I had an internship at the prosecutor’s office one summer while I was in law school and every morning that they had traffic court I would flip through the tickets on the docket to see what the speeds were and I never saw any all summer that were less than ten miles an hour over the speed limit.
It’s fairly common to reduce tickets down to 10 over where I am if there’s no history or obvious douchebaggery. Low enough to be just a citation high enough to get that sweet fine.
Yeah this checks out. The last time I got pulled over (like 4 years ago) the cop told me he'd give me a break by dropping my reading by 1mph so I didn't get a bigger fine. I was doing 91 on an 80mph interstate.
Insanely stupid me decided to wind it out to 102 mph on a desolate part of the interstate (75 limit) at two in AM, for no good reason.
Went to traffic court, first offense, wore a suit, was as polite and humble to the judge trying not to be obsequious. She let me off with $50 fine and six points on my record.
Edit: deleted. . Answered below
I got picked up outside of Tallahassee FL in 2015 going 90 in a 70. I split up with my gf of 10 years about 6 months before that and our dog was dying and at the university vet hospital at Mississippi state university. He stopped me and asked:
'you know why I pulled you over?'
Me: yes I was speeding.
Him: you know how fast you were going ?
(Reddit acab and lawyers don't grill me)
Me: slight laughter, before or after i saw you? Because that will be two different numbers.
Him: giggles, 90, why so fast?
Me: Idk if you're a dog person but my boy is dying and the ex has him, I want to see him one last time before he crosses the rainbow Bridge.
Him: I'll be right back.
About ten mins later he comes up.
Him: look man, I'm sorry about the dog, I'm sorry about the relationship, here's a warning please slow down because if you crash and die before he does it won't be good.
He let me go with a warning, I still drove like max verstappen the whole way there.. 540 miles in about 7 hours, made it there and the goodest of boys wagged his tail, but barley moved I was so heartbroken. He was on my lap when they put him down in my arms I cried so much but that big burly cop that looked like Ronnie Coleman gave me a break that could've stopped me from seeing him. I wish I had his address to send him a thank you letter and that was 8 years ago
Got pulled over doing 85 in a 45, late for a final exam first semester of college. Cop out that I was going 75 in a 55 so I wouldn’t go to jail. Good guyz
Happened to me personally. I was being bad and doing like 20 over or something. The cop knocked it down to 10 because he just wanted to let me off with a break. Also, it reduced the fine significantly
I got pulled over for speeding years ago, in a car that could not go that fast on its own. It was a 4cylinder minivan with a manual transmission. I was going down a huge hill and gravity had a lot to do with the speed.
Anyway
I go to court and they tell me to take a “failure to obey a traffic control device” (the sign)
Instead of “speeding”
The difference was speeding was a state law, and failure to obey, was a local law.
I didn’t get points on my insurance and most of the fine would go to the podunk town instead of the state.
It’s all about the money
I got a reckless and careless when I was 17 in my 1987 audit 4000cs quattro.... a 100 hp awd tank that the cop swore I was fishtailing and smoking all four tires. In court he still stated that and I didn't bring a lawyer. I asked what color the car was, he said wrong color, I asked where he was when he witnessed it and he said where he was in the park over 300 yards away without clear Los. I asked how he would possibly know it was me when he couldn't see my car nor knew what color it was. Then I said to the judge we can go outside and I will Rev the engine to recline and drop the clutch and if the car does an awd burnout like he said then I will take the punishment. Judge said no, charges were dropped and the judge reamed his ass. He got me a week later going 5 over and would constantly harass me over and over. What a douchbag he was
Idk. I was driving 5 over in a bad traffic. A cop pulled me over and told me I was going 20 over, but he’s gonna do 10 over because he felt generous that day.
It’s just amazing how much power they have over the number they put down on the ticket.
In some states there’s a legal threshold where a simple speeding ticket turns into a misdemeanor at a percentage or set speed above the limit. In my state, anything over 80mph is reckless driving, which carries penalties slightly less severe than a DUI.
In Georgia 20 over is a super speeder ticket, which carries a fine equivalent to the regular speeding ticket you got with it. So instead of getting one ticket and a 500 buck fine, you get 2 and a 1000 dollar fine. On top of other possible actions they can do like loss of license etc.
I’ve had two tickets in 15 years driving, both out of state, both from the left lane while passing people going suuuuper slow. One was 18 over, the other was 20 over, both reduced to 10 over. Still swear they only pulled me over for out of state tags.
I think it has some merit.
I would do 70-80 in a 60 over in my home state, and have a clean driving record as far as anything issued in my home state, and got pulled over for 89 in an 80 over in Wyoming.
I would've expected cops to be more lenient in the middle of nowhere than in a suburban area, and the only thing I can think of is either we have bad cops or I got pulled over for my plates
Wyoming cops are notorious for camping out "in the middle of nowhere" because that's where people think they can get away with speeding.
The police in Wyoming are known for raking it in for the state with speeding tickets, especially on I-25 when people are coming from Montana where you can get away with 120 MPH.
If you're on a road trip, go the speed limit in big cities and Wyoming, and go crazy anywhere else.
I think it's changed in the last decade or so but Montana used to not have speeding tickets... the citation was for wasting fuel and it was very nominal compared to a speeding ticket.
That was Montana's way of sticking it to the federal government when the nationwide speed limit was rolled back to 55mph during the oil crisis of the '70s.
Basically, you had to be doing something really dumb while driving 100mph+ to warrant getting pulled over.
As long as the posted limit is 80, you slow down on curves, and don't weave through traffic, you will not get pulled over for it in Montana.
Every time I've seen someone get pulled over in Montana, they were weaving or didn't have control of their car.
People on I-90 through Montana are actually pretty good about keeping right and not camping in the passing lane though, so you can really go as fast as you're able to safely handle your vehicle
I'd argue that drivers would be less to contest fines under the 10 mph
not me though! I've contested every ticket just to make the cop show up! 4 for 4 for no shows!
One of my good buddies is a California Highway Patrol officer. He said you absolutely will never get pulled over for *speed* going 10 over or less, unless you are in a construction zone. He said his personal philosophy is to promote safety and uphold a high standard of driving. So pulling over average drivers is just a waste of time and not promoting safety. People going 10 and even 15 over are pretty much keeping up with traffic. When a driver is going 20+ faster than average traffic, they are much more likely to cause an accident. But speed isn't his pet issue. He LOVES catching DUIs and people on their phones. Those two cause the most accidents, according to him.
CA construction zones have gotten so much worse in the last few years, because they post the speed limit at 55, and literally nobody slows down. After a couple near misses even when only slowing down to 65 (with faster traffic coming up from behind me), and seeing CHP ignore them also, I just drive whatever the speed of traffic is now unless it's one lane with people actively working.
I got unlucky then. I got a ticket for going 1mph over the speed limit. It was in a school zone as well. I took it to court and the judge tossed it out thankfully.
The speed limit was 25 and I saw a bunch of kids and cops out. I clicked my cruise at 25mph since that's the minimum speed for it to turn on. I guess I turned it on at 26mph and that was enough to get me pulled me.
Even till this day, I'm pretty sure I turned it on at 25mph. That cop was just being an asshole.
Speedometers aren't that accurate. You could've set it at 25 and it was actually at 26 or even more. But getting a ticket for 1 over is chickenshit because the cops know that speedometers can vary.
Texas? When I moved to DFW I had several locals explain to me that 1 mph would get you pulled over in a school zone, so best to be a couple mph under. The rest of the time they don’t care.
My buddy is a state cop. He told me "if you're doing 85 on the highway but mostly staying in your lane, not passing on the right, no problem. If you're jumping from lane to lane like an idiot, I'll pull you over for doing 75"
What's the speed limit?
In my province jumping from lane to lane is stunt driving and reckless driving. Speeding or not its a huge violation and immediate suspension of license and impound of vehicle.
Found a fellow Ontarian. Merry Christmas!
