Speed Enforcement in Virginia

[MarylandMichael]

Hey,

I am from Maryland and travel in Virginia a lot.  But I am always scared to travel through because of the heavy speed enforcement.  I suffer on I95 just because I can't drive 55 mph on 301.   Is anything up to 10 mph over ok?  Or should I stick to only 5 mph over like I've been doing.  It just feels like I'm losing my mind and people always pass me like I'm doing something wrong!   I've also read things online about them pulling people over for 2-4 mph over which is so crazy and clearly about $$$.  Maybe that's not true.  I know reckless driving is +20 or 80 mph and that is kind of understandable but 65 in a 55 seems reasonable.  Maybe I'm just crazy lol   

Thanks in advance.

[1995hoo]

I've lived in Virginia since 1974 and driven here since 1989. I don't think Virginia deserves the fearsome reputation it seems to have. Certainly there are some places known for strict enforcement (US-29 in Madison County comes to mind). But in my observation over the years, the most important things are to keep it below the reckless threshold and not to do anything stupid to call attention to yourself. There's almost always going to be someone who's desperate to show off that he thinks he has a faster car than you do. Let him. There's often going to be someone who feels the need to weave in and out of traffic in an attempt to go faster. Let him. They're calling attention to themselves and the cops will spot them as well.

I think it's easier to go faster when traffic is reasonably heavy simply because it's harder to stand out. That is, if the road is relatively empty and you're going 70 mph in a 60-mph zone, you're more noticeable and a cop may decide to pull you over for whatever random reason. If you're on the Beltway, on the other hand, most of the time 70 mph is not that likely to stand out, even though the speed limit is 55 (or 65 in the express lanes), because there's so much other traffic.

None of these comments apply to local roads, of course. The City of Falls Church is known for nailing people along the portion of Broad Street (Route 7) between Seven Corners and Washington Street (Route 29). The speed limit there is 25 mph and I set my cruise control at 27 or 28 (it won't turn on below 25).

[MarylandMichael]

Good advice!

[hbelkins]

I love driving in Virginia, because of the scenery and the road stuff (you never know when you're going to come across some interesting signage) but I also hate driving in Virginia because of the enforcement -- particularly the reckless threshold and the ban on radar detectors. It's impossible to drive the speed limit on roads like I-81 or I-95 because of the heavy traffic and the fact that so many drivers don't seem to mind the reckless threshold and will fly by you. I can be doing 75 on those roads and still get passed like I'm sitting still, but my luck is such that if I drove the same speed as those passing me, I'd be the one that gets pulled over.

And don't get me started on the radar detector ban. My V-1 saved me from at least two tickets on my western Kentucky trip this past weekend.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Just make sure you're driving at exactly the speed limit if your travels ever take you to I-295 in Hopewell.

[slorydn1]

Everybody talks about Virginia's "reckless threshhold" completely forgetting that many other states have a similiar deal, just worded differently.

In North Carolina anything 15 over the limit (or 80 mph, which ever is less) is an actual class 3 misdemeanor criminal offense that can get you 10 days in jail, $200.00 fine and DMV will suspend your license upon conviction.  I have never personally heard of anyone getting the jail time, but that fine + court costs is a be-atch, and getting your drivers license back is a real costly PITA too. The troopers in my home county won't even look in your direction at 79 mph (in the 70 zones). You hit 80 they'll look your way, 81 and you are sitting on the side of the road gettng your copy of the citation.

I haven't used a radar detector since my last one got stolen in 1989, and I drive the same speed as the pack, or no more than 8-9 over when alone in every state I have been to in the last 20 years (including VA) and I haven't been bothered by any LEO's at all.

I will admit to not cutting up as much on the mountain roads in VA like I will in NC and TN-I guess alot of that does come from VA's small town speed trap horror stories.

