10
ways to Avoid a cop
giving you a speeding ticket
People
who get speeding tickets are often guilty of more than simply driving
faster than the posted limit. Their chief offense? It's getting noticed
in the first place. That's the first domino to fall in the ugly chain
of events that leads to a piece of "payin' paper."
Here are some common sense ways to run under a cop's radar -- literally:
Drive within
5-10 mph of surrounding traffic. Cops are usually looking for drivers
who are going noticeably faster than the other cars on the road. If
you're within a pack of cars all going 5 to 10 mph over the limit,
you've automatically improved your odds of not being the one that
gets pulled over for a speeding ticket, even though you're all technically
speeding. The cop has to pick one car; if you go with the flow of
traffic, it probably won't be you. And it definitely won't be you
if you don't speed in the first place.
Try to stay
in the middle of the pack. If you're the lead car, logic says you'll
be the first car to run past any cop's radar trap up ahead and get
a speeding ticket. And if you're the last car, you'll be the one the
police officer rolls up behind. That means the safest place is in
the middle -- just like a gazelle fleeing a hungry lion by seeking
safety in the middle of the herd.
Find a "rabbit."
If you can't find a pack of cars going the speed you'd like to maintain,
the next best thing is to find yourself a rabbit -- a solitary driver
traveling the speed you'd like to drive that you can follow discretely,
about 50-100 yards back. If there's a cop using radar, hopefully the
rabbit will trip the trap and get a speeding ticket, not you. And
if he brakes suddenly, you have just received your early warning in
time to take defensive action.
Do not change
lanes frequently, tailgate or otherwise drive aggressively. In addition
to being rude and dangerous, you're just asking for a trucker or someone
with a cell phone to call the cops and give them a description of
your vehicle and license plate number. Always use your signals and
be courteous to fellow drivers. It's safer, and it will help you fade
into the background.
Avoid the
fast lane. Use the far left lane to pass when necessary, but try to
stay in the middle lanes when possible. Reason? If a cop is lurking
in a cutout along the median strip (or coming at you from the opposite
direction on a divided highway) the speeder in the far left lane is
the one most likely to become the target. Drivers who get nailed with
speeding tickets are often the type who rack it up to 10 or 15 over
the limit and remain in the far left lane.
Watch for
cutouts and modulate your speed accordingly. On many highways, there
are cutouts in the median strip every couple of miles. Usually, you
can see these in plenty of time to slow down a little bit in case
there's a cop lurking behind the bushes ready to give you a speeding
ticket.
Don't speed
when you are the only car on the road. If you ignore this warning
it's the equivalent of plastering a "ticket me!" bumper
sticker on your vehicle. Even if you're only doing five mph over the
posted limit, if there's a cop using radar, he's got nothing to look
at but you. Lonesome speeding is even more dangerous in small towns,
where radar traps and aggressive enforcement by cops can be common.
And never speed late at night. Drunk-driving patrols are heavy and
cops are more inclined to pull you over for any offense in order to
check you for signs of alcohol. Don't give them a reason.
If it's
OK legally, get a radar detector. Yes, they're expensive (good ones,
anyhow). But a one-time hit of, say, $300 for a decent radar detector
is cheaper than even a single big speeding ticket and the higher insurance
costs that will come with it. Radar detectors are legal in most states
and well worth the investment to avoid a speeding ticket.
If possible,
drive a nondescript vehicle. It may not be fair, but it's human nature
to notice things that stand out from the crowd. Bright-colored cars,
those with loud exhaust or other pimped-out enhancements are the cars
more likely to draw a cop's initial attention than ordinary-looking,
family-type cars. Since the cop has to single out one car, which car
do you suppose is the likely candidate for a speeding ticket? The
bright yellow Mustang GT with 20-inch chrome rims? Or the silver Taurus?
If you do get pulled over while driving a fancy, high-profile car,
your odds of getting a speeding ticket versus a warning have probably
gone up. If you're driving a fast-looking hot rod, the cop is going
to assume you use it and deserve a ticket more than the guy in a family-looking
vehicle whose plea that he "didn't realize I was speeding, officer"
comes off as more believable. And finally:
Don't draw attention! Be aware that appearances count. That is, your
appearance. If your appearance says, "Responsible member of the
community," you're apt to get a more friendly response than if
you look and act like trouble and draw attention.
The worst possible thing you can do is combine all the no-no's listed
above by driving a flashy car or motorcycle too fast, when you're
the only person on the road or late at night while looking like you
just robbed a bank.
