From my experience, again haven't been to the north east or northwest.
I'd say the most being Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Oklahoma is a hit or miss. I have noticed the northeast part of Oklahoma having the most while you can basically go as fast as you want on I-35 south of OKC and not worry because I hardly see OHP out there. Usually the only place I'll see them is either right by purcell or Paul's
Valley and straight north of the Arbuckles. I-40 in the west part of the state is usually not too badly patrolled either.
Texas is horrible for the amount of local police that sit on I-35. I can't believe it. I've received the majority of my tickets that way. I-40 in west Texas... police are almost non existent there.
Florida....... wow. I have never in my life seen so many cops on one stretch of road. I went through north Florida on I-10 and Jesus Christ there must have been at least one cop every five miles through the entire stretch of the road from west state line to about 50 miles out from Jacksonville. Absolutely ridiculous. All FHP too. How lenient are they on speeders?
As for the least patrolled, my money is on Arizona, Alabama, Missouri, Nevada and Utah.
Arizona is a hit or miss. But more often than not I'll traverse the entire stretch of I-40 without seeing a single cop either hiding or in a traffic stop. They are particularly bad around Flagstaff I've noticed.
I've gone to St. Louis tons of times and I can't recall seeing one cop ever except the time I was pulled over by a sheriff deputy. I've also seen them at the scene of accidents, but never pulled anyone over or hiding except in the St. Louis area.
Utah I saw only one however I should note I only drove in the state once so I'm not too familiar with it.
I hardly ever saw any in Alabama, but as with Utah, I only drove through there once.
I go to Las Vegas about once a week or so. While I do occasionally see them patrol the 15, more often than not, they're not there.
California is also a hit or miss. I notice on the I-5 in the Valley CHP does not have much of a presence until you get closer to Sacramento. They are particularly bad on I-80 closer to Nevada state line and of course they're crawling around metro freeways. I-15 in Cali is a hit or miss also. Hardly ever see them on the 395 and if I do see a police officer it's usually by Mammoth Lake.
I applaud and salute our police officers for keeping our roads safe, but I enjoy freeways where there are less of them rather than more. :p
What states have you noticed have the most patrolled highways and freeways? Mine hands down would be Florida.
Ohio's gotta be pretty high on the list for most patrolled
Montana is pretty much non-patrolled outside of the interstates, US-2, and US-93.
That said, the ticket for 1-9 over is $20 not reportable to insurance and the speed limit is already high at 70/80, so it's pretty unusual to get a speeding ticket.
--
Idaho is more of a police state - lots of local bears looking for marijuanas so you have to be careful in small towns, especially with out of state or 1A/2C (Ada/Canyon County) plates. Out on the freeway, they'll pull over and ticket for 82-83 in an 80, so you have to be careful.
Really it depends on where you are, I'll touch on states I've lived in.
California:
- CHP has a heavy presence on freeways and expressways. Two-lane highways really aren't patrolled unless they are near an urban area or a major tourist destination. CA 1 through Big Sur, CA 178 through Lower Kern River Canyon, and CA 41 north of Fresno typically have enforcement crack downs despite being two-laned...again major tourist areas. I hardly ever see county officials patrolling roads anywhere except maybe inside the limits of a town. I think legislated speed limit of 55 MPH in most zones really makes it not worth it for CHP or County Sheriffs to patrol unless there is a safety problem like I stated above.
Nevada:
- Nevada has a much larger presence on US Highways than might be expected. There is plenty of patrols on US 95 between Fallon and Las Vegas, Esmeralda County can be especially aggressive. There isn't much in the way of beyond normal patrols on Interstates and state highways are virtually non-existent asides from stuff like the Geiger Grade/NV 341 or a Mount Rose/NV 431.
Arizona:
- DPS likes to patrol rural Interstate and expressways. AZ 87 and US 93 in particular were always favorites for strict enforcement on expressways in the boonies. DPS really likes I-10 and I-40 west of Flagstaff, I-17 has a lot of Yavapai County Sheriffs on it. Some roads like US 191 over the Coronado Trail don't have any patrols at all or are bottle necked to daylight hours. City cops are very aggressive in speed enforcement on signed highways that travel through their localities. Certain tribes also target speeds like Salt River-Pima and Hualapai while others like the Navajo don't really care unless you do something really stupid.
New Mexico:
- Really there isn't very much patrol in the southern half of the state. I think that has a lot to do with the large Border Patrol presence in the area, especially with large checkpoints like the one west of Las Cruces on I-10. Some counties seem to emphasize enforcement more than others, Lincoln County comes to mind. Really there isn't too much to worry about in New Mexico unless you are doing something really stupid.
Texas:
- Big time crack down enforcement on any freeway. I-10 and I-20 have added emphasis by State Troopers in the western half of the state looking for drug or border related problems. Two-lane road enforcement is basically non-existent asides from a stray Border Patrol agent who isn't necessarily looking for a speeder. There are some really vast empty stretches of highway some like US 62/180 with 75 MPH speed limits....so year really not much to tag someone on out there.