[MarylandMichael]

I love driving in Virginia, because of the scenery and the road stuff (you never know when you're going to come across some interesting signage) but I also hate driving in Virginia because of the enforcement -- particularly the reckless threshold and the ban on radar detectors. It's impossible to drive the speed limit on roads like I-81 or I-95 because of the heavy traffic and the fact that so many drivers don't seem to mind the reckless threshold and will fly by you. I can be doing 75 on those roads and still get passed like I'm sitting still, but my luck is such that if I drove the same speed as those passing me, I'd be the one that gets pulled over.

And don't get me started on the radar detector ban. My V-1 saved me from at least two tickets on my western Kentucky trip this past weekend.

Yeah the scenery is amazing especially on I81.  The radar detector ban is petty but what they can't ban is the Waze app so if you don't have it I highly recommend it especially on I95 with the speed traps every mile from DC to Richmond.  Its crazy how the sign clearly says over 80 is reckless and I go to pass someone and then someone is flying up behind wanting to go 85-90 mph because they just don't care.  I do think they should change it to 85 mph like they proposed a few years ago because its very easy to get over 80 when passing. https://wtop.com/dc-transit/2016/02/going-11-mph-speed-limit-va-may-no-longer-land-jail/

[MarylandMichael]

Just make sure you're driving at exactly the speed limit if your travels ever take you to I-295 in Hopewell.

Yeah I've heard about Hopewell.  Also Windsor and Waverly when I take US 460 to Norfolk/VA Beach.  Too bad they never made that 75 mph toll road from Suffolk to Petersburg but I have a feeling the towns had something to do with the cancellation because their $$$$ was going away because the locals know not to speed.

[MarylandMichael]

Everybody talks about Virginia's "reckless threshhold" completely forgetting that many other states have a similiar deal, just worded differently.

In North Carolina anything 15 over the limit (or 80 mph, which ever is less) is an actual class 3 misdemeanor criminal offense that can get you 10 days in jail, $200.00 fine and DMV will suspend your license upon conviction.  I have never personally heard of anyone getting the jail time, but that fine + court costs is a be-atch, and getting your drivers license back is a real costly PITA too. The troopers in my home county won't even look in your direction at 79 mph (in the 70 zones). You hit 80 they'll look your way, 81 and you are sitting on the side of the road gettng your copy of the citation.

I haven't used a radar detector since my last one got stolen in 1989, and I drive the same speed as the pack, or no more than 8-9 over when alone in every state I have been to in the last 20 years (including VA) and I haven't been bothered by any LEO's at all.

I will admit to not cutting up as much on the mountain roads in VA like I will in NC and TN-I guess alot of that does come from VA's small town speed trap horror stories.

I agree that after hearing about NC that they are indeed worse but never seem to get as much attention as Virginia.   I'm gonna set my cruise to 63-64 mph when in a 55 mph zone from now on.

[Mapmikey]

Just make sure you're driving at exactly the speed limit if your travels ever take you to I-295 in Hopewell.

Yeah I've heard about Hopewell.  Also Windsor and Waverly when I take US 460 to Norfolk/VA Beach.  Too bad they never made that 75 mph toll road from Suffolk to Petersburg but I have a feeling the towns had something to do with the cancellation because their $$$$ was going away because the locals know not to speed.

If you are interested in the actual reason this road was shelved, go here - https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=449.0

Early pages have tangents but most of it is all about the progress then cancellation of the project...

[MarylandMichael]

Just make sure you're driving at exactly the speed limit if your travels ever take you to I-295 in Hopewell.

Yeah I've heard about Hopewell.  Also Windsor and Waverly when I take US 460 to Norfolk/VA Beach.  Too bad they never made that 75 mph toll road from Suffolk to Petersburg but I have a feeling the towns had something to do with the cancellation because their $$$$ was going away because the locals know not to speed.

If you are interested in the actual reason this road was shelved, go here - https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=449.0

Early pages have tangents but most of it is all about the progress then cancellation of the project...

Thanks I'll check it out.

