Virginia

[Zzonkmiles]

So, one thing I've noticed since moving to Virginia is how aggressively the Highway Patrol is postured in terms of catching speeders. But I regularly see people exceeding the speed limit, especially on high-speed roads. So, how fast is too fast?

[Mapmikey]

Absolutely do not drive over 80 mph on any road in Virginia, even ones with a speed limit of 70.  80 mph (along with 20 mph over any speed limit) is reckless driving in Virginia and they can treat this infraction about the same as if one were busted for DUI. 

There is a cottage industry of attorneys willing to help out-of-staters go through the court process to minimize the penalties (usually the point is to avoid a jail sentence and/or license confiscation - you will definitely get pounded with steep fines even with a first offense and a sparkling driving record).

That's not to say I haven't seen plenty of fast drivers in my 19 years living in Virginia.  The beltway (speed limit 55) routinely flows at 70 mph when traffic allows.  Other interstates flow 70-75 outside of the urban areas.

Small incorporated towns are often speed traps, if for no other reason than you have to slow from 55 to 25 and don't always get a ton of notice.

The best known interstate speed trap in Virginia is I-295 in the City of Hopewell.  You run a real risk of a ticket at any amount over the speed limit there.

Mike

[1995hoo]

I've lived in Virginia since 1974 and have had a Virginia driver's license since 1989. Other than the point Mapmikey makes about the reckless driving law, I don't think there's necessarily a hard-and-fast rule about "x miles per hour over the speed limit" being OK in terms of avoiding a ticket. I think it really depends on where you are because some places are known for being stricter than others. Obviously there's Hopewell, as Mapmikey mentioned. US-29 in Madison County is also known for having relatively strict enforcement, especially on the segment just north of the Bavarian Chef German restaurant (speed limit is 60 there), and that's a good place to keep it within 5 mph of the posted limit. The City of Falls Church is known for fairly strict enforcement of the 25-mph limit on Route 7; I keep it to 30 on there and I use my cruise control if needed. But there are plenty of other places where going 10 to 15 over is not a big deal in practice. I keep it to 65 on the Beltway (except in the HO/T lanes, which are posted at 65) and I'm one of the slowest cars on the road there. On I-85 in Mecklenburg County I once passed a cop when I was doing 82 and he didn't bat an eye, though I do not recommend doing this!

In general, I think a lot of the basic rules of thumb you see everywhere tend to apply here with the exception that you must be aware of that "20 over or 80 mph" rule. Don't be the fastest guy on the road. Don't weave in and out trying to force your desired speed on everyone else. When there's MORE traffic on the road, it's often easier to hold a higher speed with less worry (assuming traffic is moving at all) because you don't stand out as much, though of course it's also easier for the cop just to be arbitrary and pick you for a ticket because fill in the blank (doesn't like your car, sees an out-of-state plate, wants to pick on the college student, wants to pick on the black guy, whatever). If there's someone eager to pass to show off how much faster his car is, let him go so he can be the "drone" or the "cop bait."

I have driven long distances at 15 to 19 mph over the speed limit many times in Virginia with no problem and I only have one speeding ticket in my life, incurred on the Beltway in March 1992 on my way to New York when I was doing 68 in a 55 zone. In general I don't drive as fast as I used to, though, in large part because I like our current low insurance premiums!


Edited to add: Forgot to mention radar detectors. As you know, it is illegal to use one in Virginia, though it is not (and, per the federal courts, cannot be) illegal to possess one. There is a rebuttable presumption that if you have one anywhere within the passenger compartment (including in the glovebox, under a seat, or the like) it was in use. Stick it in the trunk if you want to be safe. Also, there is a reported case from the Virginia Court of Appeals from the late 1970s or early 1980s that says that when a cop observes a driver abruptly reducing his speed when the cop activates his radar, it constitutes probable cause to search that driver's car for a radar detector. Whether it's worth using one in Virginia has to be a personal decision. If you want to bomb along a rural Interstate like I-85 at 90 mph, it might be worth using a detector because the penalty for using one is less severe than the reckless driving penalties you'd face. On the other hand, remember cops are not limited to using radar to track your speed; they also use techniques like VASCAR, pacing, laser in at least some Virginia jurisdictions (Fairfax County is one), and probably just plain visual estimates. I have no doubt that if a cop stops you for speeding when you were using a detector, he'll write down a higher speed, whether it's accurate or not, and if you take the ticket to court the judge won't cut you any breaks if you were using a detector.