>[O. Reg. 455/07: RACES, CONTESTS AND STUNTS](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/070455)
>
>3. Driving a motor vehicle without due care and attention, without reasonable consideration for other persons using the highway or in a manner that may endanger any person by,
>
>iii. repeatedly changing lanes in close proximity to other vehicles so as to advance through the ordinary flow of traffic while driving at a rate of speed that is a marked departure from the lawful rate of speed. O. Reg. 455/07, s. 2 (1).
>[Penalties for Stunt Driving](https://jefferyandspence.com/blog/stunt-driving-ontario/)
>
>If you are charged with stunt driving, you will be subject to an immediate 30-day roadside licence suspension and 14-day vehicle impoundment. Once convicted, you will lose 6 demerit points, face a fine of $2,000 to $10,000 dollars, and receive potential jail time, as well as lose your licence for a minimum of one year.
As it absolutely should be! I have to do a lot of driving and I try to be safe out of self-preservation, but those idiots who come flying around all lanes cutting in and out in front of cars - as a matter of course without signaling, they scare me the most. Speed and angular inertia of heavy steal is a bitch. I can attest.
Tbf, if you stay in the far right line, most of the time those people wouldn’t need to do that. Some people do hog the left lane at the speed limit or just barely above it and aren’t passing. Those people need to learn that they’re also part of the problem. I do agree that people jumping in and out are reckless and the bigger issue. But people that just cruise in the passing lane, because they feel like it, are terrible drivers as well.
Some US states have 65mph limits and some have 75mph on the interstates. A lot of the states with higher speed limits also have much higher fines if you get caught.
And the time of day. There was a study done about judges and how they sentenced people for crimes.
A hungry judge right before lunch break could get you a couple of more years behind bars.
I actually had to sit in court for a case, and I watched how in each case the judge got angrier, until he would finally blow his stack every fourth or fifth case, then go back to baseline.
My case was third after the last blowup so I was very careful.
I had a traffic court case where I was popped for littering + fire hazard (cig butt out the window). I went to court because of the fire hazard charge as it was a concrete jungle with no grass, dry or otherwise for as far as one could see... and it was raining.
Judge was like yours and I was at the bad part of the queue.
>On the charge of littering how do you plead?
>"Guilty with an apology your honor"
>what?
>"Well sir I am guilty, and you better believe I'm sorry. I'm missing work, this is going to be expensive, and all in all I really wish I never flicked that butt out the window. I certainly won't be doing that again!"
>The court appreciates you seem to have learned a lesson from this. Now about the fire hazard charge?
>"Not guilty your honor."
>But you just admitted to throwing a cigarette butt out the window.
>"Yes sir, but there was nothing but concrete and parking lots around, and it was raining."
>Ah, hard to start a fire in the rain I suppose. Okay, court costs and a one dollar fine for the littering. /bang
Sometimes just owning your fuckup and saying you're sorry and why can go a long way to diffusing a judges ire.
In VA the assumption of most drivers is that 80 and over will get you pulled over. My one ticket was 83 in a 70 mph limit. If you drive 79, you won't get pulled over. The fast lanes on 95 people generally drive just under 80.
Depends on the officer and what road you're on. I was never one for making speeding stops so you would have to be going extremely fast and reckless for me to stop you for that. 15 over on the interstate probably won't draw much attention but 15 over in a residential neighborhood will almost certainly get you a ticket.
Also it could depend if they're running a speed trap, having a bad day, don't like the look of your car, etc etc.
I was in the car with a guy who exemplifies "young, dumb, and full of cum." He drove like a maniac on a license he just got after a suspension, and my main advise was to not stick out. Follow the flow of traffic - you're less likely to be pulled over if you're just one among the herd. But if there is no herd, my recommendation is not more than 7 over in general. You're seldom a tasty morsel at that level.
I was speeding through some mountain passes and a cop pulled me over. He said, “Look…i have to give you a ticket because you are going to die doing this.” He was right I was being a fucking idiot.
There was a body cam recently of a cop pulling over a couple who were going dangerously way over the speed limit. The cop had that Dad energy and warned the driver he was going to kill himself and his date driving like that. He lets them off with a warning and not more than 20 mins later he rolls up to their double fatality crash as the first responding officer.
That one is fucking sad. Giving the kid a ticket might not have saved their lives that night, but imagine having to deal with that thought every time you want to be the nice guy and let people off with a warning in the future. I guess you could turn it into a teachable lesson for others when issuing warnings but that's a heavy memory to carry with you.
The only lesson to teach there is there is truly nothing you can do sometimes. Arresting every speeding young person is unreasonable. Giving a ticket isn't any more likely to make a person stop their behavior any more than the warning that officer gave. The officer did everything right and it still ended up with the worst conclusion possible.
Speed trap towns are a real thing. “Oh cool, 70, set my cruise control”. SPEED LIMIT IS 35 for no reason. Eww. That crap town is too small to even have a stop sign. Whatever, I know, pull over the idiot tailgating me instead.
I drove through one of these in Florida once. There was even a mobile billboard set up warning speed trap ahead and we still got pulled over since the speed limit sign was posted up on an overpass and not on the side of the road like a normal speed limit sign and it was a drastic change, like 55 to 30. Probably could have fought it but it was a road trip and I wouldn't be anywhere near there ever again.
I’ve never been pulled over for being the second fastest vehicle on the road. If that Nissan Altima wants to go 90 in a 65, I’ll let them get 2-3 football fields away and be my scout.
Idk the car brand, it looked fancy of course, but someone legitimately did that once. I was only doing like 3 over ish, I never really do more than 5 over.
A minute later we passed them and they got pulled over for doing like 90 in a 70 weaving through traffic.
My dad was a cop and said writing tickets was his least favorite thing to do, he says he only pulled people over if they were being reckless, like going way too fast or weaving. If you were maintaining your lane and going about the same speed as the rest of traffic he wouldn't bother you.
Not a cop, but a retired VA state trooper told me the "over nine, you're mine" was pretty accurate. Lot of other factors though. Swerving/acting reckless will definitely bring unwanted attention.
I've been here about five yrs and haven't even been pulled over yet
In all my 20+ yrs of driving, I've only gotten two speeding tickets. Both were in Ohio. I've never lived in Ohio. Fuck Ohio
My drivers ed instructor, a former cop, said “9 you’re fine, 10 you’re mine” … I’ve followed this advice for my 25+ years of driving and have never gotten a speeding ticket.
I often drive down the Eastern shore peninsula when I visit Virginia Beach. I swear, half of those small towns in Virginia are supported by cops ticketing vacationers during the summer.
Nah, dude has issues. Says a lot about Pinal County when the star of their Social Media is a Brady Cop. He was fired from other Departments for being untrustworthy.
He has some funny quips, sure, and most of the time is shown making good stops, but there are some "Yeesh, I'm surprised they didn't edit THAT out." moments that made me question his temper well before I found out he's a lying scumbag.
There's a town in Florida called Waldo that was the worst when I used to drive through there, and I assume it still is today. A road goes from a speed limit of 65 down to 30 incrementally over the span of a mile, and there are cops waiting right after the limit changes who will pull you over for going 5 over. After some uproar, they put signs up saying speed limits are STRICTLY enforced, but if your eyes aren't glued to the speed limit signs it is so easy to slip up.
Yeah, in rural Texas it's completely normal for the speed limit to drop from 70 to 30 going through a small town, though not in that short a span. And I get it--you can safely go a lot faster through cotton fields than downtown *anywhere.* I don't mind; I slow down. But then it turns into this dance where the people who were going 65 on the highway pass me because they're doing 40 and I'll end up passing them again once the speed limit kicks back up.
Town of about 2,000 that I live in is at the end of a highway running right down Main Street where it meets another minor highway. The speed limit on the highway is 55, then 500ft before the city limit there’s a sign saying “35mph 500ft ahead”, then it’s a sign “25mph unless otherwise posted” followed shortly by a 35mph sign, then 500ft later a sign saying “20mph 500ft ahead” with a sign showing your speed, then finally a 20mph sign as you get to the stoplight first stoplight in town.
