Stopped by the police

[sprjus4]

Really in almost every state you're more than likely not going to a target by a highway patrol for speeding until you cross the felony threshold.  Most highway patrols generally frown upon their officers writing high volumes of misdemeanor tickets for speeding.  Most officers don't even like writing misdemeanor tickets because of the paperwork involved.

In Virginia, merely 10 mph over in a 70 mph is considered "reckless driving"  and is punishable with high fines and potential jail time. State police or localities running speed traps on the highways (Emporia and Hopewell come to mind) will not ticket until you hit 80 mph so they can take in the most revenue.

[Max Rockatansky]

Really in almost every state you're more than likely not going to a target by a highway patrol for speeding until you cross the felony threshold.  Most highway patrols generally frown upon their officers writing high volumes of misdemeanor tickets for speeding.  Most officers don't even like writing misdemeanor tickets because of the paperwork involved.

In Virginia, merely 10 mph over in a 70 mph is considered "reckless driving"  and is punishable with high fines and potential jail time. State police or localities running speed traps on the highways (Emporia and Hopewell come to mind) will not ticket until you hit 80 mph so they can take in the most revenue.

Here in California the laws on speeding are surprisingly lax, especially when it is under 100 MPH.  CHP has a long standing edict of "9 you're fine, 10 you're mine"  that the officers are supposed to follow.  On freeways speeds of 10-20 MPH over are common and surface highways 5-10 MPH is the norm.  You could in theory bit hit for driving at an unsafe speed based on road conditions but I've never of heard anyone receiving a ticket for that.  A lot of roads aren't even signed with speed limits which presumptively bumps it up to 55 MPH aside from school zones or railroad crossings.  The big speed tickets come from doing 100 MPH or more. 

Back in Arizona even DPS usually wouldn't go after speeders unless it was 11 MPH or over.  Interestingly 85 MPH is considered criminal speeding no matter what.  I've found that eastern states generally take speed limits far more seriously than they do out west.  The big exception seems to be Oregon which tends to some really aggressive enforcement zones in areas with low speed limits, particularly on freeways. 

[Beltway]

In Virginia, merely 10 mph over in a 70 mph is considered "reckless driving"  and is punishable with high fines and potential jail time. State police or localities running speed traps on the highways (Emporia and Hopewell come to mind) will not ticket until you hit 80 mph so they can take in the most revenue.

Actually 81 is the threshold and according to news reports those sites don't ticket until over 85 and then rarely reckless if speed is the only issue, and the ones that were jailed were going near 100 or more (and IMO they deserve a few days in jail).

The only speeding ticket I have ever gotten in 1.1 million miles and 50 years was for 15 over and that was on Labor Day in Cumberland C.H., and that was my misfortune, I missed the speed reduction signs on US-60.  I routinely travel at 5 to 7 over everywhere.

 

[vdeane]

21 mph over the limit and no ticket doesn't shock me at all. In NY it would be rare to even get pulled over at all for 15 over or less, and you might even get away 15 to 20 over (but, word to the wise, I wouldn't exceed 70 in a 55 zone or 80 in a 65 zone). That said though, it's just a totally different game here than it is in the Midwest and West, because it's so incredibly, painstakingly, spectacularly obvious that the limits are too low, and not just a little too low, but not even in the right ballpark.

Enforce 65 mph on the Thruway, one of the highest quality roads in the US, if not the world? *snickers*
Enforce 55 mph on a freeway that's actually flowing in the NYC area? *chuckles*
Enforce 35 mph on a road like this? *laughs out loud*

So the speeding part doesn't surprise me one bit, but the no license thing is another whole level!

FYI, the maximum in NYC is 50, not 55.  Even here.

They never mentioned it on future border crossings, and I've long since crossed with newer cars.

They wouldn't.  CBSA only enforces federal law, not provincial.

[DJ Particle]

Let's see if I can remember all mine...

---First car had a bad speedometer...didn't know it originally---
1989 - 60 in 45 on US-6 in North Truro, MA (though I was radared before the speed reduction from 50-45) - warning (cop was my uncle)
1990 - 64 in 55 on Mass Turnpike - ticket
1991 - Headlight failure in Provincetown, MA - warning (turned out to be a bad wiring harness)
1991 - 72 in 55 on I-88 in NY State - ticket
---At this point, I realized I had a bad speedometer...no more stops in 1st car...or 2nd---

---3rd car---
1996 - 45 in 35 on MA-28 in S Yarmouth, MA - warning
1997 - 65 in 55 on US-6 in Yarmouth, MA - warning
1998 - 78 in 65 on Ohio Turnpike - ticket
1999 - 81 in 55 on I-79 in Pennsylvania - ticket (to be fair though, I was on a downhill surrounded by big rigs...I couldn't go slower...cop picked me and my MN plates out)

--4th car, had a bad bouncey speedometer...which was the LEAST of its troubles--
2000 - 76 in 55 on I-35E in Eagan, MN - ticket (cop was sitting right at thepoint where limit dropped from 70 to 55)
2001 - 81 in 55 on MN-100 in Edina, MN - ticket (last ticket until 2016)

