Another speed trap shut down

BCSnob wrote:
To me a speed trap is when the posted speed decreases with the sign obscured from the view of motorists and tickets are written for exceeding the lower speed limit. When has it become entrapment to enforce the clearly posted speed limits (unless enforcement is near or at the accuracy of the speed measurement devices)? I don't buy the argument that enforcing laws (speeding, running red lights, passing stopped school buses, etc) is wrong because it generates revenue.

This is what I would call a speed trap as well.

A police officer sitting on the side of the road looking for speeders is not a speed trap. Even if he is hidden from view. I don't consider that a speed trap.

I exceed the speed limit, but not by too much. I try to keep within 10 percent of the posted speed limit. It has been a long time since I have been pulled over for speeding. I just drove from NJ to GA and saw very few LEOs on I 95. I was speeding anywhere from 4 to 6 mph over in a 70 mph zone when I passed 3 different LEOs in GA (only state I saw them in this trip). BTW - this was in a car, not the Motorhome. I generally only drive within 2 or 3 mph over or under the posted speed limit in the motorhome.

Any police officer that pulled me over for doing 1 mph over the speed limit would get an earful at the time of the ticket and in court. I have had portable GPS units in 6 different vehicles I have owned. Every single one of those vehicles had speedometers that were off by a couple mph at when going 60 mph. I know there are DOT specs that allow for some discrepancy in OEM speedometers.

This is from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regarding commercial vehicles. I couldn't find the DOT spec for passenger cars:

Each bus, truck, and truck-tractor must be equipped with a speedometer indicating vehicle speed in miles per hour and/or kilometers per hour. The speedometer must be accurate to within plus or minus 8 km/hr (5 mph) at a speed of 80 km/hr (50 mph).

-Michael

Everything said on here both pro and con about speed traps is basically correct. The fact is there is no right or wrong way to look at it. For myself, I try not to be the fastest car on the road (the target). Let the other guy be the target and I'll just go on about my business un-impeded.

I will join in. I see a lot of confusing reckless driving with speeding, ie over a posted number.
Reasonable and prudent should be the Law as it was in Tn until 1955. I knew, of one sign still up, that said resume safe speed, after leaving a small town.
Then Gerald Ford sat speed limits at 55. Anything 70 or over was now reckless driving. Now speed limits on Interstates here are 70 and 80 is permitted, in most places. Only the numbers changed based on politics,not safe speeds.
Reasonable and Prudent, for the conditions needs to be once again the law of the land.
In small town and communities it needs to be lower but not 20mph on a divided 5 lane hwy. That is a designed money or speed trap.
Those entrapments and traps don't just cost fines they can wreck insurance rates.
Many years ago we stopped an idea to turn our road through the community into a money maker. So I know for fact it does happen.
Today's new left lane cars feel like 40 at triple digits and stop shorter, than the cars, of the sixties doing 30.
That is just hardware that can safely operate at the 80-85 mph speeds and over in some places. That is safety.
Everyone operating a vehicle with consideration of everyone else on the road, is safety. Everyone going the same rate of flow or speed is safety. Being an obstacle is reckless. Racing through traffic is reckless. 75 in a 70 is not reckless, road conditions permitting.
The problem is speed limits set to revenues, and or demands by Business Owners and Porch Sitters, to slow traffic flow, to suit their desires, not safety concerns it seems a majority of the time.
Some locations a 20mph speed limit is reasonable, such a school zone, but tickets for 21 mph are simply to fill coffers.
Reckless Driving can be at any speed, which is what most seem trying to address.

I got a ticket as I approached a 25 zone coming out of a 45 zone.

I pleaded my case that I had in facted slowed to 25mph before reaching the sign. Local cop told me the speed limit began as soon as I could "see" the 25 sign.

I could see the 45 on the other end of town, so I declared I could driver 45 thru town. He said nope...it doesn't go up until after you passed the sign.

I just mailed them their money.