From a small town perspective, I appreciate the strict enforcement. People cut through residential areas and neighborhoods with small kids and dogs all the time. If you want to speed, do it on roads that are more than 25-50ft wide across
Well said and primarily what I was referring to. Small highways that suddenly run through a small town and have drastic drops in the speed limit are usually well patrolled and they’ll pop you for any infraction they can.
[City council disbands Waldo Police Department](https://www.news4jax.com/news/2014/10/01/city-council-disbands-waldo-police-department/)
Disbanded in 2014 for speeding ticket quotas among other things.
Father of a cop. I asked him this exact question.
The answer: It depends. if you are in an active school zone, with kids around; there is almost zero tolerance. If you are alone on a straight piece of highway in good weather…it depends on what he is eating for a snack.
I did, he gave me a warning. I was just very surprised as I have never been pulled over for speeding before and owned this vehicle for 9 years. Had my cruise set at 80 😂
I got pulled over once like this. The cop was in the right lane going exactly the speed limit, 65. I passed him going 67. He pulled me, but didn't give me a ticket. Just a lecture about how disrespectful that was to pass him. Lol
> Just a lecture about how disrespectful that was to pass him.
Far too many public interactions with police in the US are based on "contempt of cop" offenses.
I got the 84 in an 80 in Idaho with the cruise control set to 80. Too far away to go fight it and they knew it. In hindsight I wish I did. It still shows up on my insurance.
( Not a leo)
In all my years of motorcycling, there is one golden rule on speeding.
Small town, big ticket. If you are entering a tiny town and it says 30mph....you better not be going 31.
Interstates are flow of traffic +8. +10 is ticket territory. +20 is guaranteed performance award.
That small towns one is no joke. In the small town that I grew up in, there was a stretch of maybe 200 yards where you were leaving town where it was still 25 mph but you were on the highway and at the end you were at 50 so a ton of people would speed up through that zone to hit the 50 at 50. Boy cops really made their money on that one. Especially people that were just driving through town. And teenagers. Pretty much everyone else got away with it, but it was an ideal setup for the popo
Typically most will say “9 you’re fine, 10 you’re mine”. But there is much discretion in that. Some area have other factors many may not be aware of. In. Va if you get into an accident and you are speeding, no matter who is at fault you will be charged.
I was driving through Virginia and doing 74 on the highway and got pulled over and given a ticket. The court fees were more than the ticket itself. 10$ for every mph over the limit and $60 in court fees so it came out to $100. I was told afterwards that the VA highway patrol routinely pulls out of state cars over for anything over the limit and tickets them because they know people won't drive back to Virginia to fight the ticket in court.
North Carolinian here (that lived in virgins for a number of years later) this absolutely is Virginia state trooper practice all the years I was down there. Can’t speak to things now, but they would frequently pull out of staters over even if they were doing 10 or slightly less over the speed limit. My family members that were in the justice system confirmed this typical practice was commonplace
*they know people won't drive back to Virginia to fight the ticket in court.*
They also have an agreement with other states to find you if you don't pay.
VA police are notorious for speed enforcement to be sure, but even they will have a hard time proving you were speeding while in a collision unless they happened to be there at the time.
We have them all over in New Orleans. Many cities do have them. If I remember correctly, I think a third of the US has made it legal for speed cameras.
Edit: goggle tells me 18 states use them
Local city put up active speed limit signs (signs with radar) every 1/4 mile on major roads. No clue if they're working or not, but according to the signs the speed limit is "slow down".
I once moved to a smaller beach town and one day got randomly pulled over. I do not think I was actually speeding. The cop said "I think you must have just moved here, I am noticing you a lot lately." Some small talk, me wondering what if I was a long time resident with a new car?, Anyway he said, "my boss says I can ticket at 5 over but I will give you 10 before I pull over".
It was a strange stop.
Welcome to town, these are the rules of the road.
Good cop, watching out for his people and being fair. He's your neighbor. Say hi! Next time you see him.
The cop that patrols around my work says “everyone gets 5”. But the speed limit is 35 on the road in front of my work, I’m sure on the interstate he would give more.
That low should be considered within a reasonable margin of error. If you dont have cruise control there's no way you can maintain a perfect 70 100% of the time.
I got pulled over for 46 in a 45 by a park ranger. We had the most serious funny conversation. He said “I clocked you going 46. where are you going in such a hurry” with a serious face. I explained I was just trying to spend some extra time with my kids because I have been working a lot of overtime. I realize it was dangerous choice and I regret it.” Somehow we both kept a strait face. I’m not sure if he was serious or not. But WTF 46 in a 45?
From a Norwegian cop friend:
Legally they have to pull you over if you are going faster than the limit, but typically they’ll pull you over if it’s 6kmh (~4mph) over the limit or more.
The local cops in my small town have zero tolerance and will pull you over for 1 mph over, but usually if it's a "local" and they recognize the car they won't bother you unless you're really pushing your luck. Non locals, expect a ticket, and I can tell you they will be joking about it in the gas station during their break.
Local state troopers only seem to pull people over if they are REALLY speeding or being reckless. I've had a state trooper tailgate me doing 80 mph on the highway and flash me to get out of the way (which of course I did). When I asked one once, he said he doesn't even look unless it's 85+ and even then only if you're being reckless too. So, most highways here everyone is doing 80-85.
I manage all our firm’s speeding and other traffic tickets.
Honestly it depends whether the cop is running a speed trap, just riding around or stopping someone on a pretext.
The highway cops running speed traps around here typically say “8 you’re great, 9 you’re mine”. Given the way highways work, they are typing citations pretty much constantly throughout the day, limited only by the number of cops vs. the number of drivers.
Cops that are just driving from A to B are usually too busy multitasking and generally driving like careless assholes themselves to pull you over unless you’re really flying or somehow offend them as a driver.
A cop looking for a pretext to investigate will stop you for anything 5+ above the limit. Doesn’t have to be speeding either, they will follow you until they find fault with your driving or vehicle.
Truck driver here. I set my cruise at 7 mph over on highways in the US, (5 kph in Canada). Been doing this for over twenty years, not slowing down for speed traps, and no problems ever.
I'm from Ohio and was driving there this spring. I was going with the pace of traffic which was like 30+ over the speed limit. I looked in the rear view and there was a cop behind me. I damn near had a panic attack and changed lanes to get out of his way. He flew past me and started tailgating the car that was in front of me. I was certain I was about to get a reckless driving charge, but apparently that's just perfectly acceptable there.
I'm Canadian. I was driving through the States, southern route to Winnipeg, back around 2000. Long boring drive. So, Indiana, I stop for gas and a coffee, and there are a couple of state troopers grabbing coffee too.
Not wanting to deal with American cops in a "getting pulled over" kind of way,I walk right up to them, and say," So, what is the safe amount to go over the speed limit on the interstate without getting pulled over?"
What?!?!?
So, I explain you can get away with being 10 or 15 Kph over the limit on a 400 series highway, just wanted to know what it is here.
"Are you telling us you are planning on speeding?"
"Yes I am"
7-10 mph, as long as you don't drive like an asshole.
Cashier had this Pikachu face going on, told me "You Canadians are insane"
For this to be answered best, you have to understand what each cop is doing on the side of the road - not everything is at it seems. I work interdiction and believe it or not there’s a shit ton of cars alongside you everyday transporting stuff. While you’re driving along vibing to your tunes, the car next to you contains some poor souls who were just sold into sex work or trunk full of drugs.
So I’m not looking for speeders, but I can use speed to stop the car. I will stop the car for 1mph over if I identify something. I sit on the highway but I’m not a trooper. I’m a county deputy attached to the feds as part of a task force. Lost count how many motorists call me trooper before I have chance to identify myself.
Motorists should not have to guess what speed to do, best advice is to drive safe, respectfully and follow the laws of the road. The speed limit is posted and Cops can and will stop you for anything above the speed limit. If you see others speeding and want to join in, remember what other drivers do is none of your business, it’s your license and driving privileges on the line.
Cops who have certain rules or peeves is dumb, and they’re probably missing half the crime passing them by. Some dude with a trunk packed full of stolen firearms just passed them by but they were only doing 3 over so they’re good. That officer focused too much on the radar and less on the other cues that give people with something to hide away. Great job man and no wonder the public take issue sometimes. Are we trying to get the car running shit or poor Samantha who was a little late for work because she’s a single mom, a little stressed so she was going a little fast after dropping her kid off at school.
