regarding speeding and getting pegged

mzgloves20 said:
I don't know about where you are, but here in PA, speeds limits are set up by population, number of interchanges and houses along a roadway or highway and by engineering studies ( critical speed calculations based on roadway design ) by the department of transportation. Only the very small streets (residential) speed limits can be set by the towns or boroughs or cities, NOT by the police department. The towns government has to approve the speed-limits and citizens can come to the meetings and address the council people with their opinions. Then it has to be posted according to state law. ( # of signs so many feet apart...lalala...)
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The state of Texas lowered freeway speed limits in the DFW area under pressure from the EPA and even the Dallas police will admit that one of the problems with speeding on the freeways is that the limits are too low. In Richardson, there is not a single street that has a speed limit above 40. Even on roads with light traffic and that have 3 lanes each side and seperated by a median, still have a limit of 40. They do not use the 85th percentile (the speed that 85% of the drivers will instinctively drive at or slightly under even if there are no posted limits) to set speeds, but one that is unreasonably low so they can write more tickets. Colleyville is the same way. Other than Highway 26, all speeds are 30 or 35.



I know police officers in Plano (right next to Richardson) who will tell you the reason Richardson has such low limits is for revenue, not safety. Plano has higher speed limits on the same roads-once you cross into the Plano city limits, the speed on Jupiter road rises from 40 to 45 and the accident rates are the same.



Where I live in Arlington, the primary focus is on I-30, SH 360 and Green Oaks, which loops around the city. There is very little enforcement around the Ballpark In Arlington and Six Flags/Hurricane Harbor, especially during tourist season since they don't want to get a reputation as a speed trap. The city make so much money off the Rangers and the theme parks that they don't need to depend on traffic fines to fill the city's coffers.
 
I think you might be right there. The only accidents I hear about at some of the places I like to drive hard are from motorcyclists shunting and hurting themselves. Then again, these roads get so little traffic there probably isn't much data to examine.
 
JustinTRW said:
Before I say anything more, I agree...no amount of electronics gives you permission to speed.



Now you have answered my questions. but some of your information is flawed. Which jammer unit did you have? Perhaps your opinion on jammers has been scewed by an inferior unit. By your ticket rebate comment, it sounds like you had a Rocky Mountain unit. Hate to burst your bubble, but they are among the WORST units available....and still are.



Your exact description of your experience shows that a good jammer/detector combo could have helped you, but it may not justify the purchase of them. New systems warn AND jam the signal as close as 100 ft. You say one mile, which is 5280 feet. I think we have a little difference in opinion there. If units needed an entire mile, no one would buy them. On your favorite driving road, how often do you see a mile of straight road for an officer to set up? I also heavily disagree that a detector can replace a jammer. The detector will simply tell you that the officer has gotten a reading on you. At that point, it doesn't matter if you slow down or not, at any distance. Bottom line: if a newer unit had jammed the signal, perhaps you wouldn't have gotten a ticket :)
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I didn't have the jammer that pays tickets. I don't remember what kind I had. I sold it not long after I got it really. I just didn't see the use for it and it made me feel like I could drive faster than I should. I don't need one anyway. Like I said before, Utah doesn't use laser very much at all. I highly doubt there are a half dozen units out there. Its just not used here. A laser jammer isn't any good here if you aren't getting hit by laser.



It wouldn't have made any difference if I had the best detector and laser jammer on the market or not. I was going 115 in a 55 and there was no way I could have stopped him from zapping me. He didn't turn on his laser till I was right in front of him. Nothing would have helped in this case. It doesn't matter because I fought the ticket and got it thrown out anyway.



Jammers just make people think they can go faster than they should. I didn't like mine because it made me feel like I could push the line a bit more. Just because you can't be detected doesn't mean your speed is safe. I'd rather get pulled over and reminded that I'm going too fast than to have an accident or something. Its up to personal preference what you want to use though. In Utah they are a total waste of money. A detector is good, but the jammers aren't needed. That's just my opinion for Utah though. Its probably different everywhere else.
 
Gingerbread: How'd you get the ticket thrown out?



And I basically agree... laser jammers have their place, but if you're thinking that it somehow makes you able to travel at higher speeds and still be safe, then it's a bunch of sh1t.



Texas law, for example, states that all motorists are required to travel at speeds "reasonable and prudent" for the prevailing conditions. Forgetting about speed limits, isn't that the important thing? If 80, 85 or whatever can be done to a substantial degree of safety, isn't that what's important?



