How's your driving habits around the cops?

[tony]

Do your driving habits change when you know a police cruiser is following you, or if you see one by the side of the road ahead?

I admit that I get irritated when everybody slows down well below the speed limit just because a police cruiser is nearby.

[Lou Card]

Do your driving habits change when you know a police cruiser is following you, or if you see one by the side of the road ahead?

I admit that I get irritated when everybody slows down well below the speed limit just because a police cruiser is nearby.


I have to speed up to not appear I am trying to hide something. I love the Sunday Driver thing 7 days a week.

[otherbruddaDarrell]

If there is a cruiser on the side of the road I move over or slow down in order to provide them a margin of safety. If one is behind me it does not change the way I drive.
I am one of those drivers that does the legal speed, keeps a safe distance and uses turn lights................rather unusual for around here!

[2BNTV]

Tony:

I do change if I am slightly over the speed limit because I've heard that some police officers will give you a ticket as they might think you are disrespectful if they have already determined you are speeding, (take my foot off the gas pedal and not hit the brakes). I do not slow down well below the speed limit as this may cause an accident. I tend to move over if possible as the police officer may be headed to an emergency situation.
Many years ago, a driver slowed down a lot after he was speeding in the passing lane of the highway as a police cruiser was looking for him to move over so he could pass him. Subsequently, the police cruiser cut me off with little room and I almost bought the farm!!! It caused me to swerve into another lane and there was another vehicle there. How I avoided this is a miracle.

[memason]

Tony....what kind of question is that???? Unfortunately, I'm one of those who drives too fast [by some peoples standards] and usually need to alter my driving habits, should I be graced by the presence of law enforcement. In the US, at least.

However, now living in Germany, I can drive about as fast as I wish. It is still a little strange to pass a cop on the autobahn at anywhere between 120 to 135 mph. We have family living in Southern Germany and we live in the northern-most regions. It's about a 550 mile trip, so we leave home right after breakfast and get there in time to eat lunch with her family.

My driving habits will definitely change in 4 months! ...or, I'll be walking...

[ajbrown]

In both states I live there is a "move over law". If an emergency vehicle is in the breakdown lane, we must move over if safe to do so, or slow down.

I do get apprehensive when an officer comes up behind me, thinking what do they want, or what did I do...

If I I am in the fast lane, I am ussually passing in that lane, so I am probably 5-8 MPH over the limit. I am always torn between having him/her stuck behind me or speeding up 5 more MPH to pass the cars in the lane to the right of me..... :shrug:

In my experience they just want you out of ther way.....

[GMONEY]

What kills me is when your going down the Interstate or Turnpike, speed limit is 70... Come across a State Trooper or FDOT setting in the middle of the road and the cars slow to like 60, and lord help they are in the so called fast lane and all the sudden slow down and change lanes. For the life of me can not figure it out.

The best one yet, on 466. Trooper doing 40mph Saturday morning. All the cars slow down to 35 and finnaly slide over behind him. I had the cruise on 45 and slowly went by him. all the other cars stayed behind him. DONT BE SCARED!!!

DIfferent story if they have someone pulled over, or the lites on assisting somebody, you have to change lanes and give them room. but if they are just sitting checking radar or napping or what ever. If your not doing anything wrong, dont all the sudden slowdown...

[r_foye]

I have to admit when I was working patrol I liked to go out on busy roads and drive slow just to mess with people...It always cracked me up that people were afraid to pass me no matter how slow I decided to go...Childish of me I know, but it was still fun...Also before the days my department had radar I would park on side of the road and point my thermos at drivers when they drove by, that got a lot of brake slamming out of people...:a20:

[The Great Fumar]

chiloutActually my driving is just fine,,,,Its my putting thats gone in the toilet....

spash fumar..........chilout

[Shimpy]

Since retiring I drive the speed limit. I started doing that because my radar detecter is on my motorcycle and don't want to move it back and forth. I am in no hurry anymore in the car, but enjoy turning it up a notch or two in corners on the bike. Of course if there is a cop, I stay exactly on the speed limit.

[Shimpy]

I have to admit when I was working patrol I liked to go out on busy roads and drive slow just to mess with people...It always cracked me up that people were afraid to pass me no matter how slow I decided to go...Childish of me I know, but it was still fun...Also before the days my department had radar I would park on side of the road and point my thermos at drivers when they drove by, that got a lot of brake slamming out of people...:a20:

Rode as a guess with my friend who was a Fla. Highway Patrol trooper on the turnpike. He'd drive the speed limit, but so much traffic would pile up behind him that he'd have to pull off the road so traffic could get back to normal.