If you do that, expect at the very least a speeding ticket. And expect
no mercy.
DON'T DRAW ATTENTION!
Some
cops just have no sense of humor!
"I
had a flat tire yesterday; so, I pulled over, got out of the car and
opened my trunk.
I took out my cardboard men, unfolded them and stood them at the rear
of my car facing oncoming traffic. They look so life-like you wouldn't
believe it!
Just as I had hoped, cars started slowing down looking at the men
which made it much safer for me to work on the side of the road!
People honked and waved, and it wasn't long before a state police
cruiser pulled up behind me.
He wanted to know what the heck I was doing so I calmly explained
that I was changing my flat. He told me he could see that, but demanded
to know what the heck my cardboard men were doing standing at the
rear of my car.
I couldn't believe he didn't know ... SO I told him.
Drive within
5-10 mph of surrounding traffic. Cops are usually looking for drivers
who are going noticeably faster than the other cars on the road. If
you're within a pack of cars all going 5 to 10 mph over the limit,
you've automatically improved your odds of not being the one that
gets pulled over for a speeding ticket, even though you're all technically
speeding. The cop has to pick one car; if you go with the flow of
traffic, it probably won't be you. And it definitely won't be you
if you don't speed in the first place.
Try to stay
in the middle of the pack. If you're the lead car, logic says you'll
be the first car to run past any cop's radar trap up ahead and get
a speeding ticket. And if you're the last car, you'll be the one the
police officer rolls up behind. That means the safest place is in
the middle -- just like a gazelle fleeing a hungry lion by seeking
safety in the middle of the herd.
Find a "rabbit."
If you can't find a pack of cars going the speed you'd like to maintain,
the next best thing is to find yourself a rabbit -- a solitary driver
traveling the speed you'd like to drive that you can follow discretely,
about 50-100 yards back. If there's a cop using radar, hopefully the
rabbit will trip the trap and get a speeding ticket, not you. And
if he brakes suddenly, you have just received your early warning in
time to take defensive action.
Do not change
lanes frequently, tailgate or otherwise drive aggressively. In addition
to being rude and dangerous, you're just asking for a trucker or someone
with a cell phone to call the cops and give them a description of
your vehicle and license plate number. Always use your signals and
be courteous to fellow drivers. It's safer, and it will help you fade
into the background.
Avoid the
fast lane. Use the far left lane to pass when necessary, but try to
stay in the middle lanes when possible. Reason? If a cop is lurking
in a cutout along the median strip (or coming at you from the opposite
direction on a divided highway) the speeder in the far left lane is
the one most likely to become the target. Drivers who get nailed with
speeding tickets are often the type who rack it up to 10 or 15 over
the limit and remain in the far left lane.
Watch for
cutouts and modulate your speed accordingly. On many highways, there
are cutouts in the median strip every couple of miles. Usually, you
can see these in plenty of time to slow down a little bit in case
there's a cop lurking behind the bushes ready to give you a speeding
ticket.
Don't speed
when you are the only car on the road. If you ignore this warning
it's the equivalent of plastering a "ticket me!" bumper
sticker on your vehicle. Even if you're only doing five mph over the
posted limit, if there's a cop using radar, he's got nothing to look
at but you. Lonesome speeding is even more dangerous in small towns,
where radar traps and aggressive enforcement by cops can be common.
And never speed late at night. Drunk-driving patrols are heavy and
cops are more inclined to pull you over for any offense in order to
check you for signs of alcohol. Don't give them a reason.
If it's
OK legally, get a radar detector. Yes, they're expensive (good ones,
anyhow). But a one-time hit of, say, $300 for a decent radar detector
is cheaper than even a single big speeding ticket and the higher insurance
costs that will come with it. Radar detectors are legal in most states
and well worth the investment to avoid a speeding ticket.
If possible,
drive a nondescript vehicle. It may not be fair, but it's human nature
to notice things that stand out from the crowd. Bright-colored cars,
those with loud exhaust or other pimped-out enhancements are the cars
more likely to draw a cop's initial attention than ordinary-looking,
family-type cars. Since the cop has to single out one car, which car
do you suppose is the likely candidate for a speeding ticket? The
bright yellow Mustang GT with 20-inch chrome rims? Or the silver Taurus?
Don't draw attention! Be aware that appearances count. That is, your
appearance. If your appearance says, "Responsible member of the
community," you're apt to get a more friendly response than if
you look and act like trouble and draw attention.
