I've been caught in cameras only a couple of times and by roadside police for a fast-changing light to amber and red and for turning left from the wrong lane (after the lane I was in was changed from a turn lane). I paid my fines.
Using free Waze app will help save a driver from a speeding ticket — its screen shows the posted speed limit and your car's speed — in red if it's faster than the posted limit. Cruise control set at the speed limit or only 5 mph higher will help avoid a speeding ticket. A friend who acknowledges a "lead foot" but avoided a speeding ticket with Waze on a trip to Minnesota from D.C. Another driver who passed her was pulled over ahead — probably no Waze!
Wayne - 7 years ago
There is no "safe" speed, only relative degrees of safe driving depending upon your health and physical status, driving abilities and experience;, the condition of your vehicle ( steering, tires, brakes, automatic stability controls); road conditions (light, temperature, weather factors, road surface type and pathway, traffic level, surrounging drivers, etc.), and most importantly your driving instincts when faced with variables that test your judgment. Panic reactions that send cars out of control erase all other controls you might normally have over events. Once you lose control your fate is up to the gods.
Speed shortens your time to react to driving emergencies. You can lower your risks by following the recommended speed limits set by law and by physics of momentum and velocity. Roads can be rated according to curve angles and slopes. The density of intersections and proximity to roadside objects can rate risk levels. Changes in road surfaces and the variations in elevation and sight distances will be factors in driving safety. Past history of accident rates can rate safe driving levels for a particular location.
The safety warning systems built into recent cars have giveen drivers assistance monitoring blind spots and tracking patches of black ice. Lane departure warnings and autonomous controls will give drivers advance warnings for impending crashes, but excessive speed negates safety advantages. At the INDY 500 200 mph can be safe, and 35 mph can be deadly.
John M. Wheatley - 7 years ago
I do speed too often, and I've gotten way too many tickets. My last one was issued on a bright, sunny day; I was traveling on a smooth, beautiful highway & nearly the only car on the road. When the officer told me I was doing 20 mph OVER the speed limit, my jaw nearly hit the side of my door. I knew I was speeding, but the 20 SHOCKED me. The ticket cost me one- hundred and ninety dollars--$190.00!!!
Note this: I have never, ever caused an accident. And, I don't drink and drive. I do know better than to speed in either a school zone or a construction site on the roadway.
Honest to God, I was once cited for going 52 in a 35 zone when I was running late for my church service (shortly after my mother died), and I was within 100' of the entry to the freeway.
My father was an attorney, my younger sister is a para-legal, and our older daughter is licensed to practice law in two states. I do have an inherent love for the law, but speeding is a life-long problem. I'm now 65 years old. That's my story and it's the truth.
Margaret - 7 years ago
The more interesting question for me is how much more likely am I to kill someone if I hit them. Most of my driving is on city streets, not on the highway. It's easy enough to google up some studies, and the numbers are sobering. Here is a clip from one such: "So let’s take a look at the survival odds. At 20 mph, there’s a 95% chance you’re going to survive being hit by a car. At 30 mph, those odds drop to 55%, or literally at about chance. At 40 mph, you have virtually no chance at 5%." And here is where I found it.
http://www.thecarcrashdetective.com/2015/09/pedestrian-fatality-rates-increase-with-speed.html/
Bill Parker - 7 years ago
I have received one speeding ticket in my life. It was 1956 and I was just starting to drive by myself at 16 years of age. I was doing 50 mph in a 25 mph zone (!!!!). Before this I had never even looked to see what the speed limit was. I had to pay the incredible fine of $6 myself.
I never received another speeding ticket. It was one of the best lessons I ever learned! ...Bill Parker
Daniel - 7 years ago
I have always found the most dangerous conditions on the road are caused by the drivers who go to slow!
Terri - 7 years ago
I can truthfully say that I never speed. And the reason I can say that I started working in the Nursing Field at age 17. My first job was working as a Nursing Assistant in a major hospital with Trauma 1 status. I worked in the Orthopedic Section. Most of our patients were there be caused they had been in some level of motor vehicle crash. One day in my first month of working there I was assigned to a patient that had been riding his motor cycle and had hit by a car. He "only" sustained a broken femur and was in traction, but when he was hit he was on a gravel road. I spent the entire day picking small rocks out of his entire body. I never sped after that. The only ticket I have received was for expired registration 30 years ago.
