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By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY

The recession may be claiming a new victim: the 5-10-mph "cushion" police and state troopers across the USA have routinely given motorists exceeding the speed limit.

As cities and states scramble to fill budget gaps with revenue from traffic citations, "not only are the (speeding) tolerances much lower, but the frequency of a warning instead of a ticket is way down," says James Baxter, president of the National Motorists Association, a Wisconsin-based drivers' rights group that helps its members fight speeding tickets.

"Most people, if they're stopped now, are getting a ticket even if it's only a minor violation of a few miles per hour," Baxter says. He cites anecdotal evidence of drivers being pulled over at slower speeds.

Tim Davenport, 42, of Kansas City, Mo., was recently stopped on 15th Street in Blue Springs, Mo., and ticketed for going 40 mph in a 35-mph zone — although the police officer initially ticketed him for 40 in a 25, he says. "I drove down that road again, and the posted limit was 35," he says. "I figured the judge wouldn't accept that, since I was over the speed limit, and would still charge me with it. So I went ahead and paid" the $60 ticket.

Ivan Sever, 60, of Boston was stopped on the Massachusetts Turnpike for doing 55 in a 45-mph speed zone. "I had just passed into the section where the speed limit is 45," says Sever, who teaches recording techniques at Berklee College of Music in Boston. "I saw the (trooper) and slowed down. I passed him carefully. He pulled me over, said I was doing 55."

The Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety offices, issued a report in 2005 stating that police in 42 states routinely let drivers exceed speed limits. GHSA said the practice hampered efforts to reduce speeding.

"It's still done in some places but not in others," says Jonathan Adkins of GHSA. In places where police no longer allow the cushion, it might be because speed limits are creeping up around the country, he says.

He notes that Virginia's maximum speed limit will rise from 65 to 70 mph in July. Last year, Ohio raised the maximum speed limit for trucks on rural and suburban interstates from 55 to 65 mph. Texas, Iowa and Indiana have all raised their maximum speed limits since the GHSA study.

A study published last year in the Journal of Law and Economics found that police issue more traffic citations during recessions. From 1990 to 2003, counties in North Carolina issued significantly more tickets in the year following a decline in general tax revenue.

Researchers from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the University of Arkansas-Little Rock found that a 10% decrease in revenue growth caused a 6.4% increase the following year in the growth rate of traffic tickets.

Troy Green, national spokesman for auto club AAA, says he's unaware of increasing complaints from members about being stopped at slower speeds.

Sgt. Michael Edes, chairman of the National Troopers Coalition, which represents 45,000 troopers, says there is no lower tolerance for speeding among state troopers. "I think you'll find (enforcement is) actually the opposite," he says. "A lot of states have cut (trooper) positions or frozen positions. Several states have grounded their aviation unit, so they're not doing as many speed details."

But it's clear that many communities are turning to traffic citations for added revenue in tough financial times:

• Police in Canton, Ohio, for example, issued 2,011 traffic tickets in January — more than four times the 452 tickets issued in January 2009, according to Police Chief Dean McKimm. He says a decrease in crime in the city of 78,000 that's home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame has freed officers to do more traffic enforcement. McKimm says the additional revenue from traffic citations allows his understaffed department to hire more officers. "We're not writing tickets at lower (speed) thresholds," he says.

• Tennessee is considering a measure similar to one adopted by Georgia last year that would add a $200 fine for "super speeders," those driving more than 25 mph over the posted speed limit, according to the office of Sen. Jack Johnson, a Franklin Republican who introduced the bill.

• Speeding fines are being doubled in "travel-safe" zones on several stretches of highway in Missouri, including five in the St. Louis area. The state passed a law in 2008 that allows authorities to establish such "travel-safe" zones on high-crash stretches of highways. Fines also are routinely doubled in construction zones.
 

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I know several police officers from where I live & the Chief himself and this info is accurate for the most part.....
 

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highway speed limits are generally too low by 15-20 MPH. We need day/night limits, current limit is good at night, raise it during the day.

perhaps variable limits based on traffic volume ( like the Autobahn), could work ?

There are a lot of 70 mph roads ( in the West) that could easily be 100 MPH ( in the daytime), like I-15 outside of LV.

We aren't driving 1970's cars anymore.
 

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highway speed limits are generally too low by 15-20 MPH. We need day/night limits, current limit is good at night, raise it during the day.

perhaps variable limits based on traffic volume ( like the Autobahn), could work ?

There are a lot of 70 mph roads ( in the West) that could easily be 100 MPH ( in the daytime), like I-15 outside of LV.

We aren't driving 1970's cars anymore.



:lol:
 

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highway speed limits are generally too low by 15-20 MPH. We need day/night limits, current limit is good at night, raise it during the day

When you are so willing to waste so much gas money by driving like this, why care so much about wasting money paying traffic tickets
 

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If you drove 20 mph over the limit on the highway ( often safe, IMO), you'd lose your license on points, and insurance would be crazy high, so you can't do it. I drive 75, and don't get tickets....6.5 years without a ticket.
 

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But if speed limits were 100mph and you drove that fast your gas expenses would be crazy high, so why would you that?

Compare the money it costs going driving faster to the time it saves with your hourly wage and for most people it makes no sense
 

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part of driving 100 MPH, is that it is fun, and something I rarely can do in the East ( not like Ct is the middle of Utah).

Fuel costs probably aren't as bad as you think. Driving from SD or LA to Vegas is a good example of a place to open it up, once past Barstow. 100 MPH ( daytime) for that last half of the trip is fine, you want to get there.

