fun facts about speeding tickets

[Razgriz]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/12/...ued-per-minute-and-other-fun-facts/#continued

65 issued per minute?!

 

[Zenmervolt]

Some of that is rather worthless.

1) Insurance surcharge: While the math does support the assertion that this creastes $10.2 billion in income to insurance companies, it must be remembered that income is not profit. It must also be remembered that a significant portion of those who receive speeding tickets are repeat offenders who are at a statistically higher risk for being involved in an accident. The average payouts for these accidents are well in excess of $300/each which means that the losses from insuring risky, ticket-receiving drivers very likely negate most or all of the additional income from the surcharges. Finally, a significant number of tickets are plead down in traffic court or are deferred and therefore never show up to the insurance company in the first place. This means that the actual increase in income for insurance companies is well below $10.2 billion even if the higher costs of insuring risky drivers are never taken into account.

2) Texas Speed Traps: Speed traps are typically set up in areas where there is high throuput. While there were only 56,000 residents of the areas in which the speed traps were set up, the roads certainly saw far more unique drivers than the number of residents in the towns would suggest. For example, along I-90 here in WA, there are several unincorporated townships with fewer than 5,000 people. However, because of I-90, tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people drive through these communities every day. For the Texas speed trap information to be useful, they would need to cite total traffic throughput, not population size. Essentially, the data here have been manipulated for the purposes of sensationalism.

3) Out-Of-State Tickets: Out-of-state drivers are also significantly less likely to be familiar with an area which increases the likelihood of them making erratic maneuvers (and thereby drawing an officer's attention) or of being unfamiliar with the speed limit on a given road and driving faster than permitted. A similar phenomenon, though to a lesser degree, occurs when people are driving outside of their usual metropolitan area. This alone is sufficient to explain the higher ticketing rates for out-of-state drivers as well as the higher ticketing rates for drivers outside of their usual metropolitan area.

4) Radar Guns: The tests cited were performed in 1979. Radar equipment has progressed a hell of a lot in the past 31 years. Additionally, I have heard of only a handful of cases (certainly not "many") where a stationary and automated speed camera issued the ticket to a parked vehicle rather than the speeding vehicle. In all cases, the ticket was dismissed because the photo taken by the automated machine clearly showed that the ticketed car was, in fact, parked. The issue was not with the radar itself, but rather with the automated system that isn't smart enough to recognize target error. Human operators do not have this failing.

ZV

 

[angry hampster]

Rule #1 about speeding tickets: Don't be a dick. You were breaking the law. Most people don't seem to realize this.

 

[EightySix Four]

4) Radar Guns: The tests cited were performed in 1979. Radar equipment has progressed a hell of a lot in the past 31 years. Additionally, I have heard of only a handful of cases (certainly not "many") where a stationary and automated speed camera issued the ticket to a parked vehicle rather than the speeding vehicle. In all cases, the ticket was dismissed because the photo taken by the automated machine clearly showed that the ticketed car was, in fact, parked. The issue was not with the radar itself, but rather with the automated system that isn't smart enough to recognize target error. Human operators do not have this failing.

ZV

They've progressed but they still have some serious issues, many related to the officer not knowing how the guns work and using the improperly. For example I had a ticket thrown out in court because the location where the officer was sitting it was impossible for him to determine which vehicle in traffic he was hitting, especially from the significant distance he was away from his "targets."

Secondly, I have heard of tested incidents where a radar gun can pick up large objects in the distance, such as 18 wheelers, despite the target vehicle being closer.

I don't really trust them, I'd prefer to see the cops using LIDAR personally (although that is not perfect either).

 

[Zenmervolt]

They've progressed but they still have some serious issues, many related to the officer not knowing how the guns work and using the improperly. For example I had a ticket thrown out in court because the location where the officer was sitting it was impossible for him to determine which vehicle in traffic he was hitting, especially from the significant distance he was away from his "targets."

Secondly, I have heard of tested incidents where a radar gun can pick up large objects in the distance, such as 18 wheelers, despite the target vehicle being closer.

I don't really trust them, I'd prefer to see the cops using LIDAR personally (although that is not perfect either).

Yes, but those are user error, not inherent issues with the radar unit.

Also, most new police speed radar units will show either the fastest return or the strongest return; that is, they are not limited to displaying only the strongest return and can reliably give the speed of the fastest car in the pack even if there are stronger signals coming in.

 

[EightySix Four]

Yes, but those are user error, not inherent issues with the radar unit.