BCSnob wrote:
To me a speed trap is when the posted speed decreases with the sign obscured from the view of motorists and tickets are written for exceeding the lower speed limit. When has it become entrapment to enforce the clearly posted speed limits (unless enforcement is near or at the accuracy of the speed measurement devices)? I don't buy the argument that enforcing laws (speeding, running red lights, passing stopped school buses, etc) is wrong because it generates revenue.

Yes, exactly that happens in New York -- a rural community in the southern tier, and the winding road comes down off the foothills, and the posted speed is 40 mph. As you round the last curve into a straightaway, the sign suddenly appears at 20 mph, and no way to slow that fast. AND, you guessed it, sheriff sitting right beside the tree next to the 20 mph sign. Got me for a $100 ticket (mail-in) and they know it cost more to return to that town from home than just pay it and blow it off. Betcha locals don't get caught there, only travelers - a true "revenue generator" ... I did write the local judge a 'nice' letter when I sent in the "fine/revenue"...

navegator wrote:
The island of Coronado in San Diego, California is known to all the locals, the cops will issue a speed ticket for going 26 mph on a 25 mph street, small island lots of Navy kids going and coming to and from base, specially on the strand they have 25, 35, 45 and 65 mph limits drive on Orange Blvd you better pay attention.

Small town bored Cops.

navegator

Bored? I suspect you never lost a child hit by a vehicle or pulled dead kids out of vehicles, or had to cover up dead kids laying on the road struck by vehicles. Boring? At times. But after seeing bloody accidents almost every day 1 mile over is breaking the law. 1 mile over hitting a child the bored officer may have saved you from a manslaughter charge and prison time. I know, I know, only broke the law a little bit.

Georgew48 wrote:
I got a speeding ticket in Louisiana one time for 1 mph over the limit on the interstate. The ticket even showed that I was only 1 mph over. It was a state highway patrolman. The funny thing is it was a deserted stretch of highway early in the morning. I saw him sitting on the side of the road so I moved over to the left lane to pass him. I had the cruise control set for the speed limit but must have been off a little. After he pulled me over we had a nice talk about life in general and after about 10 minuets he said I guess we need to get going. I thought he was just letting me go but then he said sorry but I have to give you this ticket. He was a real nice guy bit still gave me the ticket. At first I thought he was joking. The best thing that happened is my step father was the college room mate of the district attorney for that parish and he sent me a nice letter that said if I promised not to speed in that Parrish again he would drop the ticket. I have great appreciation for law enforcement officers and hold no grudge against him.

I remember on the program Dateline had a story about people who were pulled over and given a ticket for speeding when they were not in Louisiana on I-10. They had a whole gymnasium full of people this happened to. They even set up a bait car with a certified speedometer with a camera pointing at it and sure enough they were pulled over doing the speed limit. The dept was using the money for parties and ski trips to Colorado. They went after out of state residents. It was not about safety but out in out robbery with a badge.

I'm a retired LEO. We reviewed the briefing board before watch. We wrote cites in the area where most accidents occurred. Yes it does generates revenue but writing traffic cites also solves problems because accident rates go down in those areas. Like a bump in a rug, push it down in one area and it pops up in another area. The whiners are usually the constant violators. Just spend some time on the road. How many people do you see driving like they should't even have a license? Unfortunately the officers are so busy they can't catch all the wacko drivers

Years after the widening of I-75 in Tifton GA was finished, the 70 to 55 speed was kept. One local officer on the back side of the overpass where the speed reduced and half a dozen others on the entrance ramp waiting to write tickets... I'd call that a speed trap.

Nope I'd call that slow down to 55 or suffer the ticket, no trap about it.

The island of Coronado in San Diego, California is known to all the locals, the cops will issue a speed ticket for going 26 mph on a 25 mph street, small island lots of Navy kids going and coming to and from base, specially on the strand they have 25, 35, 45 and 65 mph limits drive on Orange Blvd you better pay attention.

Small town bored Cops.

navegator