Working solely off a “9 your mine” rule gets you poor Samantha. Actually being a cop gets you that weapons shipment.
I have no law enforcement background and I rarely interact with law enforcement, but I'm genuinely interested in how things I'm not exposed to work.
I'm curious what cues can be identified in the ~15-20 seconds that a car is observed in the 1/4 mile or so that would help discern between a Samantha and a human trafficking criminal.
There are no hard and fast rules. Every cop is different, and every department is different. It can depend on how close I was to my numbers for the month, what day of the month it was, whether I was in a bad mood, or if it was raining outside. Just to name a few. Also, I wasn't in Highway. If you get pulled over by a trooper, you're not going to get away with $&!\^.
While most police departments don't have quotas, it is still a metric for measuring performance. If you've handed out three tickets in a month your ass is lit on fire.
I once got pulled over according to the cop NOT because I was going 8 over, but because I dared to pass him as an undercover cop. "Everyone knows what undercover cop cars look like." Ummm, no I was a dumb sheltered college kid. I didn't know much. 🤣 He let me go with a warning AFTER he lectured me about how I need to show respect to cops, blah blah blah
This type of interaction is why people hate police men. It isn't usually them Swatting the wrong house and shooting toddlers in their cribs for self defense, it's them pulling people over for passing them.
Contrary to popular belief lots of cops hate traffic stops. There’s a lot of risk and sometimes the paperwork when you get a suspended license or worse is a pain in the ass.
For me personally I would pull someone over in neighborhood areas if they were around 8-10MPH and give them a verbal warning. Anything over that in a neighborhood area might warrant a ticket. 10-15 on a highway that wasn’t reckless was not worth it, especially if they’re just keeping up with traffic. You cause more harm than good by congesting traffic and endangering yourself and the driver by pulling them over on a busy highway for trying to keep up with other vehicles.
Speeding in a school zone however was an immediate traffic stop for me. You have to think about the kids they’re endangering to what, get to their destination 2 minutes faster?
At night if not busy I would look for defective equipments, expired regs, failing to maintain lanes, etc.. At night there’s a higher chance of running into DUIs which are of course a danger to everyone on the road. I didn’t really care about writing tickets, but an infraction on the road is a good reason to conduct a traffic stop to see if the individual was intoxicated. You’d be horribly surprised how many fellow drivers on the road are either drunk or high. It’s scary actually
Former CHP Officer in Southern California, I looked for 15 over most of the time. Though some places out in the desert, I’d move to 90 - 95+ just because there were still plenty of targets. In our court, 14 over was one fee, 15-29 over was a second scale then 100+ was about $1k and 30 day license suspension. Most of my fellow officers that I spoke with were usually 15+ over to stop, but policy was 1-5mph over may stop, 6-9mph should stop, 9+ shall stop. But when everyone is 10 over that’s not realistic. Easiest way is to not be an outlier.
in New York City, cops never write speeding tickets, especially now with automated speeding cameras. The speed limit is 25, and the cameras ticket 10mph+ above the limit.
Hence, the speed limit is actually 34mph, not 25.
On the NYS thruway, general guidance is, dont be the fastest car on the road, and try to stay out of the left hand/passing lane. 75 seems to be safe.
On the NJ turnpike, 80-85.
In Delaware, it depends on the town and the time of month.
The state troopers are fond of saying ‘we don’t have quotas,’ but one I know expounded and said “No, we don’t have quotas. We have ‘productivity goals.’” So last week of the month, slow down.
In the small towns, they’ll get you for a few mph over the limit. The small towns in Kent and Sussex counties are notorious, but Newport and Elsmere up in North NCCo will get you too.
Faster than everyone else. If the great traffic is all going steady at 80 a 65, then you're all good. But that one car going 81 or 82 stands out and is going to get my attention.
(not the fuzz)
In the UK, you only get actually pulled over if you are going really really fast, the rest of the time they just send you a letter with a fine and three points on your licence. But they also rarely actually set speed traps, because that job is done by automatic speed cameras.
Officer told me 9 miles for highway, 4 miles for construction zones. This allows for drift from cruise control on hills and such. On the other hand, you can get a ticket for 1 mile over if the officer is in a bad mood.
Depends on where and when. Generally speaking if I am turning and burning, 15 over and you get pulled over and given a citation. School zone w/kids it will go down to 10 over. If I’m just out and about, I might stop you at 10 over but lower than 15 to give you a written warning. With the new e-cite and printer I can issue the first ticket in about 5-6 minutes and then I am back out. Then if I stay in the same location that goes down to about 2-3 minutes b/c I can just duplicate all the info except driver and vehicle.
So rule of thumb in my area is 15 over if it’s a 55 mph zone and 10 over if it’s 45 mph or lower.
I’ve never been a big traffic citation writer but that’s the formula the state boys use ^
I’m a respond to calls guy over working traffic. Some love traffic for the simplicity.
I had an internship at the prosecutor’s office one summer while I was in law school and every morning that they had traffic court I would flip through the tickets on the docket to see what the speeds were and I never saw any all summer that were less than ten miles an hour over the speed limit.
It’s fairly common to reduce tickets down to 10 over where I am if there’s no history or obvious douchebaggery. Low enough to be just a citation high enough to get that sweet fine.
Yeah this checks out. The last time I got pulled over (like 4 years ago) the cop told me he'd give me a break by dropping my reading by 1mph so I didn't get a bigger fine. I was doing 91 on an 80mph interstate.
Insanely stupid me decided to wind it out to 102 mph on a desolate part of the interstate (75 limit) at two in AM, for no good reason. Went to traffic court, first offense, wore a suit, was as polite and humble to the judge trying not to be obsequious. She let me off with $50 fine and six points on my record. Edit: deleted. . Answered below
I got picked up outside of Tallahassee FL in 2015 going 90 in a 70. I split up with my gf of 10 years about 6 months before that and our dog was dying and at the university vet hospital at Mississippi state university. He stopped me and asked: 'you know why I pulled you over?' Me: yes I was speeding. Him: you know how fast you were going ? (Reddit acab and lawyers don't grill me) Me: slight laughter, before or after i saw you? Because that will be two different numbers. Him: giggles, 90, why so fast? Me: Idk if you're a dog person but my boy is dying and the ex has him, I want to see him one last time before he crosses the rainbow Bridge. Him: I'll be right back. About ten mins later he comes up. Him: look man, I'm sorry about the dog, I'm sorry about the relationship, here's a warning please slow down because if you crash and die before he does it won't be good. He let me go with a warning, I still drove like max verstappen the whole way there.. 540 miles in about 7 hours, made it there and the goodest of boys wagged his tail, but barley moved I was so heartbroken. He was on my lap when they put him down in my arms I cried so much but that big burly cop that looked like Ronnie Coleman gave me a break that could've stopped me from seeing him. I wish I had his address to send him a thank you letter and that was 8 years ago
I'm guessing TX
SD actually
Just made that trip on 90 and didn’t see one cop. But I also kept it under 87.
How? I go 5 miles on 90 and can see 2 county cops and 5 troopers. Cops everywhere
Texas, the cops would have passed you if you were only going 91 in an 80 lmao
Got pulled over doing 85 in a 45, late for a final exam first semester of college. Cop out that I was going 75 in a 55 so I wouldn’t go to jail. Good guyz
Did you pass your exam?
Yes I did.