[Talk Host]

Let me see if I can tell this story in short form.

A number of years ago, we were on a tour bus heading into Las Vegas from Hoover dam on a four lane interstate. Ahead of the bus was a Nevada trooper going exactly the speed limit. There was a big long line of cars and our bus behind him.

I asked the bus driver why he doesn't pass the trooper. He said, "oh no...this is a set up." I said, "BS, he won't ticket you for going 3 miles over the limit on an interstate. "Yes he will," the driver said.

About that time, a car behind us took the bait and crept past the trooper in the passing lane. I mean like 1 mile an hour faster. BAM!!!!!!!! On came the red lights and he nailed the guy.

I could have ****.

[Pturner]

I confess that I take my foot off the gas in reflex, just in case my speed has crept up past the speed limit.

[collie1228]

I've had my license for 44 years now, and I've never had a moving violation (no speeding tickets, no rolled stop signs - nothing). I have to admit my lack of court time is due mostly to luck, as I'm not a perfect driver (I do drive over the speed limit on the highways, but try to keep my speed a couple MPH lower than the "real" speeders). But that aside, whenever I see a sheriff's car nearby, I'm concentrating on being on my best behavior. So far it's worked for me.

[The Great Fumar]

Ok , I'll have to admit that I drive toooo fast , I dr over 35 on buena vista and El camino real and at least 10 over down 301 and thats with my golf cart .....My car is another matter.......

flash fumar............:faint:

[downeaster]

I was travelling north on I91 north of Springfield, Mass the last of about a five car "convoy". Leading the convoy was a State Trooper going at the speed limit. After a few miles he exited at an interchange. No one took the bait and we continued at the speed limit. As I passed the on ramp I checked in my mirror and there he was, as I expected, on our tail. He soon saw we were not falling for his tricks and he exited for good at the next interchange.

[Mikeod]

I was travelling north on I91 north of Springfield, Mass the last of about a five car "convoy". Leading the convoy was a State Trooper going at the speed limit. After a few miles he exited at an interchange. No one took the bait and we continued at the speed limit. As I passed the on ramp I checked in my mirror and there he was, as I expected, on our tail. He soon saw we were not falling for his tricks and he exited for good at the next interchange.
Yeah. That's a favorite of CHP in California, especially on I-5 through the San Joaquin valley. Some of the exits are such that the cruiser can exit, cross the street and down the on ramp in the same direction without really slowing down. Lots of "Gotcha's" with that tactic. A corpsman who worked for me got a job with CHP and they assigned him to the I-15 corridor from San Bernardino to Nevada Border. The Las Vegas Grand Prix in other words. Lots of business there, especially Friday PM and Sunday evening.

[BogeyBoy]

Yeah. That's a favorite of CHP in California, especially on I-5 through the San Joaquin valley. Some of the exits are such that the cruiser can exit, cross the street and down the on ramp in the same direction without really slowing down. Lots of "Gotcha's" with that tactic. A corpsman who worked for me got a job with CHP and they assigned him to the I-15 corridor from San Bernardino to Nevada Border. The Las Vegas Grand Prix in other words. Lots of business there, especially Friday PM and Sunday evening.

Seems like it turned into a parking lot during those hours.

But to get back to the original topic, my first reaction is letting up on the gas, I used to be a much faster driver and I think it is an old habit. Once I have glanced at the speedometer and see I am close to the speed limit I resume my speed.

Here's another CHP story. Almost 40 years ago I was not in the US when the speed limit on highways was reduced to 55. When I returned I was headed north on Highway 101 near Paso Robles, traveling with family in two cars. The other car got pulled over. I knew we were going about 60, which seemed very slow to me for that highway. So I though he had been pulled over for one of a couple of bad habits he had, tailgating and not using signals. I pulled off on the shoulder to wait. Suddenly there was a rapping on my window. It was the highway patrol officer asking for my license and registration. Mind you, he did not pull me over, I was a few hundred feet further up the road. So of course I asked what I had done. "Clocked you at 62 mph." I protested, "You didn't pull me over, I'm just parked here." He told me I was doing the same speed as the car he pulled over and if everyone in that whole line of traffic would have pulled over they would each get a ticket. Paso always had a reputation for being a speed trap but I thought that was a bit much. I did not attach a check for $50 and mail it in as was an option, I wrote the judge and explained my case. He wrote back and said the CHP and I would have to appear if I wanted to fight the ticket, but he said he would reduce the fine to $10. I opted for the reduced fine rather than drive the 200 miles round trip. Morale of the story: Don't stop unless you are certain the cop is specifically pulling you over. He may need to write one more ticket to meet his quota and you would make his job easier.