How do Europeans drive so fast with what gas costs them ?
 

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google says the difference between 65mph and 75mph is about 12 to 14%. Or just under $10 from Barstow to Vegas. But fuel economy is based much on wind resistance, which based on the square of the windshield and front area, so the waste of gas increases exponentially. Can't find anything on field testing at 100mph, but here is a good article: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-economy/question477.htm

A hypothetical medium sized SUV that requires 20 horsepower at 50 mph might require 100 horsepower at 100 mph

Further, if speed limits really were up to 100mph, that would place so much more demand on gas, that prices would increase. If driving fast is really that much fun for you, why not go to a race track and drive 180mph?
 

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If memory serves.... Barstow to Vegas is around 150 miles, say about 6 gallons of gas, call it $20 in fuel, if losing 12% in efficiency , I'd lose more like $2.50 than the $10 you claim.

Maybe I live in LA, and drive 15 mph on the interstate traffic jams all week long. Driving 100 MPH would sure be a nice release on a weekend trip to Vegas !

How about the Euro guys with $12 gas that drive 140 mph ?

Are they all wealthy ?
 

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A good radar detector is well worth the investment. I know the best ones like the Escort are around $300, but it has saved my ass more than once and way more worth it than a ticket and points on your insurance
 

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mapquest showed two Barstow's in CA, first one they gave me was 400 miles away

European gas prices are still only $2/L and they drive 140kmph not mph. Pretty significant difference. And they have more non-drivers, so those with cars are much more likely to have higher income
 

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But if speed limits were 100mph and you drove that fast your gas expenses would be crazy high, so why would you that?

Compare the money it costs going driving faster to the time it saves with your hourly wage and for most people it makes no sense

The money it costs going faster to the time it saves? How much more do you think it costs? I would argue most people given the choice would gladly pay a few more dollars a trip in order to spend less time on the road. Time is money.
Moreover, the faster cars go the less time they are on the road. That has the effect of reducing congestion. Speed is good.
 

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Barstow is like halfway between SD and LV.

That's the one I'm talking about....in the middle of nowhere.

It's hard to drive 65 there....so wide open, light traffic, lots of people already doing 80 and 90.

I believe 100 is quite safe there , unless your car is SHIT running on bald tires.

100 daytime/ 80 at night is reasonable until you get near Vegas.

Montana used to have no daytime speed limit.

From memory, when I was kid. Speed limit in CT was 70, then reduced to 55 in the mid y 70's "oil crisis".

If 1970 cars were safe at 70, then modern cars are safe at 80++.
 

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highway speed limits are generally too low by 15-20 MPH. We need day/night limits, current limit is good at night, raise it during the day.

perhaps variable limits based on traffic volume ( like the Autobahn), could work ?

There are a lot of 70 mph roads ( in the West) that could easily be 100 MPH ( in the daytime), like I-15 outside of LV.

We aren't driving 1970's cars anymore.

Precisely. Deaths per 100,000 miles traveled are at an all time low.
And most speed limits could easily be doubled. Speed limits are set low by a bunch of control freaks that hate the idea of someone actually getting to their destination in a reasonable amount of time.
 

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The money it costs going faster to the time it saves? How much more do you think it costs? Most people that have cars capable of safely driving 100 mph are not making an hourly wage. Time is money.
Moreover, the faster cars go the less time they are on the road. That has the effect of reducing congestion. Speed is good.

any newish car goes 100 mph no problem, a Honda Civic 4 cylinder, easily, you don't need a Mustang or better for 100 mph. 120 mph and you need a better car like maybe a BMW, Mercedes of something with some power.

I'm not saying you should drive a 1988 Ford Econoline van at a 100 mph, but most cars are fine at 100.
 

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You don't have cruise control Doug? And if lots of people are already doing 90, that's proof you can drive that fast without racking up impossibly high insurance costs
 

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Precisely. Deaths per 100,000 miles traveled are at an all time low.
And most speed limits could easily be doubled. Speed limits are set low by a bunch of control freaks that hate the idea of someone actually getting to their destination in a reasonable amount of time.

Doubling limits is way too much ! You can't go from 65 to 130 ( basically no limit). Our highways are no where near as well made/ maintained as the Autobahn.

I want a more reasonable compromise than that !:toast:

You sure can't double stuff on city streets... that 35 mph road that should be 45 mph, can't go to 70 mph.

Increase limits, within reason.

It would be cool if somehow your car, and ability could be a factor....like don't pull the guy over, unless he exhibits unsafe driving traits.

The guy in an ancient POS van going 100 is too fast, but if it is a new BMW it's safe......very tough angle, I know.
 

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You don't have cruise control Doug? And if lots of people are already doing 90, that's proof you can drive that fast without racking up impossibly high insurance costs

Sure, even my 10 year old F-150 has CC. It's difficult to make much use of it driving on I-95. Much of the Interstate here is two lanes. It's tough to set it at 75 , and keep it there for long. 75 is reasonable ( for conditions), IMO.

There's always a maniac wanting to pass you at 85 or, so.....so you go to the right lane, let the maniac pass, then some asshole doesn't know how to merge, and you're going 50 mph in the right lane.

I try to go 75 in the left lane, and give the lane up, when a faster car is gaining on me.

My 100 mph stuff is for the West mainly.
 

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Unless your going on a long trip going 80 vs 55 will saves you less than 5 minutes on your daily commute, plus more gas is used.
 

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