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How
to avoid getting 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."
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. See DrivingAndTextingIsCrazy.com.
NowYouKnowThatYouKnow.com
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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.