Colorado:
Given the tourist volume in the Rockies there is actually a ton of local level enforcement in the mountains on any degree of signed route. Interstates and freeways are pretty much just average on the other hand.
Utah:
What enforcement? lol Really honestly it is rare to see an obvious speed trap or law enforcement that worries too much about you your speed on mainline roads. Even rural state highways tend to be rarely enforced very tightly. San Juan County has a lot of trucks that they use on their state highways, they especially like 95 and 261/Moki Dugway. I don't think that is so much about speed enforcement but more so about people getting into trouble out in the boons.
Florida:
- Holy crap are toll roads enforced. Florida's Turnpike has an absurd amount of FHP on it along with several substations. FHP is also very persistent on urban tollways/freeways and even rural Interstates. Florida has a huge issue with townies annexing parcels of land on State Roads and US Routes just to get the speed enforcement revenue. Monroe County in the Florida Keys might have some of the most ruthless speed enforcement in the country, they will actually stop a group of cars if they are all going over the speed limit...wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it.
Michigan:
US Routes and Interstates are enforced at about an average level. On occasion you'll seen troopers on state trunklines, but not too much unless a route has become an issue.
Wisconsin is heavily enforced. So much that people drive slow in the fast lane.
Quote from: Big John on January 14, 2017, 12:28:57 PM
Wisconsin is heavily enforced. So much that people drive slow in the fast lane.
Please tell me you're joking. They drive slow in the fast lane because of bad driving habits. As for enforcement, unless there is a specially-funded campaign (sobriety, aggressive driving, etc.), or you're in one of the nationally-known speed traps, you can go days without seeing a squad, even in the urban areas.
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 14, 2017, 05:10:01 AM
Florida....... wow. I have never in my life seen so many cops on one stretch of road. I went through north Florida on I-10 and Jesus Christ there must have been at least one cop every five miles through the entire stretch of the road from west state line to about 50 miles out from Jacksonville. Absolutely ridiculous. All FHP too. How lenient are they on speeders?
FHP is usually pretty strict. Almost never hear of warnings from them unless its accompanied by them (the police) doing something seriously wrong.. The non-speed-trap municipalities are usually more lenient. Florida law less then 5mph over is not ticketable, and usually on interstates you have to be doing 10mph over to get pulled over by most police.
I don't really keep track, but I believe Florida's fines are rediculously high as well. Plus the court fees for contesting it are ridiculous even if you aren't guilty.
Minnesota is generally pretty quiet except for the occasional specific "emphasis days" when suddenly seemingly every state, county, and city unit is out in hiding for a specific purpose (seat belt, distracted driving, etc.). This usually happens a couple times a year. I've never noticed any particular "extra enforcement" over holidays when the warnings about increased holiday DWI monitoring are broadcast over VMS signs.
Quote from: Buck87 on January 14, 2017, 11:50:39 AM
Ohio's gotta be pretty high on the list for most patrolled
Shit, those sons a bitches like to sit at the state line en masse.
Quote from: DaBigE on January 14, 2017, 03:26:16 PM
Quote from: Big John on January 14, 2017, 12:28:57 PM
Wisconsin is heavily enforced. So much that people drive slow in the fast lane.
Please tell me you're joking. They drive slow in the fast lane because of bad driving habits. As for enforcement, unless there is a specially-funded campaign (sobriety, aggressive driving, etc.), or you're in one of the nationally-known speed traps, you can go days without seeing a squad, even in the urban areas.
And then again, you'll see a bunch in Racine County of Racine County Sheriffs Police looking for Illinois plates.
I don't know about "most" and "least," but Kentucky goes overboard in my opinion. Of course, my general belief that speed limits are underposted and that police officers should be doing better and more productive things than looking for drivers who drive faster than an arbitrarily-set number, would lead me to believe that any jurisdiction where you see more than the rare cop doing traffic enforcement would qualify for "most."
Kentucky is bad because there's a Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement agency. This agency was once a part of the Transportation Cabinet but is now attached to Kentucky State Police. In my youth, they used to be called "weight men" or "DOT guys" because they were primarily enforcing restrictions on trucks -- weight, or in the mountains, leaking and sifting contents of coal trucks. Now, KVE officers have all the powers of regular sworn KSP troopers or local officers, and if you see them with a vehicle pulled over, more than likely it's a passenger vehicle.
Recently, I fell behind a gravel truck that was flinging rocks from its overfilled bed on the interstate. Before I could get around it, a rock chipped my windshield. It's not a major chip, and I'm in hopes that it's not deep enough that water can seep in and eventually cause the windshield to crack, but it was annoying. Not all that far away from where this happened, I saw three KVE officers with three passenger vehicles stopped within a mile. I wish one of them had stopped this truck with leaking contents instead of stopping cars that were most likely speeding on an interstate where much of the traffic was going faster than 70 mph.
As far as other states go, yeah, what everyone's said so far about Ohio. Indiana and Tennessee are also bad, in my experience. West Virginia, too, although my trusty V-1 tells me that most of the ones I see aren't running radar.
