[dominick]

This thread was started about the 466A speed trap. Cops hide all over the place and swoop down from out of nowhere on poor souls exceeding the speed limit by 5 or 7 mph on the open road. Is it a major drug corridor or something??
Do the drivers on Route 441 have immunity of some kind? I'm on 441 every day around there (between Lady Lake and Leesburg) and I have NEVER seen a car pulled over. No evidence of police presence. Cars, trucks, etc speed all the time and the police don't seem to care at all. Today I was doing 43mph in a 45mph zone and a guy in a pickup truck passed me like I was standing still & just kept going. Its much more dangerous than 466A because of the high volume, mixed traffic, etc. As some people say, where are the police when you need them?? At Dunkin' Donuts maybe??

[djplong]

Originally Posted by BogeyBoy

Part of the responsibility of having a driver's license and operating a motor vehicle is obeying the rules of the road. If you drove for 19 or 20 years without a ticket you must agree with that or have been extremely lucky. You said that on the Saturday morning there was no traffic. Did you expect them to run out and change the signs and speed limit to 65 for your convenience? Try driving that road at 4:00 pm on a weekday. Accept the fact that you were caught speeding, pay the fine, and move on.

BTW - I'm sure many roadways were designed for a certain speed but speed limits are set lower due to traffic flow, growth in the area, number of accidents, new traffic lights, new intersecting roadways, and countless other factors that may save your life someday.

I accepted the fact that I was ticketed. I paid my fine within a couple of days of getting the notice in the mail. The one thing I *will* say in favor of D.C. is that they made it easy for me to pay over the web and I didn't have to wonder if a mailed check got lost en-route.

And, yes, conditions changing over the years can have an impact on speed limits.

In a perfect world, that would be ALL that would affect it.

Any good cop will admit that there are what's called "cherry patches". These are places where cops who are a little too far under their quota (you usually want to be right around or a little above the average but you don't want to be knows as "the hot pencil") can easily pull over a few violators.

Like the example I used earlier - widening roads and eliminating traffic lights isn't usually a reason to lower a speed limit - especially when it's changing from a secondary road to a limited-access highway (expressway or freeway depending on your area of the country).

Why do you think red light cameras are approved when studies show that they INCREASE accidents? The vendors (who get a kickback) make all sorts of bogus claims about safety when, in fact, lengthening yellow lights has been proven to reduce accidents. Putting in a red light camera means more people slamming on their brakes at the intersection for fear of a ticket causing more rear-end collisions.

It's all about the money in THOSE cases.

Every time there's an accident, it seems that someone wants to pass a new law to prevent future occurances. Sometimes that's a good thing becuase of changing technology (like texting while driving - didn't need a law against that in 1970 but apparently today's "distracted driving" or "driving to endanger" statutes don't cover it). But we ignore what is a factor in OVER HALF the accidents in this country - alcohol. The double-standard used to be worse than it is today. I hate drunk drivers as one nearly killed my ex-wife, a friend and the friend's baby while destroying my car. But think about what the laws would be like if we went after drunk drivers the way people want to go after text-messagers.

[GMONEY]

Originally Posted by dominick

This thread was started about the 466A speed trap. Cops hide all over the place and swoop down from out of nowhere on poor souls exceeding the speed limit by 5 or 7 mph on the open road. Is it a major drug corridor or something??
Do the drivers on Route 441 have immunity of some kind? I'm on 441 every day around there (between Lady Lake and Leesburg) and I have NEVER seen a car pulled over. No evidence of police presence. Cars, trucks, etc speed all the time and the police don't seem to care at all. Today I was doing 43mph in a 45mph zone and a guy in a pickup truck passed me like I was standing still & just kept going. Its much more dangerous than 466A because of the high volume, mixed traffic, etc. As some people say, where are the police when you need them?? At Dunkin' Donuts maybe??

You might need glasses, Fruitland Park makes a killing on 441. They had 4 of them pulled over lastnight by Phillips Pontiac.

[Bubbalarry]

Originally Posted by billethkid

The more speed traps the better.
If they are not investigating a crime they should be nailing speeders in TV.
In a retirement community what is the hurry? Gotta get to yer t time? Geritol? Home to take a nap?
I wish FL had citizen's arrest, but they do not. I would be turning in and happy to witness in court for the rediculous things the old farts do here behind the wheel.
Yes it is FL friendliest home town unless they are behind the wheel...cars and golf carts.....
It is the few that are to blame and I support ticketing as many of them as can be caught!

btk

Can we get your plate # to pass on to the police. Can't wait to hear your explanation when doing 35 MPH in fruitland park when the sign reads school zone when flashing and schools out. Your driving 25 and get a
$400.00 ticket. Then lets hear your comments. This thread talks about 466A speed traps and not the villages in general. Yes the drivers in TV need to slow down, but we need to stay on this threads point.

[Quixote]

I cant belive people are still whining about this. Follow the speed limit, no ticket. Simple as that. You dont like the speed limit, find some way to protest it and I dont mean by speeding. If no way to protest, then just obey the speed limit. Youre not forced to like it, only to obey it. The speed limit is there for a reason that I may not understand cause Im not a civil engineer but thats the way it is. End of story.

[bluedog103]

Originally Posted by Quixote

I cant belive people are still whining about this. Follow the speed limit, no ticket. Simple as that. You dont like the speed limit, find some way to protest it and I dont mean by speeding. If no way to protest, then just obey the speed limit. Youre not forced to like it, only to obey it. The speed limit is there for a reason that I may not understand cause Im not a civil engineer but thats the way it is. End of story.

