How fast is too fast? (regarding police)

[Mudkipz137]

So I'm a moderate driver in terms of aggressiveness. 98% of the time I drive a car/truck I drive at the speed limit, or 5 over (never heard of a ticket for 5 over personally). On a bike, I usually will find a couple moments to speed and get a rush (80-105 over less than a 1/4 mile of known, safe road), but then I'll slow down and cruise at a comfortable 5-10 over the speed limit.

My question to you is, not how fast do you drive, but how fast from your experience or knowledge can you go OVER the posted speed limit before getting pulled over? (And additionally, is there a difference between a 'pull over' speed where they will light you up and a 'ticket' speed where they will actually document a ticket?)
Perhaps highway has different 'standards' than surface roads, not sure.

I did search for a similar thread and read through several police related threads, but didnt find one specific to this. If I missed it, my apologies, I'm not trying to be a spammer!

Mud

Edit(s):
Disclaimer: Please note, I do not mean for this to be a debate over how fast is too fast for your personal safety and the safety of others. While I respect that speeding is inherently dangerous, I think 99% of us on the forums can admit to ourselves (if not to others) that we speed at some point or another whether for fun or in a hurry. I'm not defending speeding or reckless driving, I am merely curious as to other people's experience as to how fast you can go before a police officer will light you up. Also this is not a matter of running from the cops or avoiding them, it's a question of how fast you can drive with them watching before they pursue action on it. (I read some of those dang forum rules hence the disclaimers )

 

[pookamatic]

I haven't had a speeding ticket in 7 years, but lifetime I have about 5. In every case, I was speeding, and either got what the officer quoted me or a reduced number. I've never been stopped to have the officer say, "Got you doing 9 over. Tisk tisk." That said, 10 over is generally safe, but you're pushing your luck.

Of course, the story changes off the highway. 35 in a 25 is speeding. 20 in a 15 school zone is speeding.

 

[fmf]

of course it all depends on the LEO, but generally......"9 your fine, ten your mine" is what I get when I ask.

 

[greg]

depends on the policeman, conditions and what country you're in

over here most police will turn a blind eye to speeding when it's done safely and somewhere like a motorway. Though they will probably do something if you are going over 120. If it's a busy place with lots of hazards then they would be a lot less tolerant.

 

[rivettm]

165kph in a 100kph zone was too fast. That's the only speeding ticket I've received in my life on any vehicle (it was on my fz6). I guess I made it count. Fortunately this happened a few weeks before they put in the more strict "stunting" laws. Since my record was clean the officer dropped it to 139kph which was a minor ticket with a big price tag.

In Canada on the big highways I would do 19kph over. In the USA on highways I do 5-9mph over.

 

[TheRabbi]

Seeing as how I've been pulled over twice for a stolen vehicle in two different cars (both mine) and once on suspicion of drug trafficking (really, not kidding!). I try not to give them any extra reasons to pull me over. :ban:

 

[shamrocker]

If I'm driving past a police officer, I never drive more than a few mph over the limit, if not at the limit. I've been "caught" by surprise at 10 over a bunch of times, but ignored. That's a surprise, since I have a huge intake vent on my hood. I'm talking about highway, not in town, where I generally drive a few mph over the limit.

 

[Rebuilt]

i go a little over occasionly on the roads if clear ... not nessercerily on purpose though ... on carrige way i can reach maybe 80 90 ... generally overtaking ...

Thankfully though not been stopped ... wouldnt want to really either as only had licence since feb this year dont want to mess that up atall ... took me a long time to get it im not goiing to lose it to speeding n a bored copper pulling me (over):thumbup:

 

[The Toecutter]

Seeing as how I've been pulled over twice for a stolen vehicle in two different cars (both mine) and once on suspicion of drug trafficking (really, not kidding!). I try not to give them any extra reasons to pull me over. :ban:

Remind me to keep you on my Left if we meet,because I know you ain't Right!! LOL :BLAA: :spank: :rockon: :thumbup: :thumbup:

 

[Gelvatron]

i do 5-9 because all traffic in so cal is 70-75 ish but i only do it because of that, is driving 15mph worth the 3 minutes its going to save you? or the 300 dollar ticket you can get for it, i don't think so but as long as your not making me unsafe i couldn't care, its really pro's vs con's for me 5minutes faster for a chance a ticket aint worth it 9/10 times.

 

[Susan]

I've never had a speeding ticket. :BLAA:

Dh and I were in a long line of traffic, going 10 km/h over the limit (I'm guessing), when a police car passed us going the opposite direction. He had his hand out the window, shaking his finger at the whole bunch of us. Didn't feel like turning around, I guess?

I don't know how many times I've sped within sight of a police officer, or how fast I might have been going at the time. Could be over, could be under. I try so hard to maintain a reasonable speed, but it's a failing I have. Even in a minivan. Annoys the heck out of dh. I generally don't find out there was a police car around until someone mentions it later.