Two surprises on my list. I really don't see that many in Virginia despite their gestapo-like laws. Maybe it could be because I don't tempt fate when I drive blindly and without defenses there, but I don't see all that many VSP troopers out patrolling or with cars pulled over.
My other surprise is Texas. I've only been there once, but the day I was, I saw a zillion (I counted) cops with vehicles pulled over early on a Saturday morning on I-30 between Texarkana and Dallas. Given the stereotypes about the Lone Star State, I figured the constabulary wouldn't be so attentive to speeding.
Quote from: hbelkins on January 14, 2017, 09:37:03 PM
Two surprises on my list. I really don't see that many in Virginia despite their gestapo-like laws. Maybe it could be because I don't tempt fate when I drive blindly and without defenses there, but I don't see all that many VSP troopers out patrolling or with cars pulled over.
Virginia's highways are regularly patrolled by state troopers...see lots of folks pulled over on interstates and 4-lane US routes when I am toodling around...
VA has "speed checked by aircraft" signs posted at the state borders. How much of that do they actually do? Anyone here ever been caught by that?
Quote from: hbelkins on January 14, 2017, 09:37:03 PM
My other surprise is Texas. I've only been there once, but the day I was, I saw a zillion (I counted) cops with vehicles pulled over early on a Saturday morning on I-30 between Texarkana and Dallas. Given the stereotypes about the Lone Star State, I figured the constabulary wouldn't be so attentive to speeding.
I got pulled over in Loving County, TX, of all places, for speeding (but really for having out-of-state license plates and a load of junk in the back seat). I was given a warning.
Quote from: Buck87 on January 14, 2017, 10:05:30 PM
VA has "speed checked by aircraft" signs posted at the state borders. How much of that do they actually do? Anyone here ever been caught by that?
I believe that the answer is almost none. The cost of flying the aircraft is just too high. There can be, however, the occasional exception.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on January 14, 2017, 11:28:12 PM
Quote from: Buck87 on January 14, 2017, 10:05:30 PM
VA has "speed checked by aircraft" signs posted at the state borders. How much of that do they actually do? Anyone here ever been caught by that?
I believe that the answer is almost none. The cost of flying the aircraft is just too high. There can be, however, the occasional exception.
Virginia did paint some line segments 10-15 years ago on interstates in various areas for the purpose of using the aircraft, but as noted above, the costs are pretty high for running the operation...
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on January 14, 2017, 11:28:12 PM
Quote from: Buck87 on January 14, 2017, 10:05:30 PM
VA has "speed checked by aircraft" signs posted at the state borders. How much of that do they actually do? Anyone here ever been caught by that?
I believe that the answer is almost none. The cost of flying the aircraft is just too high. There can be, however, the occasional exception.
Hard to believe how ancient this meme really is:
Virginia's Interstates are filled with cops. Every year going to and from Myrtle Beach, my mom, two brothers and I always see tons of police cars up and down I-95 from Emporia to Alexandria.
QuoteWhatever happened to taking pride in being a defensive driver and not driving like an ass? I mean, seems to keep me from getting pulled over.
Well said. I drive a reasonable and safe speed, and I never get pulled over.
In the southeast, Louisiana Interstates have the highest number of cops., which I like cause it makes people drive better.
The Florida panhandle is the most under-patrolled area. It's ridiculous when you come up on somebody going under the speed limit, and can't move over because of all the assholes blazing by at 90 mph.
Florida in General, other than a few small towns, is under-patrolled. People drive way more recklessly there than in Texas.
NJ highways can be heavily patrolled, but the tolerance is extremely high for speeding. In a 55 zone near me, I've seen an uptick in troopers at a certain, easily seen location, where motorists are going 70-75...AFTER they slowed down! And that's in the acceptable range!
Similiar results are seen in DE and PA on 95 and surrounding highways.
NY has a reputation for enforcement and it's well deserved. I have noticed when going out of state that I see significantly fewer police cars than in NY (there were a few in Québec when I was last there, but it was also Thanksgiving weekend, so it's not a fair comparison). I can't compare to Florida since I've never been there, but I don't recall seeing a ton of police cars in Virginia on my way to/from the Birmingham meet a couple months ago. I did see one in Alabama. Looked just like something from My Cousin Vinnie.
In the 1980s, PA was pretty notorious for its traffic enforcement. In the mid to late 1990s, they reduced their patrols; I was told at a conference in the mid-2000s that their speed enforcement diminished just due to traffic cuts.
I find DE and MD to be lightly patrolled. PA can be hit or miss (a lot on the Turnpike and in certain localities, otherwise not a lot).
Vdeane's statement was correct re: enforcement by the NY State Police. That is their primary game. Just give out big numbers of tickets. In addition to the usual stuff, I sometimes see them positioned on highway entrance ramps, standing in the roadway watching cars proceed past them very slowly. They look for expired registrations, inspection stickers, seat-belt compliance and cell-phone usage. In the Spring season there is usually a big increase in this type of activity. However the actual enforcement levels vary with the number of troopers on duty on any given shift which varies somewhat.