(The next part of the law says that anything over the posted speed limit is prima facie evidence that you were not being reasonable and prudent. lol :rolleyes: )
 
I have a lawyer through prepaidlegal and he cut a deal with the prosecuting attorney. They nailed me for a couple things on that night. They got me speeding and for having an out of state license plate and drivers license. In Utah its a $1000 fine for having out of state plates if you are a resident here. I should have lied and said I didn't live here, but I didn't. My lawyer got the plate ticket changed to expired registration, he got the drivers license one thrown out and he got the speeding ticket down to 10 over. Then they made a deal that kept it off my record. I don't know if he entered a plea in abayance for me or something else. All I know is that not one point was put on my record. I had to change my drivers license to a Utah one and when I changed my plates over and switched my insurance I'm sure I would have known. I pulled my record 2 years later from being pulled over again and it was still clean. I had to pay some fines, but keeping it off my record was the big part. I'd pay the thousand dollars if it kept it off. A single guy under 25 years old driving a Mustang can't afford to have his rates double. I was very very lucky. I would advise any driver who has a lead foot to sign up with prepaidlegal. Its the best 16 bucks a month that I spend.
 
Wow... sounds good. You wouldn't happen to be an enrolled supporter for them by any chance, would you? ;)



$16 a month? I'm gonna check that out. Anyway, I'm glad it's not on your record. That's definitely a good thing.



Mustang? What year? Base, GT, Cobra?
 
Nah. I am actually set up to be able to sell it but I never got around to it. Its just one of those things that I think everybody should look into. It never hurts to have lawyer insurance, ya know? I'm a law student myself and I can really see the value in it.



It was a V6 model with what I called "a couple modifications." :D Nothing major. Just enough to leave me with some nice debt by the time I was finished. ;) I loved that car...



look into prepaidlegal. The rates are different state by state. You may even want to look at getting set up to be able to sell it. You can make some good money on the side. When I used to hang out in traffic court I would tell people about it all the time. I never signed anyone up because I felt a little unethical about it, but I sure could have. Everybody sees the need for it when they are about to get hosed in traffic court. lol
 
Yeah, I'd feel pretty unethical doing that, myself.



Sure, it sounds good, but I can't help but wonder just how good these lawyers are, you know?



(And yeah, they want $25 for the expanded plan and $16 for the standard plan in Texas)
 
You would be surprised at who these lawyers are. They are the same lawyers you would hire out of the phone book. They have reputations and presences in the courtroom. These aren't newbie attorneys fresh out of law school. They contract for prepaid legal but still work for their own law firms. The best part is that they are local no matter where you go. If I break the law here in Macon and need an attorney then they assign me one who is from Macon and understands the laws here. They also know the DA pretty well and are more capable of cutting a deal because who knows what favors are owed out there. In the legal field it isn't 'what' you know all the time. Its usually a 'who' you know. ;) I'll take every advantage that a law breaker like myself can get. :p



Because it is considered 'insurance' in some states, the prices vary. In Texas you need a license to sell it. At least, you did when I was there. Utah is one of those special states where anyone can have it or sell it.
 
I like that background. :)



I got a joke in e-mail that reminded me of this thread...:



"A guy walks into court. At the beginning of the trial, the judge said, "I see that you have been charged with travelling 24 miles per hour over the speed limit and not wearing your safety belt. Is this true?"



"I don't know, your Honor."



"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" It's a yes or no question. Were you, or were you not, moving at 24 mph over the posted limit and not wearing your safety belt?"



"I doonnn't knnooww, your Honor."



"Sir, I'm going to ask you one more time, and if you continue to reply that you 'don't know,' I'm going to hold you in contempt of court and you will be placed in a cell until you post bail. Now, is it true that you were doing 24 mph over the limit and were not buckled up?!?"



"I DON'T KNOW, your Honor. I was sleeping at the time!"



(Stupid, I know, but it reminded me of this.)



And ty for telling me about prepaidlegal, it does sound really interesting.
 
Like I said you won't be immune from tickets alone with the V1

but with common sense and the V1 and a scanner you pretty much are. :D



and as for the laser jammer the ones that work are the ones

that go on your license plate. however thats only if the

cop aims for that spot. if your car is particularly reflective

they can aim for the paint but usually they will aim for

the headlight housing. (note this is lidar Im talking about)





and nope no pull overs to date and Ive been cocky driving 80 - 90 average.
 
Scanner, huh? Do you use one? Which one? How's it set up? :)



(I was thinking about doing that or getting a handheld CB to see how that'd work... besides, it's an interest of mine.)



Anyway, hope you have continued good fortunes out there!
 
Uniden Beartracker BCT-7



It has different modes most of the time I just leave it on this repeater scanning mode.. It scans for a cops "repeater" signal the one used to identify their radios.. and it alerts me whenever one is close. Kind of like a radar detector in that respect..

when im bored with music Ill turn off the radio and turn up the scanner to listen to what the cops are up to though

its great entertainment
 
Hmm, well, I know that the BCT-7 looked for the mobile extenders that cops use. However, I didn't know that it was also a radio scanner, as well.



What frequencies does it cover? I'm sure it'd be pretty useless in trunked systems and such... most PD's in major cities use trunking now, and the scanners that can follow it get pretty pricey.
 
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