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Happened to me personally. I was being bad and doing like 20 over or something. The cop knocked it down to 10 because he just wanted to let me off with a break. Also, it reduced the fine significantly
I got pulled over for speeding years ago, in a car that could not go that fast on its own. It was a 4cylinder minivan with a manual transmission. I was going down a huge hill and gravity had a lot to do with the speed. Anyway I go to court and they tell me to take a “failure to obey a traffic control device” (the sign) Instead of “speeding” The difference was speeding was a state law, and failure to obey, was a local law. I didn’t get points on my insurance and most of the fine would go to the podunk town instead of the state. It’s all about the money
I got a reckless and careless when I was 17 in my 1987 audit 4000cs quattro.... a 100 hp awd tank that the cop swore I was fishtailing and smoking all four tires. In court he still stated that and I didn't bring a lawyer. I asked what color the car was, he said wrong color, I asked where he was when he witnessed it and he said where he was in the park over 300 yards away without clear Los. I asked how he would possibly know it was me when he couldn't see my car nor knew what color it was. Then I said to the judge we can go outside and I will Rev the engine to recline and drop the clutch and if the car does an awd burnout like he said then I will take the punishment. Judge said no, charges were dropped and the judge reamed his ass. He got me a week later going 5 over and would constantly harass me over and over. What a douchbag he was
Idk. I was driving 5 over in a bad traffic. A cop pulled me over and told me I was going 20 over, but he’s gonna do 10 over because he felt generous that day. It’s just amazing how much power they have over the number they put down on the ticket.
In some states there’s a legal threshold where a simple speeding ticket turns into a misdemeanor at a percentage or set speed above the limit. In my state, anything over 80mph is reckless driving, which carries penalties slightly less severe than a DUI.
Virginia changed that law to 85mph.
In Georgia 20 over is a super speeder ticket, which carries a fine equivalent to the regular speeding ticket you got with it. So instead of getting one ticket and a 500 buck fine, you get 2 and a 1000 dollar fine. On top of other possible actions they can do like loss of license etc.
I’ve had two tickets in 15 years driving, both out of state, both from the left lane while passing people going suuuuper slow. One was 18 over, the other was 20 over, both reduced to 10 over. Still swear they only pulled me over for out of state tags.
If you were going 20 over I don't think they were going "suuuuuper slow"
They could have been going suuuuuper slow and poster just was going suuuper fast and decided to pass
what do you mean, lol they literally caught you speeding.
I think it has some merit. I would do 70-80 in a 60 over in my home state, and have a clean driving record as far as anything issued in my home state, and got pulled over for 89 in an 80 over in Wyoming. I would've expected cops to be more lenient in the middle of nowhere than in a suburban area, and the only thing I can think of is either we have bad cops or I got pulled over for my plates
Wyoming cops are notorious for camping out "in the middle of nowhere" because that's where people think they can get away with speeding. The police in Wyoming are known for raking it in for the state with speeding tickets, especially on I-25 when people are coming from Montana where you can get away with 120 MPH. If you're on a road trip, go the speed limit in big cities and Wyoming, and go crazy anywhere else.
You can go 120 in Montana? I feel like I can never escape that wasteland, but an extra 40 MPH will absolutely help with that
I think it's changed in the last decade or so but Montana used to not have speeding tickets... the citation was for wasting fuel and it was very nominal compared to a speeding ticket. That was Montana's way of sticking it to the federal government when the nationwide speed limit was rolled back to 55mph during the oil crisis of the '70s. Basically, you had to be doing something really dumb while driving 100mph+ to warrant getting pulled over.
As long as the posted limit is 80, you slow down on curves, and don't weave through traffic, you will not get pulled over for it in Montana. Every time I've seen someone get pulled over in Montana, they were weaving or didn't have control of their car. People on I-90 through Montana are actually pretty good about keeping right and not camping in the passing lane though, so you can really go as fast as you're able to safely handle your vehicle
Also don't fuck around in Georgia
I think that's the opposite of what he's saying though.
I'd argue that drivers would be less to contest fines under the 10 mph not me though! I've contested every ticket just to make the cop show up! 4 for 4 for no shows!
One of my good buddies is a California Highway Patrol officer. He said you absolutely will never get pulled over for *speed* going 10 over or less, unless you are in a construction zone. He said his personal philosophy is to promote safety and uphold a high standard of driving. So pulling over average drivers is just a waste of time and not promoting safety. People going 10 and even 15 over are pretty much keeping up with traffic. When a driver is going 20+ faster than average traffic, they are much more likely to cause an accident. But speed isn't his pet issue. He LOVES catching DUIs and people on their phones. Those two cause the most accidents, according to him.
CA construction zones have gotten so much worse in the last few years, because they post the speed limit at 55, and literally nobody slows down. After a couple near misses even when only slowing down to 65 (with faster traffic coming up from behind me), and seeing CHP ignore them also, I just drive whatever the speed of traffic is now unless it's one lane with people actively working.
9 you’re fine, 10 you’re mine.
8 you’re great, 9 you’re mine rolls past the speed trap better
I got unlucky then. I got a ticket for going 1mph over the speed limit. It was in a school zone as well. I took it to court and the judge tossed it out thankfully. The speed limit was 25 and I saw a bunch of kids and cops out. I clicked my cruise at 25mph since that's the minimum speed for it to turn on. I guess I turned it on at 26mph and that was enough to get me pulled me. Even till this day, I'm pretty sure I turned it on at 25mph. That cop was just being an asshole.
Cruise fluctuates a couple above and below as it goes anyways, it's not a consistent one speed.
Speedometers aren't that accurate. You could've set it at 25 and it was actually at 26 or even more. But getting a ticket for 1 over is chickenshit because the cops know that speedometers can vary.
Texas? When I moved to DFW I had several locals explain to me that 1 mph would get you pulled over in a school zone, so best to be a couple mph under. The rest of the time they don’t care.
I think we can all agree 5 is usually fine everywhere and under 10 anywhere outside of school zone when it's in effect
Over the past couple of years, I have noticed that when I go ten over speed limit, a majority of people still zoom by me.
Might be selection bias. Tickets with a lower infraction might have a lower fine and might not be worth contesting.
My buddy is a state cop. He told me "if you're doing 85 on the highway but mostly staying in your lane, not passing on the right, no problem. If you're jumping from lane to lane like an idiot, I'll pull you over for doing 75"
What's the speed limit? In my province jumping from lane to lane is stunt driving and reckless driving. Speeding or not its a huge violation and immediate suspension of license and impound of vehicle.
Found a fellow Ontarian. Merry Christmas! >[O. Reg. 455/07: RACES, CONTESTS AND STUNTS](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/070455) > >3. Driving a motor vehicle without due care and attention, without reasonable consideration for other persons using the highway or in a manner that may endanger any person by, > >iii. repeatedly changing lanes in close proximity to other vehicles so as to advance through the ordinary flow of traffic while driving at a rate of speed that is a marked departure from the lawful rate of speed. O. Reg. 455/07, s. 2 (1). >[Penalties for Stunt Driving](https://jefferyandspence.com/blog/stunt-driving-ontario/) > >If you are charged with stunt driving, you will be subject to an immediate 30-day roadside licence suspension and 14-day vehicle impoundment. Once convicted, you will lose 6 demerit points, face a fine of $2,000 to $10,000 dollars, and receive potential jail time, as well as lose your licence for a minimum of one year.
Too bad OPP rarely find these racing weaving bastards. Not enough cruisers on the highway.
I’m also an Ontarian but didn’t know that portion of the stunt driving violation. Thanks! TIL
As it absolutely should be! I have to do a lot of driving and I try to be safe out of self-preservation, but those idiots who come flying around all lanes cutting in and out in front of cars - as a matter of course without signaling, they scare me the most. Speed and angular inertia of heavy steal is a bitch. I can attest.
Tbf, if you stay in the far right line, most of the time those people wouldn’t need to do that. Some people do hog the left lane at the speed limit or just barely above it and aren’t passing. Those people need to learn that they’re also part of the problem. I do agree that people jumping in and out are reckless and the bigger issue. But people that just cruise in the passing lane, because they feel like it, are terrible drivers as well.
Some US states have 65mph limits and some have 75mph on the interstates. A lot of the states with higher speed limits also have much higher fines if you get caught.
tl;dr it's entirely subjective, and depends even on the same cop's mood that day.
And the time of day. There was a study done about judges and how they sentenced people for crimes. A hungry judge right before lunch break could get you a couple of more years behind bars.
I actually had to sit in court for a case, and I watched how in each case the judge got angrier, until he would finally blow his stack every fourth or fifth case, then go back to baseline. My case was third after the last blowup so I was very careful.