Florida just seems to have patrols and speedtraps in bunches. Toll roads used to be lightly-enforced, sort of a "bonus" for keeping the lights on...not the case anymore. Sure, Waldo isn't so bad anymore, but the "speed limit game" varies so much from town to town as to be annoying, along with inconsistent construction zone limits which jump around.
I haven't driven that much of Indiana (half the counties), but the per-capita amount of state, county, and local patrol cars seems to be rather high. Sudden speed limit drops from 55 to 25 mph seem excessive.
Alabama and Mississippi is rather on the light side of enforcement, and both are much more fair about posting speed limits and "reduced speed ahead" warnings that don't require drag chutes to comply.
I can't say I've seen a lot of Texas State Police nor local police (driven on 52% of the counties on about twenty separate visits). The open-road speed limits are quite generous.
Quote from: MASTERNC on January 15, 2017, 09:17:10 PM
I find DE and MD to be lightly patrolled. PA can be hit or miss (a lot on the Turnpike and in certain localities, otherwise not a lot).
Don't let the lack of police patrolling Deleware's roads fool you. They generally love to hide and stop unsuspecting speeders, particularly on US 13. The road may be wide open for the most part but they're always finding some brush or sign or anything to hide behind, especially in the small towns where the road briefly splits into one-way streets.
South Carolina and Georgia along I-95 get my vote. I'm not sure on how tight they are on how much over they give you, but I can't ever remember a time that I have been through those two states and not seen wolfpacks of 3 or more patrol cars at regular intervals just waiting to pounce. Granted, most of the focus on the 95 corridor is drug interdiction.
North Carolina is hit or miss. NCSHP is usually busy working crashes and the like so they don't have as much time to do speed enforcement (especially on the I-40 and US-70 corridors) as one might think. When they do have the time, they really don't like to mess with anything below 10 over, and they are really looking for 15 over (or 80 in a 70) which becomes a misdemeanor crime rather than an infraction.
Many of the sheriff's departments in my half of the state don't really get into working traffic unless something comes up. To many calls for service and reports to write, not enough time in the shift. The small town PD's, they are a different matter. There isn't much happening in Podunk most days, so the police have plenty of time to write tickets and boy do they ever.
Of the northeast states, NY is by far the most patrolled in my experience. I can't think of a time where I didn't see a trooper.
I agree with the PA, NJ and DE statements above.
MD...I think it depends on the road. I-95 can be hit or miss. US 301, though, was often good for one trooper every time I've taken that road.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 14, 2017, 12:16:56 PM
Really it depends on where you are, I'll touch on states I've lived in.
Nevada:
- Nevada has a much larger presence on US Highways than might be expected. There is plenty of patrols on US 95 between Fallon and Las Vegas, Esmeralda County can be especially aggressive. There isn't much in the way of beyond normal patrols on Interstates and state highways are virtually non-existent asides from stuff like the Geiger Grade/NV 341 or a Mount Rose/NV 431.
Very true. NHP patrols the rural two-lane US Highways pretty regularly, especially US 95. Some of the county sheriffs get into it as well. I've seen Nye County Sheriffs patrol US 95 in force also.
My only speeding ticket in 17 years of driving was in Esmeralda County by a county sheriff. Granted I was doing 85 in a 70, and I didn't see him...
Quote from: roadfro on January 22, 2017, 04:47:00 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 14, 2017, 12:16:56 PM
Really it depends on where you are, I'll touch on states I've lived in.
Nevada:
- Nevada has a much larger presence on US Highways than might be expected. There is plenty of patrols on US 95 between Fallon and Las Vegas, Esmeralda County can be especially aggressive. There isn't much in the way of beyond normal patrols on Interstates and state highways are virtually non-existent asides from stuff like the Geiger Grade/NV 341 or a Mount Rose/NV 431.
Very true. NHP patrols the rural two-lane US Highways pretty regularly, especially US 95. Some of the county sheriffs get into it as well. I've seen Nye County Sheriffs patrol US 95 in force also.
My only speeding ticket in 17 years of driving was in Esmeralda County by a county sheriff. Granted I was doing 85 in a 70, and I didn't see him...
I got followed last year from Goldfield by Esmeralda County to the Nye County line last year on that whole Death Valley Expedition that I did in the Max's Roads thread on the Pacific Southwest Board. The big chain-up area seemed like it was the perfect staging point to nail a speeder coming out of Goldfield just a little too fast before the speed limit went back up to 70 MPH. I was going 73 MPH so really there must have not been much substantial to pull me over on. I guess it makes sense, there is some meaty tickets to be had on the major two-lane roads and not a lot of taxpayers to pay the bills.
Quote from: Brandon on January 14, 2017, 09:10:51 PM
And then again, you'll see a bunch in Racine County of Racine County Sheriffs Police looking for Illinois plates.
As well as usually either a state trooper or Kenosha County sheriff near either the WI 50 or WI 165 interchanges on I-94.