[Takumi]

I don't think Virginia deserves the fearsome reputation it seems to have.

This, this, this, this, this. A million times. It's 98% hype. You're fine as long as you don't stick out like a sore thumb.

[Truvelo]

I drove through Virginia during my visit last week. As others have said, stick to the speed limit and you'll be passed by the rest of the traffic as though you're stationary. It's not helped when many of the rural roads still have a 55mph limit when similar roads in other states have had their limits increased. On Route 7 between Winchester and Leesburg the average seemed to be 70 and even travelling at that speed wasn't immune from being passed by even faster traffic. I also found a poor lack of lane discipline where many left lane campers caused traffic to bunch resulting in some drivers swooping between lanes to get past them.

I remember my last visit to Virginia in 2011 where I was pulled over for doing 84 in a 70 in I-77. The deputy said that speed was dangerous driving but waived that charge due to my foreign licence and did me just for the speed at $6 per mile over.

It may be pretty, especially at this time of year with the fall colours but I'd rather drive further west where it's more laid back and relaxing and no one is in such a hurry.

[kphoger]

I think it's easier to go faster when traffic is reasonably heavy simply because it's harder to stand out.

This is probably what bothers me the most about speed enforcement.  There is no good reason I should be more worried about my speed in the middle of nowhere on an empty road than I am on a congested urban expressway.  Yet I am, for precisely the reasons you describe.

[MikeTheActuary]

From November of last year through May of this year, I was driving I-81 twice a month, shuttling between Connecticut and Memphis.

I'd say that the two things that make Virginia stand out for speed enforcement were the visual reminders about the speed threshold for reckless driving, and the number of troopers I saw checking speeds.

It wasn't my impression that they were being any more stringent than troopers in other states; just that they were a more common sight than in some other states.

[Thing 342]

From November of last year through May of this year, I was driving I-81 twice a month, shuttling between Connecticut and Memphis.

I'd say that the two things that make Virginia stand out for speed enforcement were the visual reminders about the speed threshold for reckless driving, and the number of troopers I saw checking speeds.

It wasn't my impression that they were being any more stringent than troopers in other states; just that they were a more common sight than in some other states.

VSP do appear to have stepped up enforcement on I-81 in recent weeks; I drove to Bristol 3 weeks ago and spotted at least 5 people who had been pulled over. On my way back home from HR last weekend I saw at least 8 cruisers in a ~100 mile span.
That being said, my general impression is that outside of a number well-known trouble sports (Hopewell and Emporia come to mind, though they mostly seem to target out-of-staters), speed enforcement in VA isn't bad unless you're pretty flagrant about it (or forget about the radar detector ban).

[Avalanchez71]

The Hopewell City Sheriff is the one that does the enforcement.  I think I read an article about the election for city sheriff had both candidates advising that they would both continue the enforcement.

My understanding is that most City Sheriffs in VA do not much traffic enforcement.

[jeffandnicole]

Here's the thing about Speed Enforcement: It's just one of many laws.  But it's the one people fear the most.

People will have different opinions if they have gotten pulled over vs. if they haven't.

People will have different opinions based on what they see or hear.

Take the example above where someone saw numerous people pulled over...was it because they were speeding...or because they had a headlight out?  Or expired registration stickers?   Unless you're stopping and asking, you don't know why those people were pulled over.  Recently in Maryland, traffic slowed to a crawl. We passed by a few State Troopers in the median.  Suddenly, the trooper pulls out, drives up the shoulder, and pulls someone over.  That certainly wasn't for speeding.  But none of the hundreds of drivers passing by will know why that person got stopped.  Heck, give it 30 seconds, and people further back that didn't see what I saw are going to see the car on the side of the road and wonder why everyone has to slow down just to see a cop on the side of the road...when traffic was already slow well before the stop occurred.