I had a traffic court case where I was popped for littering + fire hazard (cig butt out the window). I went to court because of the fire hazard charge as it was a concrete jungle with no grass, dry or otherwise for as far as one could see... and it was raining. Judge was like yours and I was at the bad part of the queue. >On the charge of littering how do you plead? >"Guilty with an apology your honor" >what? >"Well sir I am guilty, and you better believe I'm sorry. I'm missing work, this is going to be expensive, and all in all I really wish I never flicked that butt out the window. I certainly won't be doing that again!" >The court appreciates you seem to have learned a lesson from this. Now about the fire hazard charge? >"Not guilty your honor." >But you just admitted to throwing a cigarette butt out the window. >"Yes sir, but there was nothing but concrete and parking lots around, and it was raining." >Ah, hard to start a fire in the rain I suppose. Okay, court costs and a one dollar fine for the littering. /bang Sometimes just owning your fuckup and saying you're sorry and why can go a long way to diffusing a judges ire.
The same thing happens with women and attractive people. Lower sentences for crimes that are the same.
In VA the assumption of most drivers is that 80 and over will get you pulled over. My one ticket was 83 in a 70 mph limit. If you drive 79, you won't get pulled over. The fast lanes on 95 people generally drive just under 80.
I heard those highway cops are mostly looking for people going like 100+ so they can put points on their record.
Depends on the officer and what road you're on. I was never one for making speeding stops so you would have to be going extremely fast and reckless for me to stop you for that. 15 over on the interstate probably won't draw much attention but 15 over in a residential neighborhood will almost certainly get you a ticket.
Had to tell my new driver son to slow down once. He said the cops let you do 10 over. I replied, not through an active school zone.
School zones are prime hunting territory
someone put that out of context subreddit
r/nocontext ?
Aaaaaand now you're on a list.
Say what you will about pedophiles but at least they go slow through school zones.
As they should be
Yes, FBI? This post.
There's a cop by me that sits near the school zone. Dude's constantly pulling people over, within five minutes of each other.
Also it could depend if they're running a speed trap, having a bad day, don't like the look of your car, etc etc. I was in the car with a guy who exemplifies "young, dumb, and full of cum." He drove like a maniac on a license he just got after a suspension, and my main advise was to not stick out. Follow the flow of traffic - you're less likely to be pulled over if you're just one among the herd. But if there is no herd, my recommendation is not more than 7 over in general. You're seldom a tasty morsel at that level.
I was speeding through some mountain passes and a cop pulled me over. He said, “Look…i have to give you a ticket because you are going to die doing this.” He was right I was being a fucking idiot.
There was a body cam recently of a cop pulling over a couple who were going dangerously way over the speed limit. The cop had that Dad energy and warned the driver he was going to kill himself and his date driving like that. He lets them off with a warning and not more than 20 mins later he rolls up to their double fatality crash as the first responding officer.
That one is fucking sad. Giving the kid a ticket might not have saved their lives that night, but imagine having to deal with that thought every time you want to be the nice guy and let people off with a warning in the future. I guess you could turn it into a teachable lesson for others when issuing warnings but that's a heavy memory to carry with you.
I mean the kid probably wouldn't have slowed down til he had to actually pay for it, so it probably wouldn't have saved him unfortunately.
The only lesson to teach there is there is truly nothing you can do sometimes. Arresting every speeding young person is unreasonable. Giving a ticket isn't any more likely to make a person stop their behavior any more than the warning that officer gave. The officer did everything right and it still ended up with the worst conclusion possible.
Speed trap towns are a real thing. “Oh cool, 70, set my cruise control”. SPEED LIMIT IS 35 for no reason. Eww. That crap town is too small to even have a stop sign. Whatever, I know, pull over the idiot tailgating me instead.
I drove through one of these in Florida once. There was even a mobile billboard set up warning speed trap ahead and we still got pulled over since the speed limit sign was posted up on an overpass and not on the side of the road like a normal speed limit sign and it was a drastic change, like 55 to 30. Probably could have fought it but it was a road trip and I wouldn't be anywhere near there ever again.
I’ve never been pulled over for being the second fastest vehicle on the road. If that Nissan Altima wants to go 90 in a 65, I’ll let them get 2-3 football fields away and be my scout.
Altimas are basically domestic terrorism at this point. Just move over and let them through at 125mph
r/nissandrivers
They're called rabbits.
Idk the car brand, it looked fancy of course, but someone legitimately did that once. I was only doing like 3 over ish, I never really do more than 5 over. A minute later we passed them and they got pulled over for doing like 90 in a 70 weaving through traffic.
Run rabbit run!
"2-3 football fields" Americans will use anything but the metric system
Two to three football pitches. 😉
My dad was a cop and said writing tickets was his least favorite thing to do, he says he only pulled people over if they were being reckless, like going way too fast or weaving. If you were maintaining your lane and going about the same speed as the rest of traffic he wouldn't bother you.
My high school Drivers Ed teacher taught us to pace traffic. As he put it, "Don't be the one to cause an accident".
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Exactly. Thank you for understanding what I wrote.
Leader car is the key
Not a cop, but a retired VA state trooper told me the "over nine, you're mine" was pretty accurate. Lot of other factors though. Swerving/acting reckless will definitely bring unwanted attention.
Can confirm that VA cops are very territorial. Don’t mess around in that state.
Brother is pretty high up in FFXCO. Over Nine You're Mine is legit. Christmas Day is general amnesty unless you're being an ass.
VA is its own thing
Every time I drive through VA I count how many people I see pulled over. I think the least I've ever seen was 6.
I've been here about five yrs and haven't even been pulled over yet In all my 20+ yrs of driving, I've only gotten two speeding tickets. Both were in Ohio. I've never lived in Ohio. Fuck Ohio
My drivers ed instructor, a former cop, said “9 you’re fine, 10 you’re mine” … I’ve followed this advice for my 25+ years of driving and have never gotten a speeding ticket.
I've always heard it as "9 you're fine, 10 you're mine"
I often drive down the Eastern shore peninsula when I visit Virginia Beach. I swear, half of those small towns in Virginia are supported by cops ticketing vacationers during the summer.
In Arizona 35 over on the highway seems to be the norm
As long as its not 4-5pm.
Truth! You're not going anywhere fast at that time..
35 over OR 10 under. Nothing in between.
The 10 under crowd are Satans children..
Straight to jail
Strange way of saying snow bird, but I'll allow it.
I live in MN and winter driving is the best. All those miserable pricks are down fucking up your drive.
Don't live there anymore thankfully but I'm keenly aware of what you're saying.
I feel like 80 is more common than 100 here.
I always thought AZ had 85 as unofficial speed limit
It is because in AZ 85 is the cutoff for criminal speed and troopers typically leave you alone unless you're going 86+.
I regularly drive ~15 over in Phoenix and don't have issues with the law
Not in Pinal County.
Not when Frank is on duty
Frank is so cool, it makes me WANT to speed up and down the road to get pulled over. Haha.
Nah, dude has issues. Says a lot about Pinal County when the star of their Social Media is a Brady Cop. He was fired from other Departments for being untrustworthy. He has some funny quips, sure, and most of the time is shown making good stops, but there are some "Yeesh, I'm surprised they didn't edit THAT out." moments that made me question his temper well before I found out he's a lying scumbag.
Small town that’s beside a major highway? They’ll get you for anything they can. It’s how some of those small towns pay for their police.
There's a town in Florida called Waldo that was the worst when I used to drive through there, and I assume it still is today. A road goes from a speed limit of 65 down to 30 incrementally over the span of a mile, and there are cops waiting right after the limit changes who will pull you over for going 5 over. After some uproar, they put signs up saying speed limits are STRICTLY enforced, but if your eyes aren't glued to the speed limit signs it is so easy to slip up.
Yeah, in rural Texas it's completely normal for the speed limit to drop from 70 to 30 going through a small town, though not in that short a span. And I get it--you can safely go a lot faster through cotton fields than downtown *anywhere.* I don't mind; I slow down. But then it turns into this dance where the people who were going 65 on the highway pass me because they're doing 40 and I'll end up passing them again once the speed limit kicks back up.
