How to Avoid Speed Traps
Nothing is worse than sailing along the highway, only to be pulled over and ticketed for speeding. By locating speed traps before you travel, you can avoid this expensive experience, which can also waste a lot of your valuable time.
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Instructions
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Do the obvious: Don't speed. Note posted speed limits and be especially careful when coming down hills or rounding curves where speed traps may be located.
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Familiarize yourself with the maximum speed limits in all the states you'll be visiting (see the Summary of State Speed Laws available at nhtsa.dot.gov). Speed limits vary from state to state and knowing them could save you a ticket.
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Get on the The Speed Trap Exchange website (speedtrap.org) and find all the speed traps along your route. Take the list with you on your trip.
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Buy a radar detector. It will warn you of an upcoming radar device, giving you time to slow down before you're clocked. Expect to pay between $200 and $500 for a radar detector.
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Tips & Warnings
By federal law, radar detectors are illegal in commercial vehicles (such as trucks) in all states. Radar "jammers" are also illegal in all states.
Some law enforcement agencies use both laser and lidar to catch speeders. The latter is especially difficult to avoid.
No detector can save you from the consequences of speeding, although it may help by allowing you to detect radar or a laser before they detect you.
This information is not intended to encourage you to exceed speed limits or to otherwise break the law.
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Comments
View all 13 Comments-
Aug 08, 2006
Never speed through residential areas. It's just plain stupid. People, especially kids, may be out on the street on run in front of your vehicle unexpectedly. If you're pressed for time, don't make it up until you're out on more open roads. Also, radar guns operate by wide angle sound waves. Turning on your windshield wipers will do nothing other than make you look even dumber once you've been pulled over. Same goes for putting tinfoil in your hubcaps and hanging a CD from your mirror -- short of using a jamming device, which is illegal, there is nothing you can do to "mess up" a police radar gun. Your best bet is to slow down as quickly as possible and hope that you didn't get tagged yet. -
Aug 08, 2006
Do not fall into a sense of false security by following or passing a larger vehicle, such as an eighteen wheeler. By the press of a button the officer can lock the speed of a smaller car, even if it is beside a slower large truck.
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Aug 08, 2006
Never speed through residential areas. It's just plain stupid. People, especially kids, may be out on the street on run in front of your vehicle unexpectedly. If you're pressed for time, don't make it up until you're out on more open roads. Also, radar guns operate by wide angle sound waves. Turning on your windshield wipers will do nothing other than make you look even dumber once you've been pulled over. Same goes for putting tinfoil in your hubcaps and hanging a CD from your mirror -- short of using a jamming device, which is illegal, there is nothing you can do to "mess up" a police radar gun. Your best bet is to slow down as quickly as possible and hope that you didn't get tagged yet.
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Mar 30, 2006
Know the "buffer zone," the amount, if any, that you can comfortably exceed the speed limit without being pulled over. Generally, the easiest way to do this is to just observe the traffic flow and go with the cars that are moving faster (but not at speeds that are obviously excessive). Generally, this will run from 5 to 10 mph over the limit on freeways. A police officer in a speed trap is generally more concerned with people speeding at higher speeds. After all, why bother pulling over someone going 5 over for a small fine, when you can wait a little longer and get the big fish pushing 20 or 25 over who is likely a repeat offender and a larger threat to the public safety? Just keep in mind that while you're usually safe staying within the buffer, any speed over the posted limit is still illegal -- so you're just playing the odds.
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Mar 30, 2006
Know the "buffer zone," the amount, if any, that you can comfortably exceed the speed limit without being pulled over. Generally, the easiest way to do this is to just observe the traffic flow and go with the cars that are moving faster (but not at speeds that are obviously excessive). Generally, this will run from 5 to 10 mph over the limit on freeways. A police officer in a speed trap is generally more concerned with people speeding at higher speeds. After all, why bother pulling over someone going 5 over for a small fine, when you can wait a little longer and get the big fish pushing 20 or 25 over who is likely a repeat offender and a larger threat to the public safety? Just keep in mind that while you're usually safe staying within the buffer, any speed over the posted limit is still illegal -- so you're just playing the odds.