Bridget - 7 years ago
I've gotten one speeding ticket (so far) and I figure it wasn't just because of the speed. I was working for the local cable company and had just gotten off work at nearly midnight. The officer didn't realize anyone worked there that late, and there I was speeding like someone leaving the scene of a crime. To make matters worse, I had left my purse at work so I had no ID or proof of insurance. The tickets for those were dropped, fortunately.
Leah Cushman - 7 years ago
It was my ONLY ticket in 42years of driving. AND the speed limit along that stretch had recently been lowered by 10 MPH.
Loretta - 7 years ago
I've been licensed to drive for over - oh, I can't believe this number - 50 years. During that time, I've had a few tickets, but mostly for goofy stuff because I was young and inexperienced. I don't remember being cited for speeding, though. I have driven faster than the posted speed limit, but not in a manner out of sync with the other drivers on the road, generally. Most of my driving was in California on the freeways. I try to anticipate weird drivers or situations around me and adjust my driving accordingly.
Butch - 7 years ago
I've told my kids that 10% over will pretty much never get you a ticket, construction and school zones excluded. Not saying that's all I ever do - everyone in my morning commute seems to have agreed that 42mph is the proper speed in the 35mph zone - but I think it's a good rule of thumb.
Ayden - 7 years ago
I never speed on purpose and at age 61 have never had a speeding ticket. Drives my kids crazy. But I answered that I've never been caught because occasionally I do find myself over the limit by a few miles an hour, rarely over five. Then I slow down, but never below the limit unless the conditions are poor. Here in Arizona you can tell a snowbird on the freeway before you can see their plates because they stay in the fast lane at 55 with their left turn signal on. That's not me.
Carolyn - 7 years ago
The last time I got a ticket, the guy said he pulled into the freeway and I was the only one who didn't hit the brakes. He told me I was going 72 in a 65 but my cruise control was on 67. I had seen him get on the freeway. I didn't argue because several miles back I was going 72 so I figured it was just a timing issue.
Nancy Carlson - 7 years ago
Leevon, not true! I live in Mpls, take the bus most of the time, and when I do drive there's no way you can speed in the city. There's just too much traffic.
Leevon - 7 years ago
Those who claim they never speed are 1) lying or 2) lying.
I've been caught in cameras only a couple of times and by roadside police for a fast-changing light to amber and red and for turning left from the wrong lane (after the lane I was in was changed from a turn lane). I paid my fines.
Using free Waze app will help save a driver from a speeding ticket — its screen shows the posted speed limit and your car's speed — in red if it's faster than the posted limit. Cruise control set at the speed limit or only 5 mph higher will help avoid a speeding ticket. A friend who acknowledges a "lead foot" but avoided a speeding ticket with Waze on a trip to Minnesota from D.C. Another driver who passed her was pulled over ahead — probably no Waze!
There is no "safe" speed, only relative degrees of safe driving depending upon your health and physical status, driving abilities and experience;, the condition of your vehicle ( steering, tires, brakes, automatic stability controls); road conditions (light, temperature, weather factors, road surface type and pathway, traffic level, surrounging drivers, etc.), and most importantly your driving instincts when faced with variables that test your judgment. Panic reactions that send cars out of control erase all other controls you might normally have over events. Once you lose control your fate is up to the gods.
Speed shortens your time to react to driving emergencies. You can lower your risks by following the recommended speed limits set by law and by physics of momentum and velocity. Roads can be rated according to curve angles and slopes. The density of intersections and proximity to roadside objects can rate risk levels. Changes in road surfaces and the variations in elevation and sight distances will be factors in driving safety. Past history of accident rates can rate safe driving levels for a particular location.
The safety warning systems built into recent cars have giveen drivers assistance monitoring blind spots and tracking patches of black ice. Lane departure warnings and autonomous controls will give drivers advance warnings for impending crashes, but excessive speed negates safety advantages. At the INDY 500 200 mph can be safe, and 35 mph can be deadly.