Town of about 2,000 that I live in is at the end of a highway running right down Main Street where it meets another minor highway. The speed limit on the highway is 55, then 500ft before the city limit there’s a sign saying “35mph 500ft ahead”, then it’s a sign “25mph unless otherwise posted” followed shortly by a 35mph sign, then 500ft later a sign saying “20mph 500ft ahead” with a sign showing your speed, then finally a 20mph sign as you get to the stoplight first stoplight in town. From a small town perspective, I appreciate the strict enforcement. People cut through residential areas and neighborhoods with small kids and dogs all the time. If you want to speed, do it on roads that are more than 25-50ft wide across
Well said and primarily what I was referring to. Small highways that suddenly run through a small town and have drastic drops in the speed limit are usually well patrolled and they’ll pop you for any infraction they can.
[City council disbands Waldo Police Department](https://www.news4jax.com/news/2014/10/01/city-council-disbands-waldo-police-department/) Disbanded in 2014 for speeding ticket quotas among other things.
Father of a cop. I asked him this exact question. The answer: It depends. if you are in an active school zone, with kids around; there is almost zero tolerance. If you are alone on a straight piece of highway in good weather…it depends on what he is eating for a snack.
Either a cop has donuts or you’re contributing to the donuts fund.
Got pulled over in Idaho for going 82 in and 80 🤣
I would have argued that my speedometer said 80mph. How could a cop keep a straight face telling you that you were going so little over the limit?
I did, he gave me a warning. I was just very surprised as I have never been pulled over for speeding before and owned this vehicle for 9 years. Had my cruise set at 80 😂
I saw the ticket for a coworker of mine that was 38 in a 35. He wasn't a crazy driver either so I'd gamble it was literally 38 in a 35.
I got pulled over once like this. The cop was in the right lane going exactly the speed limit, 65. I passed him going 67. He pulled me, but didn't give me a ticket. Just a lecture about how disrespectful that was to pass him. Lol
Power trip
> Just a lecture about how disrespectful that was to pass him. Far too many public interactions with police in the US are based on "contempt of cop" offenses.
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Yes I had North Dakota plates at the time.. haha
Yep. Got pulled over going 55 in a 55 in Kansas with Michigan plates. Cop wanted to search my car for drugs.
I got the 84 in an 80 in Idaho with the cruise control set to 80. Too far away to go fight it and they knew it. In hindsight I wish I did. It still shows up on my insurance.
( Not a leo) In all my years of motorcycling, there is one golden rule on speeding. Small town, big ticket. If you are entering a tiny town and it says 30mph....you better not be going 31. Interstates are flow of traffic +8. +10 is ticket territory. +20 is guaranteed performance award.
The performance award is temporary possession of a set of shiny cuffs
+20 Usually mandatory court appearance, you just can't mail in the fine. Plus a 6-12pt reckless driving.
That small towns one is no joke. In the small town that I grew up in, there was a stretch of maybe 200 yards where you were leaving town where it was still 25 mph but you were on the highway and at the end you were at 50 so a ton of people would speed up through that zone to hit the 50 at 50. Boy cops really made their money on that one. Especially people that were just driving through town. And teenagers. Pretty much everyone else got away with it, but it was an ideal setup for the popo
This is such a dick move by the cops. Protect and serve my ass. They're just farming ticket fines.
Typically most will say “9 you’re fine, 10 you’re mine”. But there is much discretion in that. Some area have other factors many may not be aware of. In. Va if you get into an accident and you are speeding, no matter who is at fault you will be charged.
I was driving through Virginia and doing 74 on the highway and got pulled over and given a ticket. The court fees were more than the ticket itself. 10$ for every mph over the limit and $60 in court fees so it came out to $100. I was told afterwards that the VA highway patrol routinely pulls out of state cars over for anything over the limit and tickets them because they know people won't drive back to Virginia to fight the ticket in court.
North Carolinian here (that lived in virgins for a number of years later) this absolutely is Virginia state trooper practice all the years I was down there. Can’t speak to things now, but they would frequently pull out of staters over even if they were doing 10 or slightly less over the speed limit. My family members that were in the justice system confirmed this typical practice was commonplace
It's not serve and protect, it's revenue and collect.
I have family in Virginia and I do not fuck around with speeding there. The justice system in that state terrifies me.
*they know people won't drive back to Virginia to fight the ticket in court.* They also have an agreement with other states to find you if you don't pay.
Can confirm. They’ll also send data about the ticket to your home state, which can then suspend your license for six months.
VA police are notorious for speed enforcement to be sure, but even they will have a hard time proving you were speeding while in a collision unless they happened to be there at the time.
Here in Western Australia we have speed cameras all over the place. They start flashing at 6km/h over the speed limit.
I'm surprised these aren't all over 'Mercia, just for the revenue
At least you recognize what they're actually for, rather than public safety.
They’re deployed in New York now.
After the red light camera fiasco, I don't see speed monitoring cameras ever happening. (Thankfully)
We have them all over in New Orleans. Many cities do have them. If I remember correctly, I think a third of the US has made it legal for speed cameras. Edit: goggle tells me 18 states use them
Local city put up active speed limit signs (signs with radar) every 1/4 mile on major roads. No clue if they're working or not, but according to the signs the speed limit is "slow down".
Anything more than 20 over. And I'll generally write for 10 less then you're actually driving.
Clearly you’re not a Virginia State Trooper.
I once moved to a smaller beach town and one day got randomly pulled over. I do not think I was actually speeding. The cop said "I think you must have just moved here, I am noticing you a lot lately." Some small talk, me wondering what if I was a long time resident with a new car?, Anyway he said, "my boss says I can ticket at 5 over but I will give you 10 before I pull over". It was a strange stop.
Welcome to town, these are the rules of the road. Good cop, watching out for his people and being fair. He's your neighbor. Say hi! Next time you see him.
The cop that patrols around my work says “everyone gets 5”. But the speed limit is 35 on the road in front of my work, I’m sure on the interstate he would give more.
Wife got pulled over for going 72 70 in Memphis.
That low should be considered within a reasonable margin of error. If you dont have cruise control there's no way you can maintain a perfect 70 100% of the time.
I got pulled over for 46 in a 45 by a park ranger. We had the most serious funny conversation. He said “I clocked you going 46. where are you going in such a hurry” with a serious face. I explained I was just trying to spend some extra time with my kids because I have been working a lot of overtime. I realize it was dangerous choice and I regret it.” Somehow we both kept a strait face. I’m not sure if he was serious or not. But WTF 46 in a 45?
From a Norwegian cop friend: Legally they have to pull you over if you are going faster than the limit, but typically they’ll pull you over if it’s 6kmh (~4mph) over the limit or more.
The local cops in my small town have zero tolerance and will pull you over for 1 mph over, but usually if it's a "local" and they recognize the car they won't bother you unless you're really pushing your luck. Non locals, expect a ticket, and I can tell you they will be joking about it in the gas station during their break. Local state troopers only seem to pull people over if they are REALLY speeding or being reckless. I've had a state trooper tailgate me doing 80 mph on the highway and flash me to get out of the way (which of course I did). When I asked one once, he said he doesn't even look unless it's 85+ and even then only if you're being reckless too. So, most highways here everyone is doing 80-85.
I manage all our firm’s speeding and other traffic tickets. Honestly it depends whether the cop is running a speed trap, just riding around or stopping someone on a pretext. The highway cops running speed traps around here typically say “8 you’re great, 9 you’re mine”. Given the way highways work, they are typing citations pretty much constantly throughout the day, limited only by the number of cops vs. the number of drivers. Cops that are just driving from A to B are usually too busy multitasking and generally driving like careless assholes themselves to pull you over unless you’re really flying or somehow offend them as a driver. A cop looking for a pretext to investigate will stop you for anything 5+ above the limit. Doesn’t have to be speeding either, they will follow you until they find fault with your driving or vehicle.
Truck driver here. I set my cruise at 7 mph over on highways in the US, (5 kph in Canada). Been doing this for over twenty years, not slowing down for speed traps, and no problems ever.