[cpzilliacus]

[Mapmikey's words below deserve emphasis.]

Absolutely do not drive over 80 mph on any road in Virginia, even ones with a speed limit of 70.  80 mph (along with 20 mph over any speed limit) is reckless driving in Virginia and they can treat this infraction about the same as if one were busted for DUI. 

There is a cottage industry of attorneys willing to help out-of-staters go through the court process to minimize the penalties (usually the point is to avoid a jail sentence and/or license confiscation - you will definitely get pounded with steep fines even with a first offense and a sparkling driving record).

That's not to say I haven't seen plenty of fast drivers in my 19 years living in Virginia.  The beltway (speed limit 55) routinely flows at 70 mph when traffic allows.  Other interstates flow 70-75 outside of the urban areas.

Small incorporated towns are often speed traps, if for no other reason than you have to slow from 55 to 25 and don't always get a ton of notice.

City of Falls Church and Town of Leesburg are two municipalities in Northern Virginia that have tough speed limit enforcement.  City of Fairfax used to be pretty bad too, but I have not heard much about speed enforcement there of late.

The best known interstate speed trap in Virginia is I-295 in the City of Hopewell.  You run a real risk of a ticket at any amount over the speed limit there.

Agreed.  And that is just a revenue collection operation for Hopewell, as I-295 could easily have a speed limit of 80 MPH for the section between I-95 in the south and I-64.

Another speed trap municpality that deserves mention is Emporia along I-95 (as well as U.S. 301 and U.S. 58), just north of North Carolina.

[froggie]

Another speed trap municpality that deserves mention is Emporia along I-95 (as well as U.S. 301 and U.S. 58), just north of North Carolina.

Mostly reputation these days.  Emporia is far less prevalent at speed enforcement than it was 10-15 years ago.

[Mapmikey]

Another speed trap municpality that deserves mention is Emporia along I-95 (as well as U.S. 301 and U.S. 58), just north of North Carolina.

Mostly reputation these days.  Emporia is far less prevalent at speed enforcement than it was 10-15 years ago.

Over the last decade I've seen a ton of cops in the median of I-95 in the Emporia area but don't recall seeing that many cops actually pulling over folks...

The Hopewell City Police traps are especially egregious as the highway pops in and out of the city in a location without exits...

Mike

[1995hoo]

I usually see at least one cop in the I-95 median when I pass through Emporia, but since the speed limit went up to 70 mph they seem to have less to do. I suspect they're focusing on the people doing over 80 mph so they can write reckless driving tickets. I just set the cruise control at 70 and stay in the right lane. I think 70 feels fast enough through that particular area anyway.

Maybe they've shifted their attention to the two US routes instead. That I don't know since I last used US-58 through there sometime in 1996 or 1997 on my way back to Durham after visiting my brother in Williamsburg.

[Thing 342]

I usually see at least one cop in the I-95 median when I pass through Emporia, but since the speed limit went up to 70 mph they seem to have less to do. I suspect they're focusing on the people doing over 80 mph so they can write reckless driving tickets. I just set the cruise control at 70 and stay in the right lane. I think 70 feels fast enough through that particular area anyway.

Maybe they've shifted their attention to the two US routes instead. That I don't know since I last used US-58 through there sometime in 1996 or 1997 on my way back to Durham after visiting my brother in Williamsburg.