For me, driving a car with NJ tags, I've never felt uncomfortable driving up to 78/79 mph on Virginia's interstates.  And yet, I have even exceeded 80 on occasion when traffic conditions worked in my favor.  Same thing on North Carolina's interstates.  Or New Jersey's interstates.  Or any state's interstates, honestly.  I'm rarely the fastest driver at that speed.  The speed traps "every mile" don't exist.  People see a cop and freak out that it's a speed trap.  That cop sitting in the median could be writing up an accident report, or reviewing a criminal case.  If he's driving along the highway, maybe he's just trying to get home from work. 

So, going back to the OP's statements and questions: "Heavy Speed Enforcement" is probably not that heavy.  You've just heard the rumors, see some people on the side of the road on *rare* occasion, and overanalyzed it. 

As is always the case - drive the speed you feel comfortable driving.

[hbelkins]

For me, driving a car with NJ tags, I've never felt uncomfortable driving up to 78/79 mph on Virginia's interstates.  And yet, I have even exceeded 80 on occasion when traffic conditions worked in my favor.  Same thing on North Carolina's interstates.  Or New Jersey's interstates.  Or any state's interstates, honestly.

But the big difference is that in those states other than Virginia, you can use a tool to tell you if there is speed enforcement ahead. I've been known to drive 80-85 in a lot of places with speed limits of 65 or 70, but not in Virginia. Because in those other states, my trusty Valentine One will let me know if there's danger in the vicinity.

[LM117]

Another attempt to raise the Reckless Driving limit from 80mph to 85mph is being made.

https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&typ=bil&val=sb63

[tjcreasy]

Makes sense. Reckless should be 15+ over the posted speed. The current 80 mph reckless limit can be abused by law enforcement in 70mph zones.

[sprjus4]

Makes sense. Reckless should be 15+ over the posted speed. The current 80 mph reckless limit can be abused by law enforcement in 70mph zones.

Agreed. Driving 80 mph isn't unreasonable on most rural highways, and certainly isn't "reckless" , though 85 mph is pushing it for comfort level for a lot of drivers.

A decrease in revenue might be another reason to stop it yet again though.

[1995hoo]

Makes sense. Reckless should be 15+ over the posted speed. The current 80 mph reckless limit can be abused by law enforcement in 70mph zones.

Agreed. Driving 80 mph isn't unreasonable on most rural highways, and certainly isn't "reckless" , though 85 mph is pushing it for comfort level for a lot of drivers.

A decrease in revenue might be another reason to stop it yet again though.

I'm skeptical of whether it stands much chance of passing with the Democrats in control of both houses. Traditionally, Democrats have been viewed as more likely to be skeptical of proposed laws they think might encourage people to drive faster. I recall back in 1995 when the NMSL repeal bill got through Congress, many commentators noted that provision likely would not have been included had the Republicans not taken control after the 1994 election. Then-President Clinton said at the time he wasn't sure he liked that provision but that the overall highway funding bill was too important to veto.

I don't really see why there needs to be a specific speed at which reckless driving is presumed anyway. Recklessness is a longstanding legal concept whereby someone acts in intentional disregard of his own safety or the safety of other people. The mere fact that you're going 90 mph doesn't necessarily mean you're disregarding anyone's safety; a great example might be if you're on a very wide and smooth highway with little to no other traffic and you're driving a new Corvette (though even there, a new and inexperienced driver might be acting recklessly while someone who's been driving for 30 years might not be). Certainly the location may be relevant because that will factor into the amount of traffic or the likelihood of other traffic entering at the next interchange. I-295 around Richmond and Petersburg is a very different road from I-495 in Northern Virginia, for example.

[hbelkins]

The idea that driving 15 mph over the posted limit is, by definition, reckless, is totally absurd.

[AlexandriaVA]

Inconsistent enforcement seems a good reason to have an explicit threshold. Then simply rename it "Extraordinary Speeding" or something like that to avoid the "reckless is a determination" angle to it.

After all, DUI is determined by a BAC reading.