--5th car--
2004 - 65 in 55 on US-212 (Ave of Saints) in Iowa - warning (at the time, there were still 2-lane sections...this was one of them...limit was 65 on divided sections)
2004 - Failure to lane change around traffic stop - warning (was a brand new law at the time in MN)
2005 - 40 in 30 on MSP Airport Post Office access road - warning

--6th car--
2007 - Suspected DUI - blew 0.00 (it was my passenger that had been drinking) - no infraction

--7th car--
2011 - 78 in 70 on I-35 in Minnesota - warning

--current car--
2016 - 70 in 60 on I-35E in St. Paul, MN - ticket

[jakeroot]

--7th car--
2011 - 78 in 70 on I-35 in Minnesota - warning

--current car--
2016 - 70 in 60 on I-35E in St. Paul, MN - ticket

You've gotta be kidding me

[DJ Particle]

--7th car--
2011 - 78 in 70 on I-35 in Minnesota - warning

--current car--
2016 - 70 in 60 on I-35E in St. Paul, MN - ticket

You've gotta be kidding me

I wish I was....

My ex's father once got a ticket for 32 in 30 on  a street in Deephaven, too.

Also, that final stop was the first time I gave digital proof of insurance.  I have a Geico app on my phone.

[kphoger]

--7th car--
2011 - 78 in 70 on I-35 in Minnesota - warning

--current car--
2016 - 70 in 60 on I-35E in St. Paul, MN - ticket

You've gotta be kidding me

Seriously.  The normal flow of traffic on I-35 between Iowa and the Cities is usually around 80 mph, with probably at least 10% of vehicles going more like 85 mph.  And 70 mph is my usual driving speed on I-35E.

One time, I was doing 75 mph on MN-100 SB, which is posted at 55 mph.  We were heading home to Wichita from...hmm, I think maybe Princeton.  I saw flashing red and blue lights that may or may not have been for me, so I quickly exited onto MN-62 EB and then exited from that onto I-35W SB.

[PHLBOS]

--current car--
2016 - 70 in 60 on I-35E in St. Paul, MN - ticket

You've gotta be kidding me

I wish I was....

My ex's father once got a ticket for 32 in 30 on  a street in Deephaven, too.

Did such occur towards the end of the month and/or on a holiday weekend?  Such tickets, on the surface, appear to be quota-induced.

[kphoger]

Quotas don't exist.

[/sarcasm]

[PHLBOS]

Quotas don't exist.

[/sarcasm]

Sorry, revenue/fund-raising. 

[NWI_Irish96]

Really in almost every state you're more than likely not going to a target by a highway patrol for speeding until you cross the felony threshold.  Most highway patrols generally frown upon their officers writing high volumes of misdemeanor tickets for speeding.  Most officers don't even like writing misdemeanor tickets because of the paperwork involved. 

As a close relative of a state trooper, I can confirm this.  Some officers are a bit more ticket-happy than others, but on the whole they are focused more on improving road safety rather than punishing drivers.  If you don't have an aggravating factor like being a habitual offender, invalid license or registration, no insurance, etc, you're pretty likely to get just a warning.  It's just as likely to correct the behavior, without the paperwork and also without leaving the driver with a negative opinion of police.  Being cooperative also helps a lot. 

Local jurisdictions, especially the smaller ones, tend to be more reliant on ticket revenue and are where you're more likely to get tickets for every minor violation they can find.

[Rothman]

In NY, I believe State Troopers' flexibility in issuing warnings was reduced by law a few years ago.  The chances of getting a ticket rather than a warning from a Trooper are more than 50/50 (although the last time I was stopped by one, I got a warning).

[TheHighwayMan3561]

All you guys saying cops will give 15-20 over out east have me baffled. I won't go more than 5 over in the Midwest, and especially not out of state. They're not forgiving.

[Rothman]

All you guys saying cops will give 15-20 over out east have me baffled. I won't go more than 5 over in the Midwest, and especially not out of state. They're not forgiving.

Just stay in the right lane, then.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

All you guys saying cops will give 15-20 over out east have me baffled. I won't go more than 5 over in the Midwest, and especially not out of state. They're not forgiving.

Just stay in the right lane, then.

Heh, even at limit or +5 I feel like I've been one of the faster cars on the road lately.

[kphoger]

Minnesota drivers are, in my experience, not typical of drivers in the Midwest.  They go closer to the speed limit, and they have absolutely no concept of slower traffic keeping right.  In Iowa, in contrast, I hardly ever see anybody hogging the left lane or doing less than 5 over the limit on the Interstate.

[hbelkins]

Don't believe anyone who tells you cops don't have a quota. They do, especially if there's a federal grant involved. A hometown friend of mine, now deceased, was a cop. I ran into him one morning when I was off work; we had both moved to the same town then but hadn't run into each other in awhile. He said he didn't have time to talk long; that he had to write a certain number of speeding tickets because he was being paid on a federal overtime grant for his work that day. Sure enough, I passed by him with a driver pulled over just a few minutes later.

