Question for LEO, do you obey the limit or flow of traffic?

cobb

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As a new driver behind the wheel for a few days over a month I have some questions. I am just mastering driving the posted speed limit vs a few under and in some cases the extra 5 Ive heard I am allowed. The problem is, it seems no one goes the limit or even 5 over. I was on i 95 and caught myself easily doing 65 with cars passing me in the 55-60mph zones. I find even on city streets with 25,35mph limits, flks do 45 or more. I see where it can be a safety concern on city streets with parked cars, schools and intersections, but what about the interstate?

So, unoffically, do I keep up with traffic or stick to the limit or even slower? I know the driving manual talked about keeping with the flow of traffic, however it can warn if you drive the posted limit and conditions are unsafe from excessive traffic, weather, etc you can still get a ticket.

My dad goes 5 over any limit. On the interstate he tries to keep up with the pack. If he cant, which is most the case, he backs off to 5 over the limit.
 

Rothrandir

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regarding the 5 over, i believe one of the reasons may be to compensate for innacuracies of your spedometer?
if you end up deciding to only go the "legal" speed, keep in mind that even though your car says you're going 65, you may in fact be going a few above or below that...
 

bjn70

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I was stopped recently and given a warning for 5 over. I had my cruise set for 2 over, and was on a slight downhill but still thought I was only about 3 over. I've checked my speedo many times using those "your speed is..." radar warning signs that occur various places here. and usually I'm going at or under what my speedo says.
 

scott.cr

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A few years ago I was cited for going 50 in a 35 zone, and tailgating. But I got off the citation on the grounds that I did not violate the basic speed law (it was a sunny day at around 10:00 am, light traffic).

BTW, that was a tip given to me by a traffic attorney. Speed laws are very slippery indeed.
 

Pydpiper

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At one point of my work trucks long abused history someone has put larger tires on it than recommended, this altered my speedometer. I realized this by bringing my GPS along for a ride.
 
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Donovan

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cobb said:
do I keep up with traffic or stick to the limit or even slower? I know the driving manual talked about keeping with the flow of traffic, however it can warn if you drive the posted limit and conditions are unsafe from excessive traffic, weather, etc you can still get a ticket.
Keep up with the flow of traffic!!!! Forget trying to exactly match the posted limit or "only going 5 over". Drive at a safe and prudent speed regardless of the posted number. This may mean going much slower when weather/traffic/conditions warrant but also means that if traffic is flowing at 70 in a 55, go 70! It has been proven over and over that you and everyone around is safer when you "go with the flow"...
 

greenLED

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Donovan said:
...if traffic is flowing at 70 in a 55, go 70! It has been proven over and over that you and everyone around is safer when you "go with the flow"...
I'm sorry, but if the rest of the world wants to get killed on the road, it's their problem, don't drag me into it. I follow the posted speed limit and may exceed it only by 5 miles or so *only* when on the interstate. (and, NO, I am not the type that does 45MPH on the left lane of the interstate either - but I don't buy "let's all speed because it's safer" bandwagon)
 

cobb

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If I had my way, I would be the guy going 45 in the far right lane. Seems to be a good speed with all the merging going on as thats what happens on the right side of the interstate.

I was just wondering as I could do either, but feel with an extended body white cargo van, I maybe a great target for IR radar.

Ive seen cops in the mediums of i295, but never any cops waiting on i95. I have seen them drive with the flow of traffic with their lights on or just at an exit with them blinking.
 

gorn

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scott.cr said:
A few years ago I was cited for going 50 in a 35 zone, and tailgating. But I got off the citation on the grounds that I did not violate the basic speed law (it was a sunny day at around 10:00 am, light traffic).

BTW, that was a tip given to me by a traffic attorney. Speed laws are very slippery indeed.

In California, in addition to the basic speed law (driving safe for the conditions) there are specific sections for exceeding the posted limit. The basic speed law isn't used much just because of the verbiage of it. A violation of the basic speed law would not only depend on current conditions, but the abilities of the driver.

My recommendation to you as a retired LEO is drive the speed limit. At least in California your car is not required to have a speedometer. That means if the speedometer is off that's not a valid reason to dismiss a citation.

If you try to keep up with the flow of traffic in California you will be going way over the limit. There is no leeway for you going 5 over the limit. The limit is the limit. It has been set by a traffic engineer. That being said I never issued a ticket to anyone that was going less than 10 mph over the limit. YMMV with the Officer that stops you. Some guys take the code as gospel.

I took one section as gospel, section 4 of the California Penal Code that says to enforce the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law.
 

MScottz

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greenLED said:
I'm sorry, but if the rest of the world wants to get killed on the road, it's their problem, don't drag me into it. I follow the posted speed limit and may exceed it only by 5 miles or so *only* when on the interstate. (and, NO, I am not the type that does 45MPH on the left lane of the interstate either - but I don't buy "let's all speed because it's safer" bandwagon)

It is not the speed that caused accidents, but rather the DIFFERENCE in speed between the vehicles. It IS safer to go witht hte flow of traffic than to make everyone pass you.
 