The Emporia cops have mostly shifted their attention to US-58 in recent years. However, they mostly seem to go for out-of-staters, as I've had several extended family members pulled over, but have never gotten a ticket myself.

[Takumi]

301 through Emporia is mostly used by local traffic these days. I saw a police car or two between the north city limits and US 58 Business last time I was there, but nothing that looked like speed enforcement.

[froggie]

During my latest stint back in Norfolk (2012-2014), I *NEVER* saw an Emporia cop along 58.  So if they shifted there from 95, either they didn't do much of a shift or I caught the town on quiet days.

In my recent experience, you're more likely to see a Greensville County cop along 58 than an Emporia cop.

[cpzilliacus]

Another speed trap municpality that deserves mention is Emporia along I-95 (as well as U.S. 301 and U.S. 58), just north of North Carolina.

Mostly reputation these days.  Emporia is far less prevalent at speed enforcement than it was 10-15 years ago.

Last few times I have been through there (on I-95) I saw the Emporia cops with people stopped. I don't know what the reason for the stop was, nor did I see if the cops had followed them onto the freeway and stopped them for a violation on a road other than I-95.

[hbelkins]

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate Virginia's ban on radar detectors? It was always a PITA to have to take mine down at the state line and then put it back up when I crossed into another state.

[cpzilliacus]

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate Virginia's ban on radar detectors? It was always a PITA to have to take mine down at the state line and then put it back up when I crossed into another state.

Maryland outlaws them as well ... but only in commercial vehicles (which IMO does not make much sense). But the troopers that deal mostly with commercial vehicle enforcement have radar detector detectors in their vehicles and at the weigh/inspection stations.  Woe to the driver of a commercial vehicle that get caught with one - the fine used to be pretty hefty, at $450 or $500.

[Rothman]

Although I've heard of the infamous Hopewell traps, only one Virginia town sticks out in my mind when it comes to just overt ticketing-to-fill-the-coffers:

Waverly.

What a miserable little town with its Taj Mahal courthouse.

[1995hoo]

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate Virginia's ban on radar detectors? It was always a PITA to have to take mine down at the state line and then put it back up when I crossed into another state.

Maryland outlaws them as well ... but only in commercial vehicles (which IMO does not make much sense). But the troopers that deal mostly with commercial vehicle enforcement have radar detector detectors in their vehicles and at the weigh/inspection stations.  Woe to the driver of a commercial vehicle that get caught with one - the fine used to be pretty hefty, at $450 or $500.

I believe there is also a federal regulation banning radar detectors in all vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds.

[cpzilliacus]

I believe there is also a federal regulation banning radar detectors in all vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds.

That is quite possible.  Being that the enforcement people are nearly all state employees, they generally enforce state laws and regulations.  In the case of federal motor carrier regulations, at least in Maryland, what the state promulgates is essentially a duplicate of what comes from FMCSA and FHWA.  I believe that's the case in Virginia too.

Only federal law enforcement agency that does commercial vehicle enforcement  that I am aware of is the U.S. Park Police, which routinely inspects buses driving around the Monumental Core of Washington. 

The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia has a small commercial vehicle enforcement unit, but they are constrained by size (and, I suspect, budget).

[cpzilliacus]

Although I've heard of the infamous Hopewell traps, only one Virginia town sticks out in my mind when it comes to just overt ticketing-to-fill-the-coffers:

Waverly.

What a miserable little town with its Taj Mahal courthouse.

Then there is Newsoms, Virginia,  about 40 miles south of Waverly, which was discussed upthread some time ago.

[Zzonkmiles]

Interesting perspectives. Thanks for the tips.

I've noticed really heavy/strict enforcement/monitoring on US 29. I have yet to be pulled over and I would typically drive 9 over the speed limit. I have heard about the "over 80 rule" before, but I thought it was just a rumor or a scare tactic. Looks like it's legit. Thanks for keeping me out of trouble!

