Guest Author - William Charles Vetter
Even the most safety conscious of drivers will at times drive over the speed limit, whether consciously or by inattentiveness ¬, at times we all exceed the speed limits in our daily commutes and especially in extended highway road trips. Most people view the maximum speed limits on our roads as the minimum speed limit. I think that we have all thought to ourselves or even said outright, “He’s not even going the speed limit”, as though the maximum speed limit must be maintained or exceeded at all times. All roads in the US have speed limits a maximum speed limit and a minimum speed limit.
Most people think of themselves as safe drivers, but come on, we all “speed” at one time or another. I don’t recommend driving faster than the speed limit nor do I condone the breaking of any other laws, but speeding is without a doubt the most broken of all driving laws. Let say that you’re driving on a long deserted road and there are no intersections, buildings or other obstructions for a hundred miles with unlimited visibility in all directions it becomes obvious that the boredom will kill you long before a traffic mishap can possibly do you any harm.
You didn’t hear this from me but here are some tips on how to drive over the speed limit and limit your chances of getting in trouble. First of all I must mention that if your car looks like it had a starring role in the move The Fast and The Furious, then you might as well forget about driving close to the posted speed limit. That 102 decibel exhaust system that has the entire neighborhood up in arms before you even leave your driveway, not to mention that 3 foot tall wing on your trunk lid has, “I am a speeding maniac” written all over it. It helps to drive a stock unassuming vehicle that does nothing to draw attention to it. It is a commonly held that brightly colored cars are more likely to receive speeding tickets but as yet I have absolutely no proof that this is actually true.
Most all speeding drivers today are cited as a result of being clocked be means of a radar detection system. These systems allows for a police car to sit in a fixed location, come towards traffic or follow traffic to detect offending drivers, meaning that you need to beware of oncoming enforcement, parked or hidden officers and following officers. Look for radar enforcement under bridges, onramps, behind bushes, walls or earthen mounds. If you drive the same routes often make a mental note where police hide or position themselves. I know all of the most common hiding places in the areas that I often drive.
The one thing that radar cannot do is penetrate through solid objects to see cars on the other side of a target. If you are following a speeding car at a constant distance an oncoming or parked radar system will detect only the first car. I call this a radar shield and typically the trick is to wait until a speeding car passes and then follow about a quarter mile or so behind. You must still watch from behind but this tactic effectively relieves you from having to worry about radar traps and oncoming patrol cars, thus greatly reducing your visibility to radar detection. If the radar shield is not practical option you can ditch behind larger slower vehicles and then sprint for a distance while the coast is clear or until you can duck behind another truck. Even if you don’t save a lot of time doing this it still helps to break up the boredom.
Please remember that what I am talking about in this article is driving in wide open spaces, in light traffic, a sunny day all with excellent visibility. During rush hour traffic, if it is rainy, snowing, foggy and slippery out, you might be risking your life and the lives of others. Please take all of this into consideration. Also please remember that law enforcement officers are doing the job that we pay them to do. If you get caught just sign the ticket and go on your way.
If you do get caught you can always try to talk your way out of it, traditionally this tactic works much better if you are a pretty young woman…