I do speed too often, and I've gotten way too many tickets. My last one was issued on a bright, sunny day; I was traveling on a smooth, beautiful highway & nearly the only car on the road. When the officer told me I was doing 20 mph OVER the speed limit, my jaw nearly hit the side of my door. I knew I was speeding, but the 20 SHOCKED me. The ticket cost me one- hundred and ninety dollars--$190.00!!!
Note this: I have never, ever caused an accident. And, I don't drink and drive. I do know better than to speed in either a school zone or a construction site on the roadway.
Honest to God, I was once cited for going 52 in a 35 zone when I was running late for my church service (shortly after my mother died), and I was within 100' of the entry to the freeway.
My father was an attorney, my younger sister is a para-legal, and our older daughter is licensed to practice law in two states. I do have an inherent love for the law, but speeding is a life-long problem. I'm now 65 years old. That's my story and it's the truth.
The more interesting question for me is how much more likely am I to kill someone if I hit them. Most of my driving is on city streets, not on the highway. It's easy enough to google up some studies, and the numbers are sobering. Here is a clip from one such: "So let’s take a look at the survival odds. At 20 mph, there’s a 95% chance you’re going to survive being hit by a car. At 30 mph, those odds drop to 55%, or literally at about chance. At 40 mph, you have virtually no chance at 5%." And here is where I found it.
http://www.thecarcrashdetective.com/2015/09/pedestrian-fatality-rates-increase-with-speed.html/
I have received one speeding ticket in my life. It was 1956 and I was just starting to drive by myself at 16 years of age. I was doing 50 mph in a 25 mph zone (!!!!). Before this I had never even looked to see what the speed limit was. I had to pay the incredible fine of $6 myself.
I never received another speeding ticket. It was one of the best lessons I ever learned! ...Bill Parker
I have always found the most dangerous conditions on the road are caused by the drivers who go to slow!
I can truthfully say that I never speed. And the reason I can say that I started working in the Nursing Field at age 17. My first job was working as a Nursing Assistant in a major hospital with Trauma 1 status. I worked in the Orthopedic Section. Most of our patients were there be caused they had been in some level of motor vehicle crash. One day in my first month of working there I was assigned to a patient that had been riding his motor cycle and had hit by a car. He "only" sustained a broken femur and was in traction, but when he was hit he was on a gravel road. I spent the entire day picking small rocks out of his entire body. I never sped after that. The only ticket I have received was for expired registration 30 years ago.
I've gotten one speeding ticket (so far) and I figure it wasn't just because of the speed. I was working for the local cable company and had just gotten off work at nearly midnight. The officer didn't realize anyone worked there that late, and there I was speeding like someone leaving the scene of a crime. To make matters worse, I had left my purse at work so I had no ID or proof of insurance. The tickets for those were dropped, fortunately.
It was my ONLY ticket in 42years of driving. AND the speed limit along that stretch had recently been lowered by 10 MPH.
I've been licensed to drive for over - oh, I can't believe this number - 50 years. During that time, I've had a few tickets, but mostly for goofy stuff because I was young and inexperienced. I don't remember being cited for speeding, though. I have driven faster than the posted speed limit, but not in a manner out of sync with the other drivers on the road, generally. Most of my driving was in California on the freeways. I try to anticipate weird drivers or situations around me and adjust my driving accordingly.
I've told my kids that 10% over will pretty much never get you a ticket, construction and school zones excluded. Not saying that's all I ever do - everyone in my morning commute seems to have agreed that 42mph is the proper speed in the 35mph zone - but I think it's a good rule of thumb.
I never speed on purpose and at age 61 have never had a speeding ticket. Drives my kids crazy. But I answered that I've never been caught because occasionally I do find myself over the limit by a few miles an hour, rarely over five. Then I slow down, but never below the limit unless the conditions are poor. Here in Arizona you can tell a snowbird on the freeway before you can see their plates because they stay in the fast lane at 55 with their left turn signal on. That's not me.
The last time I got a ticket, the guy said he pulled into the freeway and I was the only one who didn't hit the brakes. He told me I was going 72 in a 65 but my cruise control was on 67. I had seen him get on the freeway. I didn't argue because several miles back I was going 72 so I figured it was just a timing issue.
Leevon, not true! I live in Mpls, take the bus most of the time, and when I do drive there's no way you can speed in the city. There's just too much traffic.
Those who claim they never speed are 1) lying or 2) lying.