Speeding Tickets...

[GLC1968]

I wonder if there are any studies to suggest the difference in 'pull over' rates vs tickets by area of the country?

I've been driving for 20 years now. Admittedly, I've pretty much always considered the posted speed limit a 'suggestion'. I learned to drive in Boston, so I drive fast and fairly agressive. I also drive an extremely 'nimble' car. I haven't been pulled over for speeding in 8 years. (I did get pulled over for an expired plate, but only by a day and my renewal sticker was still in my glove box!) So, I drive fast, I drive a fast car (and have for the past 10 years) and I've lived in 5 states since I got my licence. In summary: I got pulled over in ME twice, in MA, too many times to count on two hands, in PA once (not for speeding and not my fault), in FL, once but it was entrapment, and in NC, zero times. Personally, I think that the northeast has the corner market on a$$hole cops and astronomical speeding fines. And for the record...I've NEVER been able to talk my way out of a single ticket.

A couple of examples...TWICE I was pulled over and asked immediately in a condescending tone "So, is this daddy's car?" (and for the record, it was mine and I was in my mid-20's). One was in MA and the other in NH. My father also got pulled over in MA for passing a cop on the highway (at 55 mph - the speed limit). We were all on the way to my first day at college (whole family, packed car) and we all heard the cop tell him he pulled him over for "blatent disrespect". Nice.

And lastly, about 5 years ago, I was in MA for an internship and my roommate and I were driving to a mall. She was driving (with IL plates) and was coming up on a cop on a 4 lane highway (2 lanes going either direction). I told her to pull behind him and not pass, but she said I'm only going 50, what can he do (speed limit was 55)? I warned her again, but she did it anyway. Sure enough, he pulled her over and gave her a ticket for 'driving to endanger'. He also flat out yelled at her because her dealer plate frame obscured the state name on the tag and he couldn't read it. She was stunned (and pissed) and when we got to work the next day and mentioned it, every single person said "you didn't pass him, did you?" before she'd finished the story!

[emily_in_nc]

GLC, you may be onto something. I've lived in NC most of my driving years and have never gotten pulled for any reason. And I do speed -- not terribly much, but I'll go 9-10 mph over the speed limit often. And I commute 30 miles each way to work, so I do have to drive quite a bit. Worst thing that's ever happen is an unmarked cop flashing his blue lights at me ever so briefly just as a warning. I had just gotten out of being stuck behind two cars (one in each lane), each going about 10 mph under the limit, and I sped out just to get around them. The cop flashed at me, I slowed down, and he didn't pull me. Lucky!

My DH speeds more than I do and has never gotten pulled in the nearly 23 years I've known him - in NC.

So, perhaps NC is a "low pull" state?

Emily

[Blueberry]

Emily-

Except for parts of Greensboro, I think you're right (got pulled the day after Christmas a couple of years ago and should not have gotten the ticket - speed limit had just reduced, and the cop pulled in so close behind me I couldn't have braked or he woulda hit me)! My commute is 35 miles and I regularly go 9-10 or even 15 over. Of course, I'm (barely) keeping up with traffic on the freeway. I am, however, very well behaved on all secondary roads (anywhere cyclists aren't banned, and there might be kids, etc).

CA

[GLC1968]

Ooh, something else my DH and I immediately noticed when we moved here to NC? The speed limits are fairly well suited to the roads. In other words, I speed, but only if I feel safe due to the nature of the road (and the congestion). In every other state I've lived in, the speed that felt comfortable to me was a solid 20 mph higher than most posted limits (no joke). In NC, it's MUCH closer (0 - 5mph) for most roads. Weird, huh?

Another oddity: Since I got my Mini, I've started driving faster (even more so when I lived in FL) and I've still not been pulled over (knock on wood). It's been 3 years now and I've had many 'close calls' where I've sped past a cop and should, by all rights, have been pulled over. I'm not 100% convinced that BMW didn't install cloaking devices in the Mini's.

[Blueberry]

I'm not 100% convinced that BMW didn't install cloaking devices in the Mini's.

Plus they're just so darned cute (of course a bike is cuter but....)

[Mr. Bloom]

I learned to drive in Boston, so I drive fast and fairly agressive.

My cousin in Boston advise that you should never turn your head to look...they say no one will ever let you merge if they know you see them and they can see the whites of your eyes!

That's how I learned to handle traffic circles...with my eyes closed!

[GLC1968]

My cousin in Boston advise that you should never turn your head to look...they say no one will ever let you merge if they know you see them and they can see the whites of your eyes!

Very true! The theory is, if you don't see them, they aren't there.