Recession Causes Speeding Crackdown?

(CBS)  The next time you're doing 60 in a 55-mph zone, make sure to look over your shoulder.

According to a USA Today report Wednesday, police around the country may be cracking down on drivers within the traditional 5-10-mph "cushion" of the speed limit, as the recession continues to put pressure on state and local budgets.

"Not only are the (speeding) tolerances much lower, but the frequency of a warning instead of a ticket is way down," James Baxter, president of the National Motorists Association, told the paper. "Most people, if they're stopped now, are getting a ticket even if it's only a minor violation of a few miles per hour."

The Journal of Law and Economics published a study last year finding that traffic citations are issued more frequently during recessions. And researchers from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the University of Arkansas-Little Rock found a similar link - a 10 percent drop in revenue growth can be expected to cause a 6.4 percent jump in the number of traffic tickets issued, according to the report.

But the National Troopers Coalition, which represents 45,000 state troopers around the U.S., disputes the link.

"I think you'll find (enforcement is) actually the opposite," Sgt. Michael Edes, the group's chairman, told the paper. "A lot of states have cut (trooper) positions or frozen positions. Several states have grounded their aviation unit, so they're not doing as many speed details."

[jaykay3141]

I'm not advocating speeding but at 55 mph, 1 mph amounts to a **1.8%** difference. That's well within the range of error for speedometer calibration, different tire sizes, etc. etc. Handing out tickets for "violations" with that thin a margin is nothing but a slightly more sophisticated version of the games a lot of little towns played back in the '40s and '50s. Traffic lights would go from green to red without yellow in between, or there'd be oddball speed limits like 27 mph that couldn't be read accurately on a typical dial speedometer. If you challenged a citation you'd be told "Wahl, ya can talk to the judge if ya want. Earl's mah brother-in-law so ah know ya'll get a fair hearin'". The ripoffs finally stopped when AAA and other organizations published lists of towns with speed traps. Drivers took other routes and the money dried up.

[myopinion57]

My experience with the 5-to-10 MPH cushion on Interstates (and other controlled or limited access roads) is that it is a smart move by the police and makes good sense under certain conditions.

Examples:

1. When the road is dry, the traffic is light, and the 'cushion' drivers stay in their lane(s), drive courteously and considerately, and change lanes to pass slower drivers, then the cushion is no problem for anyone. In fact, when I drive the speed limit under those conditions, it seems like everyone on the road passes me and I never catch up to anyone to pass -- meaning everyone is driving the speed limit or higher (entry ramp mergers excluded).

2. The cushion frees up valuable time for the police to target more dangerous drivers (i.e., over 10 MPH, weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, frequently hitting the brakes and forcing others to to the same, and generally driving recklessly). Those reckless drivers also pay much higher fines which contribute more to defray the cost of police surveillance, courts, and accident cleanup.

3. I've found that the cushion disappears when the driving conditions deteriorate. In rain, snow, fog, and heavy traffic, the police do allow that cushion, and most drivers slow down in those conditions anyway. Again, there are those who flout safety, the police target them, and they deservedly get hit with the high fines.

4. In my geography, at least, the police do not grant a 'cushion' for local street traffic -- a practice that I support wholeheartedly. Too many driveways, parked cars, traffic signal intersections, etc., makes exceeding the speed limit much too dangerous for people and property. Besides, in such areas you simply can't save time by speeding. There's too many obstacles in the way that slow you down. Better to leave early, drive cautiously, and arrive alive.

5. Vehicle speedomoters are not accurate. Most are off by a couple of MPH in certain speed ranges -- some at low speeds, others at high speeds.

6. Last, but not least, remember that you are at a disadvantage at traffic court. Police radar devices do not make a recallable record of speeds tracked at a time of day. All an officer has to do is say that the radar caught you speeding and the judge automatically believes him. You can't confront your accuser -- the radar device -- and question it, or dispute its accuracy. That's another good reason to have a 'cushion' -- to protect drivers against radar hiccups, poor calibration, etc., etc.

[CompletelyFrustrated]

SPeed is getting out of control check this out!

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/03/31/20100331phoenix-motorcycle-crash-survivor.html

Some jerk in a dump truck not paying attention plowed into eight motorcycles and a few cars that were stopped at a red light! This guy killed four people because of his carelessness.

ALL drivers need to pay attention and be aware of what they are doing and their surroundings. It may not be all about speed but how well you can control a situation at that speed, this included doing the speed limit.

[amerilatino]

Be especially careful when passing through dinky little "-historic-" towns and "-communities-" with a gaudy "-You are now in (add exaggerated complimentary adjective before name)-" sign going in and a bunch of dying tractors and trailer homes going out. Deputies in these towns will see you like a hungry bear sees a lost, fat kid in the woods, especially if you're driving a flashy car.

[parisdakar]

Good. Speeds in the East are out of control. A-holes zig zagging in and out of lanes at 80 is the norm. And it's not kids either, it's yuppie pr*cks in Audis, BMWs and Benz's.

[amerilatino]

Obviously, you are over your head on the freeway, driving on a German autobahn or road with no limit in Wyoming, while an everyday event for many, would probably be fatal for you.

[TiltingAtWindMills]

Get a radar detector! My Escort 9500ix by Cincinnati Microwave works wonderfully. It has a GPS receiver so you can mark all your neighborhood cops favorite hideouts. Also it has a database of traffic light cameras and speed traps and warns you when you get close to them. Everyone who has seen my 9500ix at work has gone out and bought one by the next day. It?s not cheep but, it cost less than one ticket. They also have a grate laser jammer which is legal in most sates.

[djberson]

This just confirms my theory that traffic citations are nothing but ATM machines for local government, and safety has nothing to do with anything. This is why cops here in Austin Texas hide and wait for people to drive down roads too quickly in poorly marked school zones. If safety were their true motivation they would make school zones more visible and instead of hiding behind bushes put on an orange safety jacket and act as crossing guards.

[DSR_57]

That don't sound like extortion

[pollroller1]

The best thing to do is set the cruise control just a little under the speed limit. Then all you have to do is be careful that you don't get rear ended by someone that's not paying attention. You know, maybe someone that's texting while driving.

[ianlou]

You better stay in the slow lane, grandpa.

[TiltingAtWindMills]

Your method causes traffic buildup. Traffic buildup causes accidents. Therefore you and the police who have you worried cause accidents to happen more often. Get a radar detector. Escort 9500ix by Cincinnati Microwave works wonderfully. It has a GPS receiver so you can mark all your neighborhood cops favorite hideouts. Also it has a database of traffic light cameras and speed traps and warns you when you get close to them.

[ianlou]

Lets see.
We now have cops who are agresively ticketing drivers to help pay for their own existance.

Isn't that what they do down in Mexico?

People, If you are layed off, you have the time to fight any and all tickets, Help flood the courts with this non-sense.
Remember, while a cop is in court he is not writing tickets.

[jtdev1]

Exactly!

Why not flood the courts, get your money's worth, your going to pay court costs anyway.

[TVO1CITW]

I have requested a trial by jury for 2 tickets over the past 10 years. I get what I pay for that way. It is our right, too.

Never Never Never have a trial with the judge only. He is for the money, not the law. A speeding ticket is the only thing that holds up in court without hard evidence!