What is a Speeding Ticket?

A speeding ticket is a citation issued by a police officer. It indicates that a driver was driving beyond the posted speed limit. Sometimes you can get off with a warning, but-- with the rise in motorist accidents--police officers across the country have been cracking down. The fastest speed ever ticketed allegedly occurred in Texas, and it had the driver clocked in at 242 miles per hour.

Why Do You Get Tickets?

Tickets are given when a driver's speed exceeds the posted limit. Police officers can give you a ticket for going one mile over, but there is generally an accepted buffer zone as speed limits change from street to street.

How Are You Caught?

Police officers are equipped with radar guns, which act like sonar, issuing out a constant beam that is bounced off an object. It is then returned to the sensors. When the beam returns, the frequency is changed, and that change is frequency lets the radar gun determine the speed of the object.

Speed Traps

Speed traps are postings along the road, where police officers wait holding radar guns. They specifically sit, waiting for a car to drive past that is going faster than the posted limit. Police officers then issue a speeding ticket and go back to waiting.

Avoiding Tickets

The best way to avoid tickets is to be a defensive driver. Do this by allowing yourself a buffer zone. If you see the speed is posted at 35 miles per hour, slow to 33 miles per hour. Don't go too slow, though, as you can be issued a ticket for that as well.

The Point System

Some areas of the country have what is referred to as the point system. Each time you are issued a traffic violation--such as a speeding ticket--a point goes on your driving record. Accumulation of three points results in a suspension of your license. It generally remains suspended until you complete a determined amount of sessions at driving school.