Alloy Addict

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The speed limit is not always set by traffic engineers, but by lawmakers. Thus the highway speed limit goes from 55 to 65 or 70. The roads didn't change but the law did.

Many years ago I had the joy of driving on the loop around DC. I was doing the speed limit, but having heart palpitations every other minute because drivers were constantly flying up to my car, getting within inches (and by inches I mean less than 6") of my back bumper. They would honk repeatedly, gesture wildly, and pass me with little to no room to spare. After a few minutes of that I decided to go with the flow, and felt a lot better for the rest of the trip. I was still going a lot slower than many drivers, but I didn't feel like I was going to get rear ended every couple of minutes.

All of this BTW took place in the slow lane. Any accident that day would have been a pile up so my speed would only have had marginal influence on the damage I received, and I certainly felt like my "slow" speed was more likely to cause an accident around me than when I got up to DC speed.

This is a common scenario in many big cities these days, but I hope to never have to drive the loop around DC again.
 

Datasaurusrex

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markdi said:
maybe for legal or other reasons a leo can not give a opinion on this subject.
I'm not one. I've driven with several off duty LEOs, and I've never known one who actually obeyed the speed limit -- not even close.
 

webley445

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All depends where you live, road conditions/congestion, and the officer on the road at the time.

I did a ride along with my local PD last night and it was enlightening.
First off, practically everycar (at least here) has radar in it. The car I was in could clock anyone whether coming or going. Some car have front and rear facing units. Motorcycles have front and rear units that are joystick controlled to clock cars going to opposite direction.
They ALWAYS know how fast you're going. If you come over a hill and see a cop sitting in the median, he already has your speed.

It depends on the cop and how much he will allow for over the limit. Last night we were clocking cars about 300 yards away and he would allow for 10-15 over the limit at this certain location.

Then he busted a guy for having some crack and had to do data entry on the laptop afterwards,so we parked in another median and he allowed for 20 over the limit as he was occupied with the work.

I was told that here in my locale, you could not by law get a ticket for 5mph over, but at an officer's discretion, you could get cited at 6mph over.

Only time anyone was "safe" from the radar was when riding in a pack, and I mean it had to be very closed together traffic. Practically side by side.
If you are just a little too far ahead of the pack you can be singled out by the equipment, same for just barely too far behind.

He also told me that at the radar/laser cert school, you have to learn also to be able to judge speed by eye within 5 mph of actual speed.

They've already got your number out their. Its amatter of time of day and conditions. At 3am, all alone and going 10 mph over you're probably gonna get stopped to see if you're a DUI. At 12 noon everyone else is doing the same so you're safer.
Plus they are really looking for the high numbers like 20 or more over the posted, what they want is to catch those who are being really "unsafe".

Lots of times they will sit somewhere with the lights on to "slow traffic", or maybe they are waiting for something in reference to the incident/call they are on at the time.

As for off duty, most of the guys I know drive like the rest of us.

Sure was funny watching folks "poop" their pants coming over the hill and slowing down fast to get back under the limit.
 

Pydpiper

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In my days of radar detector use I counted on police using the "always on" radar, it always let you know where they were, the ones that scared me were the ones that utilize triggers, those ones were far harder to avoid.
I drive more in a day than an average person, and I have never had a speeding ticket. The only time I do the exact speed limit is when I am near a school or other place that kids frequent.
However, I was on my way to an exam for my real estate licence and was running late last year, I had to make a 40 minute trip in 39 minutes.. I got pulled over for doing 105 in a 60 (it was just at the point where it turned into an 80), when I handed my registration over the guy pointed out that I had never signed my registration and offered me a choice (he was a good cop) said I could have the speeding ticket or the ticket for not signing the registration, which was equally severe. I told him I would take whatever he could write the fastest, the clock was ticking.. He assured me he would be a quick as he could. A few minutes passed, he walked up to my window handed me my licence and registration, said "it's your lucky day, I have to respond to a call" and left. :) I pass that spot a couple times a day, and have been doing the speed limit each time.
 

Ras_Thavas

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We probably won't give an opinion because it varies from location to location, and by individual officer's preference. As a general rule, in Virginia Beach a radar cop won't even pull you over unless you are doing more than 9 miles over the limit. In this case, YMMV.
 

gorn

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MScottz said:
It is not the speed that caused accidents, but rather the DIFFERENCE in speed between the vehicles. It IS safer to go witht hte flow of traffic than to make everyone pass you.

Speed has little to do with most accidents. It's the driver not having proper control of the vehicle. If a car "going with the flow" appoaches a vehicle that is driving the limit and hits that car that wouldn't be a speed problem, it would be what we refer to as a HUA problem. (Head Up A..)
 
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