I have driven on 295 around Hopewell many times and typically do 75-79 there but have yet to be ticketed. I don't know if I'm tempting the fates or if my number will be up soon. But typically if I do see cops there, they're already in the process of writing a ticket, not just sitting in the median waiting to catch someone.

Speaking of which, I-85 is really cheap in this regard. It's generally a straight road with low traffic counts and tons of trees in the median. And yet, there are so many of those emergency turnaround lanes in the median where the cops regularly hide and you can't see them because of the trees. That road seriously creeps me out now.

[1995hoo]

The "over 80 rule" is set down by statute, Va. Code 46.2-862: http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-862/

There have been efforts to amend the statute to change the "gotcha" aspect of criminalizing the act of driving a mere 11 mph over the speed limit in a 70-mph zone, but so far all such efforts have failed.

But it's important to know that statute is not the sole basis under which you can be charged with reckless driving. There are a number of other statutes declaring other conduct to be reckless (such as, for example, passing on a two-lane road on a blind hill or curve, or driving two abreast in a single lane), and then there is the general rule that says it's reckless driving, regardless of the posted speed limit, if you drive at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person. This latter principle is one of the ones that eviscerate the idiotic argument that you're entitled to drive 65 mph any time you want to do so because the sign says "Speed Limit 65," never mind that the road is covered in snow and ice. (There is also a "driving too fast for highway and traffic conditions" statute.)

If you're interested, here's the list of results when I searched the Code of Virginia for references to reckless driving:
http://legsearch.state.va.us/search?q=Reckless%20driving&site=Code_of_Virginia&output=xml_no_dtd&proxystylesheet=LAW_COV&client=LAW_COV&filter=0

Note this version of the Code does not have the case notes that follow each section that you can find in the hard-copy version. Those are key, as they are the easiest way to see how the appellate courts have interpreted these statutes.


Edited to add: Regarding I-295, BTW, I'm usually on that road heading southbound, so when I hit the cable-stayed bridge I set my cruise control at 70 if I haven't already done so and I leave it there until I approach the I-95 merge (at which point I usually prefer not to use cruise control while traffic sorts itself out). That's probably a longer stretch than necessary, but it eliminates the need to think about it.

[froggie]

Perhaps I'm lucky, but I've never had nor seen the issues in Waverly and Newsoms that others have complained about.

[74/171FAN]

Well I have heard of people getting pulled over on US 460 between Petersburg and Roanoke quite often on weekends that many college students travel to/from Longwood, Liberty, Virginia Tech, etc.

[Rothman]

Perhaps I'm lucky, but I've never had nor seen the issues in Waverly and Newsoms that others have complained about.

You're lucky.

[cpzilliacus]

Well I have heard of people getting pulled over on US 460 between Petersburg and Roanoke quite often on weekends that many college students travel to/from Longwood, Liberty, Virginia Tech, etc.

In years past, I have noticed a similar dynamic along U.S. 29 in Greene County between Charlottesville and Culpeper (either side of Ruckersville), though supposedly that's not as egregious as it used to be.

[Mapmikey]

Well I have heard of people getting pulled over on US 460 between Petersburg and Roanoke quite often on weekends that many college students travel to/from Longwood, Liberty, Virginia Tech, etc.

In years past, I have noticed a similar dynamic along U.S. 29 in Greene County between Charlottesville and Culpeper (either side of Ruckersville), though supposedly that's not as egregious as it used to be.

At least Ruckersville is up front about strict enforcement.  They give 1/2 mile advance signage warnings of the speed limit drop. Also, Ruckersville is more built up now, so 55 actually feels too fast through there.

Mike

[iBallasticwolf2]

At least Ruckersville is up front about strict enforcement.  They give 1/2 mile advance signage warnings of the speed limit drop. Also, Ruckersville is more built up now, so 55 actually feels too fast through there.
Mike

That's how it should be done. Give some warning about the limit drop.