Also, most new police speed radar units will show either the fastest return or the strongest return; that is, they are not limited to displaying only the strongest return and can reliably give the speed of the fastest car in the pack even if there are stronger signals coming in.

Then it becomes the job of the officer to figure out which is the fastest in the pack. Not a fan of that either.

 

[jlee]

Yes, but those are user error, not inherent issues with the radar unit.

Also, most new police speed radar units will show either the fastest return or the strongest return; that is, they are not limited to displaying only the strongest return and can reliably give the speed of the fastest car in the pack even if there are stronger signals coming in.

Two variables give you signal strength - one being the target size, and the other being target speed. If you have an 18 wheeler going slow and a motorcycle hauling ass, you may get a reading bouncing back and forth between them.

If you take the fastest reading and match it with the fastest car, it's pretty hard to go wrong.

Then it becomes the job of the officer to figure out which is the fastest in the pack. Not a fan of that either.

Usually the car that's passing everyone else is the fastest in the pack.

 

[EightySix Four]

Two variables give you signal strength - one being the target size, and the other being target speed. If you have an 18 wheeler going slow and a motorcycle hauling ass, you may get a reading bouncing back and forth between them.

If you take the fastest reading and match it with the fastest car, it's pretty hard to go wrong.



Usually the car that's passing everyone else is the fastest in the pack.

Yes, but depending on where you are and how desperate the town is for money, the difference between 10 over and 6 over is a ticket. You can't see that visually, especially when vehicles are coming around a bend or over a hill. Moreso when all the cars immediately slam on their damn brakes (like dumb asses) the second they see the cop.

 

[Gillbot]

Two variables give you signal strength - one being the target size, and the other being target speed. If you have an 18 wheeler going slow and a motorcycle hauling ass, you may get a reading bouncing back and forth between them.

If you take the fastest reading and match it with the fastest car, it's pretty hard to go wrong.



Usually the car that's passing everyone else is the fastest in the pack.

Exactly

Yes, but depending on where you are and how desperate the town is for money, the difference between 10 over and 6 over is a ticket. You can't see that visually, especially when vehicles are coming around a bend or over a hill. Moreso when all the cars immediately slam on their damn brakes (like dumb asses) the second they see the cop.

That's why you can go to court and plead not guilty. Also, I ROFL at the dumbasses who slam on their brakes. By the time they see the cop, it's too late!

 

[exdeath]

You can show some respect by not doing stupid shit in areas you know better anyway, like busy intersections, city streets, blind corners, etc.

Everybody, especially car enthusaists, are going to play around once in a while. Cops *know* this, we are all human. You're more likely to get off with a warning "testing your 0-60 time" on a back road somewhere than through a yellow light during rush hour where you are showing blatant disregard for the SPIRIT of the law which is disregarding the right of others to be safe on public property.

Even though 'the law is the law' and "wrong is still wrong" or whatever, showing some semblance of respect for the spirit of the law and some regard for others by doing things at the proper time and place go a long way towards turning a ticket into a warning, vs. someone doing burnouts in a neighborhood at 11 pm.

 

[BlackTigers]

Being polite to officers has gotten me out of 5-6 speeding tickets.

Honestly, don't be a dick to them. Be courteous and act human, and admit you fucked up. They're aren't all pigs.

I've only given a cop attitude once, but it was a completely unnecessary situation that he should have minded his own business in, ibut that's beside the point.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Being polite to officers has gotten me out of 5-6 speeding tickets.

Honestly, don't be a dick to them. Be courteous and act human, and admit you fucked up. They're aren't all pigs.

I've only given a cop attitude once, but it was a completely unnecessary situation that he should have minded his own business in, ibut that's beside the point.

Being polite and corteous is fine, but I thought that an admission of guilt was a legal no-no?
Regardless, after being ticketed/warned 3 times (35 in a 25 - sign was behind a tree, unfamiliar area coming in from a stretch of 35 road; 55 in a 45 - unfamiliar stretch of highway, which is 45 for a short distance before going to 55; 28 in a 25 near my home - anal LEO), I said f*ck it and bought a Valentine 1.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Sometimes I dont get how the "limit" works as everyone on the 405 here pretty much goes 80 on the left lanes when the limit is 65/60. Sometimes the cops pull them over and other times they dont..

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Sometimes I dont get how the "limit" works as everyone on the 405 here pretty much goes 80 on the left lanes when the limit is 65/60. Sometimes the cops pull them over and other times they dont..

 

[shortylickens]

Rule #1 about speeding tickets: Don't be a dick. You were breaking the law. Most people don't seem to realize this.