The big NHTSA campaigns ("Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over," and "Click It Or Ticket") have quotas attached to the grants as well. Participating agencies are expected to report a certain number of tickets written.

[Max Rockatansky]

Don't believe anyone who tells you cops don't have a quota. They do, especially if there's a federal grant involved. A hometown friend of mine, now deceased, was a cop. I ran into him one morning when I was off work; we had both moved to the same town then but hadn't run into each other in awhile. He said he didn't have time to talk long; that he had to write a certain number of speeding tickets because he was being paid on a federal overtime grant for his work that day. Sure enough, I passed by him with a driver pulled over just a few minutes later.

The big NHTSA campaigns ("Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over," and "Click It Or Ticket") have quotas attached to the grants as well. Participating agencies are expected to report a certain number of tickets written.

It's not a quota anymore, it's a "performance metric."

[J N Winkler]

Minnesota drivers are, in my experience, not typical of drivers in the Midwest.  They go closer to the speed limit, and they have absolutely no concept of slower traffic keeping right.  In Iowa, in contrast, I hardly ever see anybody hogging the left lane or doing less than 5 over the limit on the Interstate.

Isn't Minnesota one of the states that doesn't have a KRETP statute?

I confess I haven't noticed Minnesota drivers are more or less likely to comply with speed limits, but this is largely because I usually set cruise control at the limit (or 72 in a 75) and typically exceed it only in the context of overtaking maneuvers.

[kphoger]

Don't believe anyone who tells you cops don't have a quota. They do, especially if there's a federal grant involved. A hometown friend of mine, now deceased, was a cop. I ran into him one morning when I was off work; we had both moved to the same town then but hadn't run into each other in awhile. He said he didn't have time to talk long; that he had to write a certain number of speeding tickets because he was being paid on a federal overtime grant for his work that day. Sure enough, I passed by him with a driver pulled over just a few minutes later.

The big NHTSA campaigns ("Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over," and "Click It Or Ticket") have quotas attached to the grants as well. Participating agencies are expected to report a certain number of tickets written.

It's not a quota anymore, it's a "performance metric."

Exactly.  It's not a quota, but you'll get a bad performance review if you don't meet the expectation.  At least, I assume that's how it works.

[kphoger]

Isn't Minnesota one of the states that doesn't have a KRETP statute?

Minnesota doesn't have a KRETP statute, but it's still the law that you have to move out of the left lane for faster traffic.

TRANSPORTATION

Chapter 169

169.18  DRIVING RULES.

§  Subd. 10.  Slower vehicles.

(b) Upon a roadway with more than one lane in the same direction of travel, a person must move out of the left-most lane to allow another vehicle to pass, when practicable under existing conditions. A left-most lane under this paragraph is the lane adjacent to one designated and posted for a specific type of traffic, including as provided under section 160.93. This paragraph does not apply when:

(1) overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction;

(2) preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway;

(3) preparing to exit a controlled-access highway on the left side of the road;

(4) the lane is designated and posted for a specific type of traffic; or

(5) the vehicle is an authorized emergency vehicle.

That doesn't mean people do so, however.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

The state patrol pretty much admitted recently that statute as written is unenforceable, and that they're more interested in hammering the tailgater/leadfoot waiting to floor it once the slower driver moves right.

One issue I notice here is inconsistent speed. Plenty of idiots I'm passing suddenly speed up when they notice they're being passed.

[kphoger]

The state patrol pretty much admitted recently that statute as written is unenforceable

What part makes it so?  It seems plainly worded to me.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

The state patrol pretty much admitted recently that statute as written is unenforceable

What part makes it so?  It seems plainly worded to me.

Basically, not a priority for them compared to other enforcement issues.

Will a lot of tickets be handed out for this?

Probably not. The State Patrol, for one, isn't planning a special campaign to cite slower drivers. It wants to educate them on the law, but Langer said enforcement won't rise to the level of combating distracted driving, excessive speed or other unsafe conditions that can put lives at greater danger.

The other big traffic safety law about to set in – making it illegal to hold a cellphone while operating a vehicle – will have a much bigger emphasis out of the gate.

Are speeders being given priority over those abiding by the posted limit?

No. In fact, Langer of the State Patrol expects drivers going over the limit to still be a greater focus for law enforcement.

"Those are the motorists we're going to be looking for, that we always are looking for. We're definitely focused on speeding because speeding is one of the leading contributors to fatal and injury crashes and property damage crashes,"  he said. "That person holding up traffic in the left lane can cause problems, can cause frustration, can lead to aggressive driving, but isn't the contributor toward fatal and injury crashes."

As Gov. Tim Walz put it during a news conference Monday, "It's not a free-for-all to go as fast as you can. It's simply to make sure that the flow of traffic works in the most efficient and safe manner."

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/07/29/drive-right-law-directs-slower-motorists-to-move-over

Which I suppose isn't the "unenforceable" I stated, but the MSP thinks other things are more important.