Driving on the highway and speeding tickets

I was driving to Las Vegas to San Diego on a stretch of freeway in the desert on the 215.

The speed limit was 70.

There is little traffic I was going 76 on cruise control. I am always conscious about my speed. I was thinking 6 mph is less than 10% over the speed limit, so I doubt I would be pulled over.

I see about 20 yards ahead of me a car breaks. I was thinking there must be a police officer on the side of the road. I was right. I slow down to 60. Just after I slow down, I pass a police car on the right shoulder. There are three lanes. I am in the far left lane.

As soon as a pass, the police car drives off and merges into the middle lane. There is no car in the slow lane, so he has no reason to go into the middle lane. I was 75% sure he was going to pull me over.

He passes me.


When driving on the highway, what is the fewest mph over the speed limit anyone has gotten a ticket?

What mph over the speed limit on a highway would most officers allow?

 

I'm an inveterate speeder and get a ticket every 6 months or so. The least I've been over the limit and still got a ticket was 9 mph. 79 in a 70 and 64 in a 55.

 

It looks like even 6 might be risking a ticket.

I have a feeling the officer was going to pull me over and changed his mind.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about driving 6 over....

Nick

 

I certainly don't want to encourage you to speed, but I should have mentioned that there were somewhat "special circumstances" both times I was ticketed for 9 over. Both were on stretches of road where there have been many traffic fatalities. And one of them was a holiday weekend (Memorial, IIRC).

Plus, your spedo is almost certainly "optimistic".

 

Before I had cruise control, I was always going faster and faster the closer I got to Vegas. Since getting a car with cruise control, many years ago, I set it to 79 and I've had the CHP pass me. So far, so good.

 

So it's a 3 lane highway, the speed limit is 70, your in the far left lane, and you slow down to 60...why? the speed limit is 70! If the cop was going to pull you over, he had you already.

I've known people who have gotten tickets going 2 mph over the speed limit on the highway. Speeding is anything over the posted limit, the cops don't have to allow anyhting over that. I normally do 80+ in a 70. If I see a cop I slow down to about 70...the posted speed limit. if the person in front of me slows down more than that, I pass them. I not doing anything wrong at the moment if I'm only going the speed limit

 

Have gotten several warning tickets in Texas for going between 73-75 no fines for warning tickets. have heard several people getting tickets for over about 75-76

 

I did the police explorers program in high school. Every cop I rode along with said 10 MPH over was their cut off line to giving tickets. A few weeks ago I was driving to work and at 4:25 am I was pulled over doing 70 in a 55 and got a warning.

 

Don't know why I decided to do 60 mph. I guess I was thinking it would help me avoid a ticket.
Like I said, I am convinced he was going to pull me over. Especially since the far right hand lane was open and he took the next exit which was on the right about a mile down the road.

Was that 2 mph in a 70 zone?

I guess the officer was having a bad day.

That is not even 10% over the limit.

The officer must have been having a good day.

 

I met him, watched him in the mirror, and was pulled over and had my info out the window before he was even stopped. I knew I was nailed and actually expected a ticket. He was laughing a little bit, asked me if I ever expected to see a cop on the road at 4:30 am. Just told me to take it easy and have a good day.

 

I have worked second shift for many years and have been pulled over at least 15 times in the last 15 years, have never recieved a ticket yet. Always it's for speeding, usually 10-12 over, They are looking for drinkers late at night and notice right off I haven't been drinking, I always say "sorry, I just got off work and I guess I was pushing it a little" they give a warning(verbal) and sometimes come right out and say "I was checking to see if you were drinking".

No need at all to worry about 6 over.

 

My guess is you aren't doing yourself any favors by slowing down to way less than the limit. It just makes you look paranoid, and might make the cop wonder why.

 

10 over is usually the minimum cops will bother with. (although a friend was pulled over and cited for 67 in a 65 zone in Rockwall, Texas.)

It's more probable that you were very close to the description in a BOLO, which made the cop pull out to make sure you weren't the car they were looking for in an Amber Alert or a robbery suspect.

...and sometimes, cops happen to drive off right as you go past to get some lunch.

 

5 mph is "do-able".
10 mph and you can get pulled over.
.
Speaking about late night driving.....
I was pulled over at 3:30 am -- when my wife was
in false labor pains.
The cop said "You had your bright lights on."
Damn right I did !
There were no street lights + the road lane stripes were
impossible to see.
The cop was checking to see if we were drunk driving ---
and no.....he didn't give me an escort to the hospital after
i said "My wife's in labor !"

 

One thing no one mentions was being in the passing lane too long
I got nailed doing 85 plus in a 70 mph zone the kicker was not only the speeding ticket and extra 150 for being in the passing lane for over a mile with no one in front of me :confused2:

 

What jurisdiction was that?

Never heard of anyone being cited for that!

 

I’m sorry you got hit with a $150 fine, especially since there was no one behind you…but, I’m sorry I have to say this…

…IT’S ABOUT F’ING TIME they started enforcing that! The left lane is for passing, not cruising, regardless of how fast you are going.

 

i was pulled over in michigan for going 74 in a 70. i couldn't fight the ticket because we were about 6 hours from home (we were driving up to mackinac), and i wasn't going to drive all the way back up there for a court date for a ticket. i had to pay $70!!!

 

This usually on applies to an HOV lane.