Toll Road Speed Limit

Thanks mssmith and Alan, I learned something new today. Haven't seen the "Flying Skunk" around for awhile. They're using radar these days.

hankpage wrote:
There is no margin for error. A device that calculates speed for prosecution in court must be regularly calibrated to be legal. Operators must be certified also. The operator who witnessed the offense must sign the ticket also. This is why many states and municipalities are taking down automatic cameras. You have the right to face your accuser in court!!!!

Yes, they must be regularly calibrated but in the modern world, it's not hard to have the time stamp device download the exact time from the internet several times per day and log that certification.

The requirement to have an officer observe the infraction has been adressed by legislation in many states. If they haven't addressed it, you typically won't find automated enforcement, though some have gotten around it by having an officer review the photo/video evidence and they approve the ticket.

Yes, they usually do provide a margin for error (for the driver not the device). If it clocks you doing 56mph in a 55mph zone, they don't typically issue a ticket. The point where they do issue a ticket is typically on the order of 5-10mph over the speed limit but they generally won't publically post the exact amount and in some cases it will vary. They don't want drivers intentionally using the margin for error.

Article about EZ-Pass and speeding. You will not get a ticket but you can lose your EZ-Pass privileges. EZ-pass

Better take out a loan if you're going to use the toll roads up around Chicago and over through Indiana....especially if you're towing. I couldn't believe how often I was slowing down to throw money out the window.

thank for the info it was a big help

musicman54 wrote:
how many states have toll roads being from oregon we here about them but we dont have them .when we start traveling this great country i would like to know ahead of time

California has a few but most are by-pass roads around the regular freeways so you never have to use them. I drove cross-country over the summer and the only place I had to pay tolls was around Chicago. And I could have avoided that by taking about a 100 mile detour, but I decided to pay the tolls instead. It was a little of a pain as I was paying cash versus having one of their transponders, so you have to stop every few miles and pay the toll takers. Seems like I had to pay at about five different toll booths.

California does have the toll bridges and those aren't so easy to avoid, but there are ways around all of them if you want to save $5. Of course you'll burn a lot more than that in gas, but you can get around them.

Washington
Many states have them. They are fairly easy to avoid.

how many states have toll roads being from oregon we here about them but we dont have them .when we start traveling this great country i would like to know ahead of time

W4RLR wrote:

exgman wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
It wouldn't happen in California. Vehicle code prohibits writing speeding tickets based on calculating the time of a vehicle between points.

Isn't that how the CHP does it with their planes? The plane would time the cars between 2 lines on the highway?

The planes use VASCAR. The timing equipment is on the plane. It is calibrated and the operator is certified. It measures the time a vehicle takes to pass between the start and the end of a known distance, usually a quarter of a mile. Using the time elapsed between passing two toll gantries is not as exact and there is no observer.

Not in California. It's done like Alan said. The speed of the plane is calculated between the two points and the plane either matches, or flies slightly slower than the car (or cars) they are pacing. VASCAR is not legal to be used in California as timing a vehicle between two points to determine speed is not legal. It's actually a really old law that's been on the books for decades, I don't know why they don't just repeal it. It would be a lot easier for the flight crews to just time a vehicle between the two points, versus timing the airplane.

exgman wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
It wouldn't happen in California. Vehicle code prohibits writing speeding tickets based on calculating the time of a vehicle between points.

Isn't that how the CHP does it with their planes? The plane would time the cars between 2 lines on the highway?

The planes use VASCAR. The timing equipment is on the plane. It is calibrated and the operator is certified. It measures the time a vehicle takes to pass between the start and the end of a known distance, usually a quarter of a mile. Using the time elapsed between passing two toll gantries is not as exact and there is no observer.