3 Speeding Ticket Myths Busted

Not as simple as the sign indicates. (inside-lane.com)

Usually when it comes to myths, we’re discussing things like the silly idea that there’s no need to buy a car insurance policy until you’ve been in an collision.

It’s too late at that point, and you’ll be looking at paying for the accident costs out of pocket as well as facing fines that can reach significant amounts, depending upon where you live.

But today, we’re going to look at three myths related to speeding tickets. They’re not as simple and as straightforward as only being issued for when you’re going over the posted limit.

Myth One: You Can’t Be Ticketed for Going Too Slow

There are a few occasions when going too slowly may have you in the sights of a law enforcement officer. Some roads even have a minimum posted speed limit, because these slower drivers would become a significant danger to others and impede the flow of traffic.

But it also works in reverse, and it’s even possible to be cited for speeding when you’re going under the posted limits.

Many drivers seem to forget that the posted speed limit is made under the assumption that all driving conditions are good. You can’t drive faster than is safe based on the conditions on the road you’re traveling upon.

Weather often plays a large role in the potential to be cited for speeding when you’re under the posted limit. For example, if you’re doing 40 mph in a 55 mph zone when fog has made visibility near-zero, you’re driving way too fast for conditions.

Likewise, if winter weather has made for treacherous road conditions, you’ll also invite trouble for by exceeding safe conditions as well. Icy roads greatly reduce braking distances and can make standard emergency reactions nearly impossible.

Myth Two: You Can’t Be Ticketed for Going the Speed Limit

Just as with an officer determining a slower than the posted limit speed exceeds conditions on the road, the same applies if you’re simply going the speed limit, obviously.

But inclement weather isn’t the only time you might find yourself running afoul of the law while going the speed limit. Traffic conditions may also be brought into play, as well as other secondary infractions such as following another car too closely or failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.

Myth Three: You Can’t Be Ticketed on Private Property or in Parking Lots

Why drivers would ever assume that police officers cannot cite them for their actions taken on private property, such as within a parking lot, is beyond us. Police can and do issue a wealth of violations in parking lots, from parking in a handicapped spot without a permit, all the way up to reckless driving or more.

You’ve no doubt noticed that parking lots usually employ a variety of traffic control signage: pedestrian crosswalks, stop signs and even posted speed limits.

The directional control for traffic is normally designated by both signage as well as painted arrows. Going down a one-way lane the wrong way isn’t just a nuisance to those following the rules, but it’s also dangerous to everyone in the lot.

And of course, you’ll note the lines of parking spaces are all solid. That means they should never be crossed – not pulling through them and not utilizing the parking lanes for your route, either, no matter how “clear” or “empty” a parking lot may seem to be at first glance.

So watch how you drive, even on private property. We can’t imagine a more embarrassing loss of drivers license points that being cited for a litany of violations in a parking lot.

Not a Myth: Tickets are Often Left to Officer Discretion

One thread we hope you noticed throughout is that citing drivers for moving violations is often left to the discretion of the officer. We’ve known of officers who write speeding tickets for less that a driver was clocked at, as well as those that cut you a complete break and issue a warning.

But we’ve also heard of officers that are more than willing to cite you for every single infraction they possibly can, sometimes going to extreme measures.

Remember, multiple and excessive violations, even in a single incident, can result in the loss of a drivers license. And when you regain the privilege of driving, you might face much higher car insurance premiums.

Don’t forget, though police officers may have the ability to exercise discretion in their judgement, automated speed detection devices that photograph speeding cars use no such discretion.

These so-called traffic-enforcement cameras issue tickets in an automated fashion, and can nab drivers for violations ranging from speeding to running red lights or stop signs.

Some Cars Get More Tickets than Others

Finally, we’ll close with the sad fact that certain cars get more speeding tickets. We don’t think the cars are responsible – we’ll lay that on the groups that choose to drive them.

No, it doesn’t have anything to do with the color of the car. So just because you select a red one doesn’t mean you’re going to be singled out by police, just as you’re not on your insurance premiums, either.

You may have a 10 mph cushion to speed without much chance of getting a ticket, and you may avoid moving violations entirely. No matter where you fall on that scale, keep it safe and get to where you’re going.

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