pass me(well only once but on average I do about 88). I have only seen the Highway Portal there only a half dozed times in the past 2 years. You can get away with a lot on the Interstates. But be careful of the city copy (GRPD). If you look at them wrong they will nail you ass.

[tamias6]

My brother and I nick named the GRPD "the Grand Rapids Death Troopers." But they are not so bad compared to the cops in Walker a suburb on the northwest side of GR. They had been dubbed "The Walker Stalkers". We gotten more tickets from these fuzzies than anywhere else. They also have a bad habit of following potential prey waiting for even the slightest excuse to hand out tickets hince the nickname.

Here is Michigan I hardly ever see State Police on the Interstates. I96 between Grand Rapids and Lansing I have been known to do 90+ and still have people pass me(well only once but on average I do about 88). I have only seen the Highway Portal there only a half dozed times in the past 2 years. You can get away with a lot on the Interstates. But be careful of the city copy (GRPD). If you look at them wrong they will nail you ass.

[Thrillhouse]

My brother and I nick named the GRPD "the Grand Rapids Death Troopers." But they are not so bad compared to the cops in Walker a suburb on the northwest side of GR. They had been dubbed "The Walker Stalkers". We gotten more tickets from these fuzzies than anywhere else. They also have a bad habit of following potential prey waiting for even the slightest excuse to hand out tickets hince the nickname.

[nofunk]

I would love to believe that they're ticketing for safety, but here in Ann Arbor, I see people do so many crazy things on Washtenaw, the city's busiest road, only to turn down Huron Parkway to find a cop parked around a curve in the dark waiting for a speeder. Where was he when all that crazy stuff was going down just a block away?

[seicer]

I am often believing they are purely for revenue enhancement. Read up on New Rome, Ohio, which is located on US 40 west of Columbus. A speed-trap town so corrupt and illegal that the Governor had to step in and close the speed trap down, along with many others!

As for a pure greedy city, one can look no further to Steubenville, Ohio. From research I dug up on the city --

The speed camera program began in 2005 and netted the city $600,000 in revenues; nearly 7,000 tickets at $85 each were issued during that timespan. In March 2006, the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas ruled that the city ordinance of giving support to the speed camera program was illegal and unconstitutional. The city refused to remove the cameras, however, because it stated it was "bound by contract to continue the services" of Traffipax, Inc., the US subsidiary of ROBOT Visual Systems, a German corporation. Despite attempts to remove the cameras, the city continued to defy the judge's order and reinstated an identical ordinance to continue issuing citations.

In mid-2006, Attorney Gary Stern filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of Steubenville for illegally collecting fines and generating unnecessary revenue from motorists. He won the case and the city was forced to refund thousands of tickets. Gary Stearn also gathered enough signatures from the residents of the city to put forth a referendum that posed the question of whether the city's ordinance authorizing the speed camera program should continue. On November 8, 2006, the voters of Steubenville voted to end the city's speed camera program with a 76.2 percent majority [3].

[inharmsway]

I think Louisiana is the worst. La. and Ohio still have mayors courts, have been found unconstitutional everywhere else, go figure. That means every po-dunk town has its police force writing tickets non-stop at the direction of the Mayor. Who is also the person you will go before in court. It is all about money. One town in particular is on a major highway that evacuees from hurricanes must use. It is sickening that insead of offering assistance during a national emergency this town is filling its coffers. Woodworth La. population 1,500. Yearly take in traffic fines $971,000.00

[Lima38]

I've got several stories I could add, having traveled most of the South and a lot of California and Texas since I got my first sports car at 16 and super sports bike at 26, but I came looking for a blog to write my latest story, and it didn't even happen to me (thank God, 'cuz I would've finally lost it and hit this guy).

Anyway, I'm traveling up the B/W Pkwy this morning from DC on my motorcycle and somewhere about half way to Baltimore I witness something crazy. For those that don't know, the parkway is a divided 4 lane road, pretty much a highway, with a speed limit of 55 but traffic regularly flowing around 70 to 80. Cops are usually pretty light and just going from a to b using the Pkwy, but lately I've noticed quite a few unmarked cars and SUVs pulling people over- scary enough, right? But today, I watched the most blatant example of entrapment I'd ever heard of.

One of the unmarked cars - a Ford Crown Vic, so if you were paying attention you'd probably spot it even without markings- was leading a pack of cars. As usual, traffic was flowing at about 75 mph- the crowd must not have noticed it was a cop because they usually follow cops at 60. Anyway, I watched this unmarked car turn on his lights, switch lanes, drop behind the car that had been following him, and pull him over.

Now first, I think what an idiot, 'cuz if I hadn't seen him he might've caught me fly by him at 130 or so, and thank God I noticed before I did. But then I'm pissed- he's setting the pace at the front of the group, breaking the law himself by speeding, then causing panic by turning on his lights, changing lanes twice in quick succession, and pulling over the poor sucker who was just following his early morning going-to-work routine. I don't know what's gotten into the cops around here, but the people of Maryland and Northern Virginia better speak up soon- there's already cameras at every intersection and bridge, and the fines are insane, often over $300 and some over $1000.

OK, public safety I understand, but:

* I'm on my bike, I won't hurt anyone but me, and you shouldn't regulate that (ok, that's personal, but I thought I'd put it first)

* This is a divided highway with no trucks allowed- when traffic is light, 80 or even 100 mph would be perfectly safe in most modern cars.

* Speed traps are definitely just for revenue, as are most traffic cameras

* Doesn't the area still have one of the highest murder rates in the country, if not the world? GET OFF YOUR LAZY @$$ and go do the dangerous stuff of stopping the drug deals and leave the middle class and rich alone to go make some money on their jobs.

This last one I have a lot of experience with too- I've called the police in my home town down south to report a current drug deal going on in a rural driveway and been told that the police were too busy; this was less than a mile in each direction from 2 common speed traps where cops were pulling people over for speeding all day long.

It's time the people spoke up, ended ticket collection for the purpose of revenue, ended police corruption, and generally told the massive government to go (*& itself.

[runawayjim]

while that would be the most blatant form of entrapment i've heard of, it is possible that something else was going on. you don't know why he actually pulled the guy over.

as for public safety issues, no road is safe to do 100 mph on with other cars. if you have a blowout at those speeds or come across some debris in the road that you need to swerve to avoid, you will almost definitely end up in an accident, probably with someone other than just yourself if other cars are around.

also red light cameras are for more than just revenue. ask cotuit about the ones he sees in providence (he doesn't have a car). they've been here for almost a year i think and people still run them. go figure. i get excitement when i'm sitting at the light and i watch the camera flash as 3 cars go through it.

[tamias6]

"Its safe to do 80 to 100 mph."..... Makes me wonder what ever happen to following the speed limit in the first place. Do that and nobody would have to worry about speed traps and hefty fines and also make for better gas mileage and more reliable vehicle. Just a thought.

[danielmdifranco]

I think it depends on the corruption level of the state and/or local gov't. In New York State I got pulled over twice by a cop driving on the other side of the interstate, once for no seatbelt and once for an expired inspection. And another time I saw some cops at a very crowded beach parking lot looking at all the cars. I asked them what they were doing and they said "checking Registrations and Inspections. We don't have anything else to do." In New York the corruption seemed state wide. In Missouri and Ohio, I have found that it is not as bad on a state level, but rather you will hear of small towns getting busted for illegal speed traps.

I'm sure there are some cops out there who issue tickets based on safety, but I think they are a minority.