+1 on doing the limit and no more in a school/playground zone. There are kids there!

 

[JimStl]

On the highway I drive just a touch faster then all of the traffic around me. I like to be moving though it vs it moving around me. In my area that usually means 10 mph over the speed limit.

 

[OldeDude]

On the highway I drive just a touch faster then all of the traffic around me. I like to be moving though it vs it moving around me. In my area that usually means 10 mph over the speed limit.

I too drive at or just above the speed of the traffic around me when I'm on the freeway, and around here that is way faster than I would normally drive.

My rule of thumb for avoiding tickets has always been 10% over the posted limit, so I voted "Other". This rule works pretty well on the highway as well as in town on surface streets.

 

[Mudkipz137]

Thanks for the votes guys

And yes, I agree, speeding in school zones isn't something I would endorse. Now that I think about this more, I think this question applies specifically to highways.

I'm tempted to ask a few police officers as I encounter them. I've never gotten a speeding ticket, but like I said I drive pretty conservatively.

Although somebody voted for 20+ and whoever that is, lol hats off to you because I'm not that brave. Haha.

Mud

 

[Grainbelt]

10% seems pretty safe around here, and our limits aren't too draconian - 55 on backroads means a hair over 60, but I'll run at 65 under the assumption I can scrub off a few mph before they get a lock. There are also some nice big sweepers that I'll hit around 90 then roll off on the straights. Figure if I'm going to get busted, it'll be worth it.

Interstates in MN are 70 so I'll run 77, and generally am not the fastest on the road or ever hassled.

 

[novaks47]

Well, it depends on the area, whether or not the cops are doing a traffic enforcement sweep, and of course, traffic levels. Typically, I'll go 10-20 over, if I speed at all.

The CHP seem to be surprisingly lenient, whether I'm on my FZ or in my truck. I find that if you're not going way over the limit, and you slow down the instant you spot them, the most they'll do is pace you for a bit, then race off to find another customer. I can't even count the number of times I've been caught, and fully expecting to at least get pulled over and lectured, only to have the cop just follow for a bit, and then race off. So, I can't complain, they're very generous in that regard. Should I get a ticket, I'm not going to groan about it, as I've been given so many free passes when they had every reason to pull me over and give me a performance award.

In some of the cities near me, I don't tempt the local cops. San Jose cops seem to not really care, Los Gatos will nail you most of the time, Campbell will ALWAYS nail speeders, even if it's 5mph over. On the rare occasion I venture through Campbell, I stick to the limit regardless of what everyone else is doing. Santa Clara and Sunnyvale(near work), I'm not sure how they are, as I'm usually at the limit, and rarely see them.

It sounds like I've gotten loads of tickets after reading the above, but I've only had one! Been pulled over in the car about 8 times, but only one ticket, zero in the truck, and zero on both motorcycles.

My advice, if and when you get caught, don't play dumb. If you were a cop, would you like people treating you like a moron? Of course not. Imagine you saw someone speeding, and got it on radar. You pull them over, and they try to say they have no idea why they got pulled. LOL Also, some cops will just let you off with a warning if you're polite and don't play dumb. Sure, if you admit that you were speeding, you can NOT fight the ticket at all. But I view tickets as the price for actually moving at a reasonable rate, and not getting murdered by slow, inattentive motorists. A road tax if you will. So I'll just eat the next ticket, work some OT to pay for it, and be wary of that section of road forever. lol

 

[brandon_]

The main hwy I take to work is 55 but if you're not doing 70 you're getting passed. I don't routinely ride/drive 15-20 over but I will do what it takes to at least keep up with the flow of traffic.

The least-over I got a ticket for was 8. 63 in a 55.

 

[FinalImpact]

In these parts 10 mph over on the HWY is nbd to the locals. Any rural town with State cop and ya better behave to the letter. Especially if you cross the river into WA. State'rs over there will hammer ya for too many bugs on the windshield, noise, tint, lights etc. Back on the OR side, different counties respond in different ways so ya, some are strict others not so much.

11 mph is pushing it but whether in the cage or bike I cruise quicker than hwy flow to better track who is where. Its a safety thing for me and I'll take my lumps should I be lit up.

 

[ChevyFazer]

around atlanta if your not doing at bare minimum 10 over then your getting run over. Most people cruise about 20 over no matter where they are or what road, but that being said 1st sign of a cop and everyone slams on their brakes, unless the cop is speeding too then its follow the leader!!!

 

[Royaltool88]

I find myself speeding all the time and dont always realize it, i look at rpm's more than i do my speed. Usually ill just stay with the flow of traffic (driving in a car also). If no one is around, i like to get on it way more than I should but Ive become more responsible with the bike than when i got it. I do always wear my helmet, and stay out of blind spots though.