I'd like to restate my theory that if traffic crime were handled like a real crime, there wouldnt be any.
Spending a night in jail for simple speeding would cure many Americans of their ridiculous arrogance.
The only reason we have fines for traffic violations is they generate easy revenue for the local government, and they sure as fuck dont wanna lose their money. We could actually live in a society of proper driving, but thats not profitable so it doesnt happen.

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

Rule #1 about speeding tickets: Don't be a dick. You were breaking the law. Most people don't seem to realize this.

Tip #1 about Rule #1, speed limits apply to tractor trailers.
Tip #2 about Rule #1, the law was made by dipshits.

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

I'd like to restate my theory that if traffic crime were handled like a real crime, there wouldnt be any.
Spending a night in jail for simple speeding would cure many Americans of their ridiculous arrogance.
The only reason we have fines for traffic violations is they generate easy revenue for the local government, and they sure as fuck dont wanna lose their money. We could actually live in a society of proper driving, but thats not profitable so it doesnt happen.

Yeah, because clearly nobody owns a car that can safely go ANY faster than an 80,000 pound truck.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Yeah, because clearly nobody owns a car that can safely go ANY faster than an 80,000 pound truck.

Statistically, trucks cause very, very, very few accidents. The majority of accidents are caused by people driving those sedans that can safely go faster than an 80,000 pound truck.

Truck drivers have extensive training and regulation that goes orders of magnitude beyond what the average driver has and truck drivers are far less likely to operate their vehicle while distracted. The simple fact is that truck drivers, as a group, are vastly more skilled than the rest of us and that has a far larger affect on safety than the size of their vehicle.

Frankly, most drivers are only barely capable of driving safely at 60 mph regardless of what the car is capable of.

ZV

 

[EightySix Four]

Statistically, trucks cause very, very, very few accidents. The majority of accidents are caused by people driving those sedans that can safely go faster than an 80,000 pound truck.

Truck drivers have extensive training and regulation that goes orders of magnitude beyond what the average driver has and truck drivers are far less likely to operate their vehicle while distracted. The simple fact is that truck drivers, as a group, are vastly more skilled than the rest of us and that has a far larger affect on safety than the size of their vehicle.

Frankly, most drivers are only barely capable of driving safely at 60 mph regardless of what the car is capable of.

ZV

Over statement of the century. The road is not some chaotic mess where you should expect to die everytime you go out.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Over statement of the century. The road is not some chaotic mess where you should expect to die everytime you go out.

No, you just don't understand that someone who is "barely capable" is, in fact, capable.

Now, had I said that most drivers were incompetent, then your objection would be valid. However, that's not what I said. I see examples of the following all the time. When lumped together they make up a majority of the drivers I encounter.

- Persons driving 40 in a 55 zone.
- Persons merging across multiple lanes of traffic without checking their mirrors.
- Persons entering the freeway at 45 mph when the traffic is flowing at 70 mph.
- Persons who aren't smart enough to turn on their headlights in the rain.
- Persons who aren't smart enough to know that they shouldn't have their high beams on all the time.
- Persons who aren't smart enough to know not to block intersections.
- Persons who slow to 35 mph because of light drizzle.

These are all examples of minimal levels of competence. The simple fact is that the majority of people on the road are only minimally qualified; they are safe in good conditions but they simply lack the experience and the attentiveness to properly handle emergency situations.

ZV

 

[shortylickens]

Yeah, because clearly nobody owns a car that can safely go ANY faster than an 80,000 pound truck.

I find it amusing you're a giant beautiful being to random strangers on the internet.
Why dont you go try it on your state congressmen & city police and let me know how that works?

 

[daw123]

- Persons entering the freeway at 45 mph when the traffic is flowing at 70 mph.

ZV

This one really irritates me. There's a f*cking slip road for a reason.

 

[JackBurton]

I'd like to restate my theory that if traffic crime were handled like a real crime, there wouldnt be any.
Spending a night in jail for simple speeding would cure many Americans of their ridiculous arrogance.
The only reason we have fines for traffic violations is they generate easy revenue for the local government, and they sure as fuck dont wanna lose their money. We could actually live in a society of proper driving, but thats not profitable so it doesnt happen.

Let me guess, you like to cruise at 55MPH on the left lane. How about you stay on the right most lanes and stfu.

 

[KK]

http://www.aolnews.com/story/driver-wears-monkey-mask-in-speed-camera/661005

I just seen this on a show yesterday.

 

[EightySix Four]

http://www.aolnews.com/story/driver-wears-monkey-mask-in-speed-camera/661005

I just seen this on a show yesterday.

You just seen this?

F - see me after class.