Based on my travels:
* Illinois would be on the higher end
* Nebraska is usually higher, especially in work zones. They like to have state troopers in pickups waiting on entrance ramps
* Iowa is usually fairly sparse with troopers on I-80, but there's usually a Council Bluffs or county sheriff near the the start of the reduced speed section going into Council Bluffs
* Missouri is usually slightly more than Iowa, but much less than Illinois. I-270 though sees somewhat frequent enforcement.
Quote from: Mapmikey on January 14, 2017, 10:00:31 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 14, 2017, 09:37:03 PM
Two surprises on my list. I really don't see that many in Virginia despite their gestapo-like laws. Maybe it could be because I don't tempt fate when I drive blindly and without defenses there, but I don't see all that many VSP troopers out patrolling or with cars pulled over.
Virginia's highways are regularly patrolled by state troopers...see lots of folks pulled over on interstates and 4-lane US routes when I am toodling around...
But remember that there are only a little over 2,000 sworn troopers authorized (this (http://pilotonline.com/news/local/transportation/down-positions-virginia-state-police-are-stretched-thin/article_a492b3c7-03a7-5f4b-8ad2-3fbf0e92ad15.html) in the Virginian-Pilot says 2,080, but that includes vacant positions) in Virginia (and a fair number of those are
not normally assigned to road patrol-type duty).
A Virginia trooper once told me that in the smaller, rural counties of the Commonwealth, there is often
one resident trooper, who is effectively on-call at
all times when not on patrol or doing other things, like appearing in court, training and the like.
Fully agree with all that has been said about New York. I drive the Cross County and Hutchinson River Parkways whenever I drive to and from Maine for school, and each time without fail, I always see either the state police or Westchester County patrol cars posted along those roads.
Maine, however, is pretty weak when it comes to their state police presence. The only time I've ever seen those light blue state police cars camping out to catch speeders is on the Maine Turnpike portion of I-95 (mostly between Kittery and Portland), and even then, it's rare. That being said, up here in Orono and Old Town near where UMaine is, the roads are very heavily patrolled by town police, and will nab you for going even 5 over.
Quote from: DaBigE on January 14, 2017, 03:26:16 PM
Quote from: Big John on January 14, 2017, 12:28:57 PM
Wisconsin is heavily enforced. So much that people drive slow in the fast lane.
Please tell me you're joking. They drive slow in the fast lane because of bad driving habits. As for enforcement, unless there is a specially-funded campaign (sobriety, aggressive driving, etc.), or you're in one of the nationally-known speed traps, you can go days without seeing a squad, even in the urban areas.
Partially due to the two lane each way of i94, this happens often in western Wisconsin. Usually only withing viewing distance of a squad, left lane traffic suddenly doesn't want to pass anymore.
I'm going to throw Maryland in here. Last week, I think it was the state troopers who performed an enforcement initiative along Harford County's segment of I-95. Its purpose was to enforce the maximum speed of 65 miles per hour. Simultaneously, they did a "move over for emergency vehicles" enforcement initiative.
And yesterday, I went on a drive where I made my way across the Conowingo Dam and through Cecil County, took MD-213 to MD-313 to U.S. 301 to MD-19 back to 313 through the Upper Shore, took the 404 a short distance from 313 to 328 in Denton, then took MD-328 to Easton where I hooked up with U.S. 50 and took that across the Bay Bridge, past Annapolis and then cruised up I-97 to I-695, over the Key Bridge and finally took I-95 back into HarCo. Someone got pulled over on the short segment of the 404 I traveled in Denton, then there was an officer sitting in a parking lot along Route 50 in Easton, and near the Queenstown Outlets, and then there was a guy pulled over approaching the Bay Bridge on Kent Island, someone pulled over just off the Bay Bridge on the Anne Arundel County side, and on I-97 south of Crownsville, and then there was a pair of officers in the median approaching the Key Bridge.
I'll agree with the people who don't think Virginia is that terrible on the enforcement. There are exceptions, of course. Holiday weekends tend to be bad, and naturally that's when many out-of-staters are more likely to be passing through and thus get the impression of strict enforcement. There are also various places where for whatever reason there's usually a cop out (US-29 just north of the Bavarian Chef in Madison County and US-360 around Meherrin are two; the Emporia and Hopewell stretches of I-95 and I-295, respectively, are two others, although usually you can get away with a bit because they'll nab the people exceeding 80 mph). The biggest thing I find in Virginia is that you're not likely to have a problem if you don't do things that make you stand out. That doesn't just mean not being the fastest car on the road. It also means things like not calling attention to yourself by weaving in and out of traffic because you don't like either lane's speed.
I also don't think Maryland is horrible except for a couple of places. I almost always see cops on US-50 between the Bay Bridge and Queenstown. Very easy to get nabbed through there if you aren't careful.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 12, 2017, 09:43:11 AM
I'll agree with the people who don't think Virginia is that terrible on the enforcement.
