RocketGuy3

Heh, fair point. "Speed trap" may not be the right term to use here. But it is such a waste of resources to have cops camped out, and hidden while they wait for people to speed by on a perfectly smooth, wide, straight, low-traffic road with high visibility (which appears to be the case here based on the picture in the OP). That is a fine time to have a pinch of fun and open up your car a little bit. There are far better things cops could be doing with their time.

RocketGuy3

I've had one speeding ticket in my 12+ years of driving (in fact that was my only moving violation of any kind). And no, I don't have a radar detector. I would say that I've just formed a reasonable sense for how fast I can go before I start risking a ticket.

Still, I know that speeding laws (again, primarily on freeways) are mostly nonsense in my experience.

RC000E

Road was pretty clean/clear, no rain, tires designed to 186mph+, brand new Corvette....sounds reasonable to me.

A lot more reasonable than the 120mph that cop does regularly in that overloaded SUV.

TacDoc

Speeding tickets are nothing more than a revenue resource. My brothers are both PD and while not written, quotas are very real. As more and more municipalities lose tax revenue from residents who don't contribute tax dollars ( i.e. don't work ) they will use speed laws to generate revenue. It has nothing to do with safety.

RC000E

^Exactly....and anyone who believes otherwise is a fool...

I worked for PD for three years...I know what goes on. We had officers making more than the Chief because of how much traffic they did. I know a guy that is a cop in my town where my shop is...his base salary is 78k/yr and he is on track to make 138k this year from traffic. The township will buy him any vehicle he asks for...he wanted a motorcycle...he got it....he wanted an unmarked to hide...he got it....it's about money, not safety. If it were about safety, they'd sit on the side of the road with their roof lights on...everyone would slow down...that's proactive....

Greg00Coupe

This why I to to the track for my fun. Too many innocent folks out on the road that can be harmed by this type of adventure.

As someone else said...... glad you did not go to jail and glad they did not impound your ride.

icntdrv55

Disclaimer: I don't know the OP, but...

...from his description of the offense and fine, I'm guessing GA. Super speeder law down there starts to get REAL pricey after 20+ over. I head down to the NC/GA area several times a year with a group of riding buds (MCs) and we're very careful when get into GA....at least, we've never been caught. (Knock on wood!)

Wiscane

NONSENSE !
I've worked over 30 years as a LEO in three different geographic areas . While quotas definitely exist in some areas throughout the United States...... I have NEVER EVER heard of any revenue sharing of ticket revenue or fines with the police officer
Hopefully, I misunderstood what you were trying to say

BeaZt

Nope that pic isn't from don here in Ga I don't think. Super speeder is no joke down here.

WICKEDFRC

At least it was in an Arctic White!! Congrats on the beautiful ride...and ticket.

Gr8ful

Man, over $1k. I got a $500 fine for 135 in Navada out in the middle of nowhere. You had to
Smokin.

RC000E

You didn't misunderstand, you misinterpreted where the money comes from. It's not a "cut" from the ticket, it's the way that the officer is paid when a hearing is requested....4 hours pay per request! If it's your day off or it puts you over 40 for the week...double time.

So, they stop you, tell you to request a hearing, then they give you the standard plea deal....you pay them, no points (in basic cases of 15 over, etc) and everyone is happy (because people are fools).

What this has led to is gross abuse of the system. In addition, Western, PA is structured much different than many other areas of the country. Here, we have a concentration of small towns, all with their own PD's, versus one large county dept (oh yeah...we have that too...). All these towns need income, and traffic does it for them. In some towns, it consists of over 30% of their annual budget. When a council projects a budget for the year ahead, if tickets don't bring in the projections, then you have a deficit...that's how you have quotas.

Here they don't have "quotas", but they have requirements. You must put x amount of miles on your car per shift, unless you're running traffic (static)...if you're static, then there must be cause (i.e. a number of reasonable inquiries for oln/plate/tag info in a given timeframe). If you run the inquiries and there is no citation (no written warnings here...just verbal) beyond maybe one or two here and there, then the Chief comes down on you (speaking about one town I know of personally). So...due to the requirements, you either drive exhaustively, or do traffic.

You said you worked a bunch of geographic areas...well, we know Pittsburgh area isn't one of them...corruption is rampant here. Magistrates are elected and don't even know the law, nor have a requirement to know it. They rule with the police...period. Police pulled me over with no probable cause whatseover....looked at me...pulled me over...then wrote me a street racing citation because I told him he was violating my civil rights. Guilty as charged at the magistrate...so I have to file appeal...cost me two days and 215.00, then go to trial before a real judge and it gets thrown out. The system is garbage here...

BobCollins45

You pays your money and takes your choices!

Stingray Sam

I'll second that. I spent over 30 years in law enforcement, including three as a Traffic Division supervisor. It was my Traffic squad's job to investigate serious injury and fatal vehicle collisions and, when not so engaged, to enforce traffic laws.

1. I have NEVER heard of ANY law enforcement agency that paid or pays a patrol officer, traffic enforcement officer or parking control officer ANY KIND of commission, bonus or other incentive based on the number of citation they issued. Not only would it be a conflict of interest resulting in dismissal by any state appellate court, it would open up the governmental entity to lawsuits and substantial civil penalties.

2. People used to accuse me of having a quota or requiring a quota of the officers who reported to me. There was no such quota. They could write as many violations as they could find.

3. Studies by the NHTSA have clearly and repeatedly shown a direct correlation between per capita traffic fatalities and per capita traffic enforcement; when enforcement is down, fatalities rise.

4. Additional studies have demonstrated a relationship between regional auto insurance premiums and traffic enforcement. Lower enforcement yields higher premiums. You might think auto theft rate has an impact and it does. But medical and litigation costs from collisions far outweigh the costs to insurance companies of theft losses.

5. I happen to agree that speed, alone, is not necessarily dangerous. But, unfortunately, most high-rate speeders also engage in additional acts that make their speed dangerous to other driver's, such as unsafe lane changes, unsafe passing and/or other reckless acts. It can also be an indicator of an intoxicated driver, though I won't go into all the whys and wherefores of that here.

rcallen484

This is a correct description of how it works in that traffic officers scheduled for Court a lot do make a lot of overtime pay.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

04c5z06

Stopping isn't worth the hassle anymore (especially with insurance points B.S.) unless you have no chance of getting away, and that's when the laser jammers come in

I've gunned it plenty of times on my S1000 as soon as I see the lights go on

rcallen484

Turning misdemeanor into felony. Poor, poor idea.

Stingray Sam

...which will work just fine until you find yourself in jail for evading or worse, in prison for felony evading and/or manslaughter when you maim or kill some innocent.

Stupid decisions lead to unforeseen consequences.

BeaZt

In my younger days on sportbikes we'd run in a heart beat in a car I ran only once. Didn't get caught then either. Eventually I grew up and kept it on the track. Used to be a great rush and very stupid....damn hard to outrun the radio and or helicopter.

Old Boot

radar detector is always my first mod.
(I only use it to remind me not to go too fast)
And on the odd occasion I find my self slipping over the speed limit by accident I try to do it on multi lane in each direction devided hi way, with a long view so I can see cars people or such up ahead, in the day light so I can see cars ahead. And I may still from time to time get caught slipping over the posted speed limit. ( My worse slip was 107 over the posted speed )but that was years ago and I learned a lesson back then.....better detector!!!