How to Avoid Getting Pulled Over for Speeding

Tha-Flash says on October 5th, 2006 at 11:29 am

How to avoid getting pulled over for speeding… Woah tough one.

Erm… The only thing coming to me is “STOP SPEEDING!” DUH!

Andrew Flusche says on October 5th, 2006 at 7:27 pm

I wouldn’t get a radar detector in Virginia: they’re illegal! That would just add to the ticket that you eventually get.

Jabbernow says on October 5th, 2006 at 7:49 pm

The best advice I have heard on the subject is:

1. Never drive in the left lane; and
2. Never be the fastest car on the road.

Donald says on October 5th, 2006 at 11:11 pm

The best tactic is: stay behind the fastest car on the freeway sometimes it is hard because they go so fast that is hard to stay close behind them.

Paul Freeman says on October 6th, 2006 at 4:44 am

I’m with Tha-Flash on this one, sticking within the speed limit is a sure way to not get a ticket.

Max says on October 6th, 2006 at 4:49 am

Stick to the outside (slow) lane. Especially when you’re the only car on the motorway. Never be the fastest car, always go just a bit slower than the fastest car.

George MacKenzie says on October 6th, 2006 at 10:15 am

here’s my advice:

I have never received a speeding ticket. (10 years, 100,000mi plus)
I habitually speed, I never slow down for speed traps (unless traffic forces me to)
I don’t have a radar detector.

These are the rules I follow:

I never exceed 88mph.
I never go more than 10% faster than the average speed of traffic.
I never try to leapfrog through traffic.
I also try never to pass anyone faster than 15mph.
I stay in the right lane as much as possible, and only ever pass on the left.

I keep my car in perfect condition, cleaned regularly, waxed twice yearly
I rotate my tires every other oil change, and my brakes are inspected annually.

Like it or not the police use profiling to help them fight crime. People with
dented/rusted body panels, are picked on more than those who drive a brand new
luxury car. The idea being that most people who can afford to fix body work,
or own a luxury vehicle can afford insurance, and don’t need to commit crimes
to make ends meet.

To a cop, rusting/missing body panels or trim = possible drug dealer, or at a
minimum a poorly maintained vehicle.

Imagine that two cars are speeding. One is a clean new Chev Impala, the other is a dirty 15
year old civic with the rear quarter panel rusted out. and trim pieces flapping in the wind.
Tinted windows, and either blown rear shocks or overloaded suspension, both a potential hazard.

If I pull the Impala over, I spend 20 minutes writing one ticket, whereas if I pulled the
offending civic over I might get to remove one unsafe vehicle from the road, or if I’m lucky
the owner is transporting 150 kilos of drugs. No cop I know ever had dreams of sitting all day
looking at a radar gun.

Ryan Mahoski says on October 6th, 2006 at 1:57 pm

Good avoidance tips. In the event you
do get pulled over, what strategies do lifehackers recommend? My suggestion: read A Speeder’s Guide to Avoiding Tickets by James M. Eagan NYSP (excerpts here, mixed reviews ). A retired NY State Trooper reveals much about cop psychology in this straight-shooting 160-page treatise.

akl68 says on October 9th, 2006 at 2:26 am

How is this a lifehack? At the risk of sounding like a broken record…don’t speed.

MudPuppy says on October 10th, 2006 at 11:32 pm

I’m retired police now in my second career as a geek.

I’ll echo the common, “don’t speed,” but I’ll offer some practical advice. Don’t pass more vehicles than pass you. This will put you in the lower half of “I was just driving with traffic officer…” group.

On the lengthy comment about the condition of your car, I completely disagree. Every officer in my experience, yours truly included, decided whether to stop/ticket based on the number in radar/laser and looks up to see what the vehicle was as a second thought.

Be calm, be polite, and be honest. If you have a clean record, ask for a warning before the officer returns to his car after his first contact with you, once he starts the ticket, he usually cannot change to a warning.