After last week's foray between Roanoke and Charleston (West Virginia), it seemed Virginia was very serious about catching speeders on a lot of the place where the limit on I-77/I-81 dropped to 60 mph (usually unnecessarily so).
On the primary and secondary routes, I don't get that feeling at all; most of them are two lanes with much less traffic.
You know, I was thinking about this thread while I was out running errands this afternoon and I found myself thinking that no doubt living in a given state and being familiar with the roads and the cops' habits and the like makes a big difference in one's perception of this issue. I find that even if I'm on a Virginia road I don't travel too often, I can often guess with reasonable accuracy where I'm likely to see enforcement. (No doubt it helps that I don't drive nearly as fast as I did when I was in my 20s, too!)
I do know multiple people who have gotten nailed for speeds between 70 and 80 in the 60-mph zone near Roanoke.
Ranking the West Coast states:
1-Washington
2-California
3-Oregon
Washington has a strong presence on I-5. Not too sure about eastern Washington.
California having the largest population in the nation obviously has plenty of CHP, county and metro units. I notice rural NorCal is one where saturation patrols can settle in at times, otherwise it is not as heavy as the more settled areas.
Oregon sees some patrol on I-5 but since the Coburg PD quit running their speed trap just north of Eugene, the police presence is lighter on I-5 than in Washington or California. Whereas city PD's and county deputies are often buried in taking calls for service and not all that big on speeding except for a few exceptions like Port Orford, the OSP, despite being an undermanned force, will show no mercy when it comes to handing out tickets. Eastern Oregon has the lightest presence and most speed of all.
Rick
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 14, 2017, 05:10:01 AM
Florida....... wow. I have never in my life seen so many cops on one stretch of road. I went through north Florida on I-10 and Jesus Christ there must have been at least one cop every five miles through the entire stretch of the road from west state line to about 50 miles out from Jacksonville. Absolutely ridiculous. All FHP too. How lenient are they on speeders?
You must have picked the one day they weren't all at Disney World. The last few times I've driven to Orlando, the slowpokes were going 80.
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on January 14, 2017, 05:10:01 AM
As for the least patrolled, my money is on Arizona, Alabama, Missouri, Nevada and Utah.
Missouri is hit or miss, usually the county sheriffs from St Francois county, and Jefferson county set up camp with radar guns along a stretch of US 67 in between Bonne Terre, and Festus. They like to hide to...
I-70 is notorious for cops hiding, and mentioned in one of my previous posts that they will pull ya over no matter what. They are like women, anything and everything will piss them off.
I have experiences with these guys.
Texas: My god, how many State Troopers Poopers do they hire there? I have never seen so many State Trooper cars on I-35 before.
Arizona: They are hiding, always are, behind big green signs, behind fallen trees, behind anything and everything, waiting. for. you.
California: They like to hide also, they also sit near runaway truck ramps to fine people in cars who went up the ramp.
Missouri: Avoid I-70 at all costs.
Illinois: Jesus, they love I-57 too much!
Utah: Nothing. No cops for miles.
Montana: Heh, no cops. More miles per hour.
New York: They are nowhere, accept around Buffalo or NYC.
I'm surprised to see Florida on your list. They're few and far between usually - other than the Turnpike. In Florida they can't even ticket you for less than 5 over, and the local Sheriff's office unofficial policy is to ignore up to 85 unless you're otherwise suspicious or driving like an asshole. FHP doesn't usually give you 15 over but they do give you 10.
Monroe County (the Keys) is the exception. FHP and MCSO both heavily patrol, and it's one of the few cases where I'm fine with that. US1 can be flat out dangerous down there. It's gotten better since the blue barrier was installed on the 18 mile stretch, but there's a reason they have those "number of fatalities this year so far" signs on each end. Also people need to slow down through the Key deer NWR on Big Pine.
Quote from: realjd on February 14, 2017, 02:41:01 PM
I'm surprised to see Florida on your list. They're few and far between usually - other than the Turnpike. In Florida they can't even ticket you for less than 5 over...
The exception is for school zones, but I can't recall hearing anyone getting nabbed for 16mph in a 15 zone, or 21mph in a 20 zone.
Quoteand the local Sheriff's office unofficial policy is to ignore up to 85 unless you're otherwise suspicious or driving like an asshole. FHP doesn't usually give you 15 over but they do give you 10.
9-10 mph-over or 10% above the posted limit seems to be the norm in Florida. I got one for 8 over the limit in a 25 mph zone by a local cop, but some days, you just shouldn't run late for work. 0-5 over is the safe bet, since all they can do is issue you a warning, if they want to bother.
That said, enforcement varies from county to county. Glades County is notorious for enforcement of US 27. US 301 has its pitfalls. Small towns have their own little klatch set up at the borders. Any place where the limit drops from 55 to 45/35 (especially where there's a hill) is a place for cops to hide. Town-to-town, or in-town speed limits vary from mile to mile, and jump around all over places like US 301 or SR 60. And generally, there's someone there wastefully idling in the median with the glow of parking lights and a radar gun pointed at the lanes of travel.