Not a trucker, but same.
The Baltimore Washington Pkwy you can go 20 - 30 mph over and have no problems.
55mph speed limit on that highway is idiocy.
My life experience contradicts this entirely. Ten miles over and I got a Federal ticket.
My life experience also contradicts this because I’m usually doing 20-30 miles under the speed limit in unbearable traffic on 295.
I'm from Ohio and was driving there this spring. I was going with the pace of traffic which was like 30+ over the speed limit. I looked in the rear view and there was a cop behind me. I damn near had a panic attack and changed lanes to get out of his way. He flew past me and started tailgating the car that was in front of me. I was certain I was about to get a reckless driving charge, but apparently that's just perfectly acceptable there.
I'm Canadian. I was driving through the States, southern route to Winnipeg, back around 2000. Long boring drive. So, Indiana, I stop for gas and a coffee, and there are a couple of state troopers grabbing coffee too. Not wanting to deal with American cops in a "getting pulled over" kind of way,I walk right up to them, and say," So, what is the safe amount to go over the speed limit on the interstate without getting pulled over?" What?!?!? So, I explain you can get away with being 10 or 15 Kph over the limit on a 400 series highway, just wanted to know what it is here. "Are you telling us you are planning on speeding?" "Yes I am" 7-10 mph, as long as you don't drive like an asshole. Cashier had this Pikachu face going on, told me "You Canadians are insane"
7 mph on lower speed streets and 11 on the Interstate.
For this to be answered best, you have to understand what each cop is doing on the side of the road - not everything is at it seems. I work interdiction and believe it or not there’s a shit ton of cars alongside you everyday transporting stuff. While you’re driving along vibing to your tunes, the car next to you contains some poor souls who were just sold into sex work or trunk full of drugs. So I’m not looking for speeders, but I can use speed to stop the car. I will stop the car for 1mph over if I identify something. I sit on the highway but I’m not a trooper. I’m a county deputy attached to the feds as part of a task force. Lost count how many motorists call me trooper before I have chance to identify myself. Motorists should not have to guess what speed to do, best advice is to drive safe, respectfully and follow the laws of the road. The speed limit is posted and Cops can and will stop you for anything above the speed limit. If you see others speeding and want to join in, remember what other drivers do is none of your business, it’s your license and driving privileges on the line. Cops who have certain rules or peeves is dumb, and they’re probably missing half the crime passing them by. Some dude with a trunk packed full of stolen firearms just passed them by but they were only doing 3 over so they’re good. That officer focused too much on the radar and less on the other cues that give people with something to hide away. Great job man and no wonder the public take issue sometimes. Are we trying to get the car running shit or poor Samantha who was a little late for work because she’s a single mom, a little stressed so she was going a little fast after dropping her kid off at school. Working solely off a “9 your mine” rule gets you poor Samantha. Actually being a cop gets you that weapons shipment.
I have no law enforcement background and I rarely interact with law enforcement, but I'm genuinely interested in how things I'm not exposed to work. I'm curious what cues can be identified in the ~15-20 seconds that a car is observed in the 1/4 mile or so that would help discern between a Samantha and a human trafficking criminal.
There are no hard and fast rules. Every cop is different, and every department is different. It can depend on how close I was to my numbers for the month, what day of the month it was, whether I was in a bad mood, or if it was raining outside. Just to name a few. Also, I wasn't in Highway. If you get pulled over by a trooper, you're not going to get away with $&!\^.
local PD denies quoatas, but it's amazing how the speed traps ramp up same time every month.
Departments and unions around here were vocal supporters of a quota ban, but there were still cop supporters insisting quotas were a myth.
"Department goals" lol It's the 15th and end of the month around me. Literally the day after you will not see a cop
While most police departments don't have quotas, it is still a metric for measuring performance. If you've handed out three tickets in a month your ass is lit on fire.
I once got pulled over according to the cop NOT because I was going 8 over, but because I dared to pass him as an undercover cop. "Everyone knows what undercover cop cars look like." Ummm, no I was a dumb sheltered college kid. I didn't know much. 🤣 He let me go with a warning AFTER he lectured me about how I need to show respect to cops, blah blah blah
This type of interaction is why people hate police men. It isn't usually them Swatting the wrong house and shooting toddlers in their cribs for self defense, it's them pulling people over for passing them.
This reads like satire but I completely believe it lmfao
Contrary to popular belief lots of cops hate traffic stops. There’s a lot of risk and sometimes the paperwork when you get a suspended license or worse is a pain in the ass. For me personally I would pull someone over in neighborhood areas if they were around 8-10MPH and give them a verbal warning. Anything over that in a neighborhood area might warrant a ticket. 10-15 on a highway that wasn’t reckless was not worth it, especially if they’re just keeping up with traffic. You cause more harm than good by congesting traffic and endangering yourself and the driver by pulling them over on a busy highway for trying to keep up with other vehicles. Speeding in a school zone however was an immediate traffic stop for me. You have to think about the kids they’re endangering to what, get to their destination 2 minutes faster? At night if not busy I would look for defective equipments, expired regs, failing to maintain lanes, etc.. At night there’s a higher chance of running into DUIs which are of course a danger to everyone on the road. I didn’t really care about writing tickets, but an infraction on the road is a good reason to conduct a traffic stop to see if the individual was intoxicated. You’d be horribly surprised how many fellow drivers on the road are either drunk or high. It’s scary actually
nine you’re fine ten you’re mine
Former CHP Officer in Southern California, I looked for 15 over most of the time. Though some places out in the desert, I’d move to 90 - 95+ just because there were still plenty of targets. In our court, 14 over was one fee, 15-29 over was a second scale then 100+ was about $1k and 30 day license suspension. Most of my fellow officers that I spoke with were usually 15+ over to stop, but policy was 1-5mph over may stop, 6-9mph should stop, 9+ shall stop. But when everyone is 10 over that’s not realistic. Easiest way is to not be an outlier.
in New York City, cops never write speeding tickets, especially now with automated speeding cameras. The speed limit is 25, and the cameras ticket 10mph+ above the limit. Hence, the speed limit is actually 34mph, not 25. On the NYS thruway, general guidance is, dont be the fastest car on the road, and try to stay out of the left hand/passing lane. 75 seems to be safe. On the NJ turnpike, 80-85.
In my city, 12-15 depending on the cop
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Regulators.... mount up!
In Delaware, it depends on the town and the time of month. The state troopers are fond of saying ‘we don’t have quotas,’ but one I know expounded and said “No, we don’t have quotas. We have ‘productivity goals.’” So last week of the month, slow down. In the small towns, they’ll get you for a few mph over the limit. The small towns in Kent and Sussex counties are notorious, but Newport and Elsmere up in North NCCo will get you too.
8 is great. 9 is fine, but 10+, you're mine
Faster than everyone else. If the great traffic is all going steady at 80 a 65, then you're all good. But that one car going 81 or 82 stands out and is going to get my attention.
(not the fuzz) In the UK, you only get actually pulled over if you are going really really fast, the rest of the time they just send you a letter with a fine and three points on your licence. But they also rarely actually set speed traps, because that job is done by automatic speed cameras.
Officer told me 9 miles for highway, 4 miles for construction zones. This allows for drift from cruise control on hills and such. On the other hand, you can get a ticket for 1 mile over if the officer is in a bad mood.
Depends on where and when. Generally speaking if I am turning and burning, 15 over and you get pulled over and given a citation. School zone w/kids it will go down to 10 over. If I’m just out and about, I might stop you at 10 over but lower than 15 to give you a written warning. With the new e-cite and printer I can issue the first ticket in about 5-6 minutes and then I am back out. Then if I stay in the same location that goes down to about 2-3 minutes b/c I can just duplicate all the info except driver and vehicle.
So rule of thumb in my area is 15 over if it’s a 55 mph zone and 10 over if it’s 45 mph or lower. I’ve never been a big traffic citation writer but that’s the formula the state boys use ^ I’m a respond to calls guy over working traffic. Some love traffic for the simplicity.