Not always true:
I was cruising along one evening in a 40 mph zone. I was doing between 35-38 mph. A car pulls up on my bumper, then passed on a double yellow line. A few seconds later another vehicle appeared in my mirror, lights flashing. I slowed down further, then pulled off and stopped for the officer to pass. Instead, he pulled up behind me and wrote me a ticket for doing 55 mph. Said I had been going faster than that, but he was writing me for a slower speed as a favor, whatever that means. I told him I knew how fast I was going and it was no where near 55, or 45, or even 40 mph. Not surprisingly, he wasn't impressed.
I pleaded Not Guilty and appeared before the judge with the P.O. present and explained my case. After discussion and questioning by the judge, the officer admitted he'd lost sight of the vehicle he'd clocked at excessive speed and could have been mistaken. The ticket was dismissed.

[downeaster]

Originally Posted by bluedog103

Not always true:
I was cruising along one evening in a 40 mph zone. I was doing between 35-38 mph. A car pulls up on my bumper, then passed on a double yellow line. A few seconds later another vehicle appeared in my mirror, lights flashing. I slowed down further, then pulled off and stopped for the officer to pass. Instead, he pulled up behind me and wrote me a ticket for doing 55 mph. Said I had been going faster than that, but he was writing me for a slower speed as a favor, whatever that means. I told him I knew how fast I was going and it was no where near 55, or 45, or even 40 mph. Not surprisingly, he wasn't impressed.
I pleaded Not Guilty and appeared before the judge with the P.O. present and explained my case. After discussion and questioning by the judge, the officer admitted he'd lost sight of the vehicle he'd clocked at excessive speed and could have been mistaken. The ticket was dismissed.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us. It sounds like the officer was doing his job but erred. At that point you could have argued more forcibly but that would only have exacerbated the situation. I would like to think all judges were as willing to listen to your case as this one. Justice prevailed!
My only ticket was also successfully argued in my favor before a judge. I was in a strange (to me) city (Spokane, WA.) in a rental car moving with the traffic albeit over the speed limit. I was able to get my case before a court that same day. As I sat waiting for my case to come up I was able to observe the judge. He was no softy but seemed fair. When he heard my circumstances he waived the fine and costs.
I think the arresting officer selected me as I was driving a rental car. However, based on the cooperation of the prosecutor's office getting my case heard that day and the fairness of the judge, I have positive feelings about Spokane.

[kipp818]

Would a review of Florida Law have any bearing on this issue?
Florida statue 316.610 reads:

For speed exceeding the limit by:
Fine:

1-5 m.p.h ............ Warning
6-9 m.p.h ............ $25
10-14 m.p.h ............ $100
15-19 m.p.h ............ $150
20-29 m.p.h ............ $175
30 m.p.h. and above ............ $250

[rmr02]

Originally Posted by djplong

Why do you think red light cameras are approved when studies show that they INCREASE accidents?

I find this a very interesting statistic. I've never heard of this before, and would like to do some follow-up research. Can you please provide a source for this statement?

[djplong]

Certainly. I had a hard time believing it myself. You can find some interesting information at a website that, while probably slanted, has the sources. From:

http://blog.motorists.org/red-light-...that-prove-it/

They quote several studies on that page.

From a 1995 Australian study:

“The results of this study suggest that the installation of the RLC at these sites did not provide any reduction in accidents, rather there has been increases in rear end and adjacent approaches accidents on a before and after basis and also by comparison with the changes in accidents at intersection signals.”

“There has been no demonstrated value of the RLC as an effective countermeasure.”

From a 2007 Virginia study:

“After cameras were installed, rear-end crashes increased for the entire six-jurisdiction study area… After controlling for time and traffic volume at each intersection, rear-end crash rates increased by an average of 27% for the entire study area.”

There are also quotes from a 2001 study commissioned by then US House of Representatives majorioty leader Dick Armey, a 2004 N.C Agr & Tech University study and a 2003 study from the Ontario (Canada) Ministry of Transportation.

In addition to the quotes, there are links so that you can download the entire study in each case.

[Karen83]

Kipp, I don't know about those fines. I was caught doing 70mph in a 60mph zone, on a 4 lane divided highway at 6:15 on a Sunday morning with excellant road conditions. The only cars on the highway were me and the police. I was out $188.80.

After telling my story at work ( I was then an RN at Citrus Memorial Hosp), I learned that 3 out of 5 of us in the room had been ticketed within the last 2 weeks and the fines were all higher than your list.

I learned my lesson the hard way down here.

[otherbruddaDarrell]

If you have cable tv here you might want to watch lake county courts when it shows.
Most of the cases involve driving while suspended. If you get a ticket in Florida and forgot to pay it or refused, or moved and it went to a wrong address........you are suspended. Quite a few times the people do not even realize they were suspended.
It is a very interesting half hour show and they repeat the segment all week long. The cases are from around a month or so before they are broadcast.

[chuckster]

I'm confused.........and I could be wrong but how do you get a ticket and not know it/not pay it and claim what, stupidity/brain fart. Me thinks you shouldn't be driving, you're a danger to the rest of us......

[otherbruddaDarrell]

I agree with you Chuckster. There are also lots of aliens that can't speak english being brought before Judge Miller with multiple tickets!
You also get to see other things like theft/battery etc. But most of the show is centered around traffic violations.

[chuckster]

Have seen the show several times Darrell and tend to agree with you, very interesting as have seen many driving while license suspended cases as well as numerous other infractions and felonies.

Have to feel for the unfortunate souls that are habitually trapped in the system. Unemployed and will never pay their fines, etc. What's our society to do with chronic unemployed offenders?? IMHO, it's one of the sad facts of rising unemployment and an unqualified/poorly educated non-alien (20 - 40 year old) population.

Don't have a solution but wish I did...........