Obviously, don't drive like a maniac. Swerving from lane to lane constantly, cutting off drivers, running stale red lights, and ignoring legally-crossing pedestrians should be enforced (among other things). But they are heavy on speed traps, probably on the higher side compared to most states. I've always thought that, but it's really borne out by how little most other states set up speed traps, and living elsewhere for a few years. I don't have a problem with police in general - they have places to go and criminals to catch, naturally - but there's the feeling a speed trap isn't designed to do anything other grab cash in a place that's not hurting for tourist dollars.
Quote from: formulanone on February 14, 2017, 06:14:14 PM
Quote from: realjd on February 14, 2017, 02:41:01 PM
I'm surprised to see Florida on your list. They're few and far between usually - other than the Turnpike. In Florida they can't even ticket you for less than 5 over...
The exception is for school zones, but I can't recall hearing anyone getting nabbed for 16mph in a 15 zone, or 21mph in a 20 zone.
Quoteand the local Sheriff's office unofficial policy is to ignore up to 85 unless you're otherwise suspicious or driving like an asshole. FHP doesn't usually give you 15 over but they do give you 10.
9-10 mph-over or 10% above the posted limit seems to be the norm in Florida. I got one for 8 over the limit in a 25 mph zone by a local cop, but some days, you just shouldn't run late for work. 0-5 over is the safe bet, since all they can do is issue you a warning, if they want to bother.
That said, enforcement varies from county to county. Glades County is notorious for enforcement of US 27. US 301 has its pitfalls. Small towns have their own little klatch set up at the borders. Any place where the limit drops from 55 to 45/35 (especially where there's a hill) is a place for cops to hide. Town-to-town, or in-town speed limits vary from mile to mile, and jump around all over places like US 301 or SR 60. And generally, there's someone there wastefully idling in the median with the glow of parking lights and a radar gun pointed at the lanes of travel.
Obviously, don't drive like a maniac. Swerving from lane to lane constantly, cutting off drivers, running stale red lights, and ignoring legally-crossing pedestrians should be enforced (among other things). But they are heavy on speed traps, probably on the higher side compared to most states. I've always thought that, but it's really borne out by how little most other states set up speed traps, and living elsewhere for a few years. I don't have a problem with police in general - they have places to go and criminals to catch, naturally - but there's the feeling a speed trap isn't designed to do anything other grab cash in a place that's not hurting for tourist dollars.
Florida is usually pretty good about giving a buffer (most cops won't pull you over till 10) and its very area dependant. The worst speed traps in america are located here. Its definitely gotten a lot better with the disbandment of the waldo police department and the related laws that caused that, but there are a good number of small towns still trying to use it as a revenue source, and FHP likes to give their tickets. I know from a few of my cop buddys, there also has been widespread effort from many agencies throughout the state to try to cut back enforcement as people tend to dislike the police more and more (BLM and the like), and making their encounters with them negative over a few mph over a speed limit reinforces that they're against us, not here to protect us. Florida law does have a 4 mph tolerance, so you can't be pulled over for 24 in a 20, you have to be doing 25 to get a ticket (and for most officers, 30)
For Connecticut, you do see State Police out on the freeways every once in a while; however, you see local cops on them far more than State Troopers.
Quote from: Big John on January 14, 2017, 12:28:57 PM
Wisconsin is heavily enforced. So much that people drive slow in the fast lane.
Wisconsin is awful
Regarding Ohio, this morning I saw 11 state troopers and 2 local cops on I-75 between Beaverdam and Cincinnati. This was between 9:30 and 11:30.
Quote from: formulanone on February 14, 2017, 06:14:14 PM
Quote from: realjd on February 14, 2017, 02:41:01 PM
I'm surprised to see Florida on your list. They're few and far between usually - other than the Turnpike. In Florida they can't even ticket you for less than 5 over...
The exception is for school zones, but I can't recall hearing anyone getting nabbed for 16mph in a 15 zone, or 21mph in a 20 zone.
Quoteand the local Sheriff's office unofficial policy is to ignore up to 85 unless you're otherwise suspicious or driving like an asshole. FHP doesn't usually give you 15 over but they do give you 10.
9-10 mph-over or 10% above the posted limit seems to be the norm in Florida. I got one for 8 over the limit in a 25 mph zone by a local cop, but some days, you just shouldn't run late for work. 0-5 over is the safe bet, since all they can do is issue you a warning, if they want to bother.
That said, enforcement varies from county to county. Glades County is notorious for enforcement of US 27. US 301 has its pitfalls. Small towns have their own little klatch set up at the borders. Any place where the limit drops from 55 to 45/35 (especially where there's a hill) is a place for cops to hide. Town-to-town, or in-town speed limits vary from mile to mile, and jump around all over places like US 301 or SR 60. And generally, there's someone there wastefully idling in the median with the glow of parking lights and a radar gun pointed at the lanes of travel.
Obviously, don't drive like a maniac. Swerving from lane to lane constantly, cutting off drivers, running stale red lights, and ignoring legally-crossing pedestrians should be enforced (among other things). But they are heavy on speed traps, probably on the higher side compared to most states. I've always thought that, but it's really borne out by how little most other states set up speed traps, and living elsewhere for a few years. I don't have a problem with police in general - they have places to go and criminals to catch, naturally - but there's the feeling a speed trap isn't designed to do anything other grab cash in a place that's not hurting for tourist dollars.
School zones and construction sites are the exemptions IIRC.
Yeah the 85 advice was for freeways signed at 70.
In Massachusetts, I hadn't seen a lot of troopers doing speed enforcement lately...until yesterday.
Going home to the Boston suburbs from Springfield on the Pike yesterday, I counted no fewer than seven troopers doing speed enforcement, apparently with the newer type of radar that shows the specific speed for every car within the radar's beam. They were pulling out from the right shoulder just as their left-lane quarry was passing their location. I stayed between 70 and 72 in the middle lane (posted limit is 65) and didn't get bothered, but some in the left lane were doing 80 or more and they all got nabbed.
I was a bit surprised that the troopers were all on the right shoulder in plain view. The Pike (and many other limited-access roads in MA) have excellent hiding places in the median, in the many places where the median has been paved over and where guard rails and Jersey barriers overlap. A driver would not see the trooper's car until it was too late, especially if the car doesn't have a light bar on top.
I'll bet the Commonwealth is having a revenue problem...
Quote from: SidS1045 on June 15, 2017, 11:22:20 AM
In Massachusetts, I hadn't seen a lot of troopers doing speed enforcement lately...until yesterday.
Going home to the Boston suburbs from Springfield on the Pike yesterday, I counted no fewer than seven troopers doing speed enforcement, apparently with the newer type of radar that shows the specific speed for every car within the radar's beam. They were pulling out from the right shoulder just as their left-lane quarry was passing their location. I stayed between 70 and 72 in the middle lane (posted limit is 65) and didn't get bothered, but some in the left lane were doing 80 or more and they all got nabbed.
I was a bit surprised that the troopers were all on the right shoulder in plain view. The Pike (and many other limited-access roads in MA) have excellent hiding places in the median, in the many places where the median has been paved over and where guard rails and Jersey barriers overlap. A driver would not see the trooper's car until it was too late, especially if the car doesn't have a light bar on top.
I'll bet the Commonwealth is having a revenue problem...
Same here in northeastern Massachusetts.
Taking a single, daily, normal commute and believing everything is true statewide is usually never an accurate assumption of how things work.
If you're driving, say, Rt. A from Exit 10 to Exit 20 every day, you have no clue if they're down by Exit 8, or up by Exit 23. You have no clue if they're on Rt. B or Rt. C. Today, they happened to be on Rt. A at Exit 15. You erroneously conclude there's a revenue problem and they're nabbing people for going 80+. In the meantime, the guy that drives by Exit 23 every day is thankful that they're taking a day off for a change.
Perspective is everything.
From Grande Prairie, Alberta, to Yellowknife, NT, and back again -- 2400 km -- didn't see a single law enforcement person or vehicle.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on June 15, 2017, 12:35:53 PM
Taking a single, daily, normal commute and believing everything is true statewide is usually never an accurate assumption of how things work.
If you're driving, say, Rt. A from Exit 10 to Exit 20 every day, you have no clue if they're down by Exit 8, or up by Exit 23. You have no clue if they're on Rt. B or Rt. C. Today, they happened to be on Rt. A at Exit 15. You erroneously conclude there's a revenue problem and they're nabbing people for going 80+. In the meantime, the guy that drives by Exit 23 every day is thankful that they're taking a day off for a change.
Perspective is everything.
Yeah, but Massachusetts IS having a revenue problem right now, and this state has historically (with a paper trail) asked state troopers to write more tickets solely to help with revenue.
You might remember our governor, Michael Dukakis, who ran for president in 1988. At one point during his term in office he pushed through the legislature a substantial increase in traffic fines, and was very up-front about the reason: the state needed the money.
Thinking that through, you come to the bizarre conclusion that the state's balance sheet transitioning from red ink to black depends on drivers breaking the law.
Quote from: Brian556 on January 15, 2017, 11:42:24 AM
Florida in General, other than a few small towns, is under-patrolled. People drive way more recklessly there than in Texas.
Last time I was in TX, over the course of a week I saw at least 10 pickups cut across 5 lanes of freeway so they could make their exit. I don't know how you can get more reckless than that.
In Florida we used to have speed traps in Orlando especially on I-4 near FL 528. Now you do not see many at all nor do you see people pulled over as much these days.
In the Deerfield Subdivision there is, though, a daily speed trap, but still does not stop the speeding issue as many daily travelers would argue with one who lives there and knows the drill that they have never seen the cops ever and would say that street is never patrolled.
In Orange County, FL anyway the Sheriff's office does not like to get involved in traffic too much anyway and have a small traffic enforcement staff as they usually let the state highway patrol handle most cases especially accidents.