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Flash Your Headlights!
- Thread starter Butler Trumpet
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MacNut said:I have something that helps me, its called a radar detector.
And how well does that work?, cause Ive been thinking about that.
Peyton said:12 experiences over 4 YEARS... thank you for the continual intelligence insults, even tho you know nothing more about me than this.
Perhaps your car is a bit more attention-getting. If a cop has to choose between pulling over a Ferrari or a Taurus, who do you think he's going to pull over? Also, color is a big factor. Red is an instant advertisement, "look at me!" I believe yellow comes in second. Blue and silver tend to be the last colors noticed.
Also, you may now be recognized by the local police and they are keeping a closer eye on you. Either way, very unlucky.
Peyton said:
I've had my license since 1988 and I've had 1 speeding ticket and no accidents.
In my opinion, your experience is mind-bogglingly "over the top".
No wonder my insurance is still so expensive.
Where did you get the idea that there was a 50-55mph limit in the us? Some roads do have a 50 or 55mph limit, but some also have 60, 70, and 80mph limits. Some states have roads with no posted limit, but require that you maintain a safe speed for the driving conditions.FireArse said:
dejo said:
Thats crazy... i take a vacation there now..... that would be fun to do that legally!
Oh, and my car (2000 Grand AM GT Coupe) rolled over to 100,000 miles the other day.... and I freakin missed it!!!!! %*&(*#&%
Butler Trumpet said:
Or at least they did when I drove through in 1998. I'll admit they may have been lowered since then.
But a portion of the I-25 between Castle Rock and south Denver is 75mph. And the left lane of this portion has a minimum speed of 55mph. This section constantly has people driving 90mph and is frequented by state police radar traps. But flashing lights doesn't help here since they are gunning for people headed in the same direction. I.E. I would need a way to warn the people behind me.
evoluzione said:
I agree with some of what you say here. I think speed limits are set for reasons other than to give the cops something to ticket people for. I have no sympathy at all for people that get caught speeding. It is super easy not to get caught. Drive the speed limit! That being said, I still flash my lights at people if I know there is a cop around. I would think the police would like people to do this since it causes people to slow down.
And for those of you that want to drive as fast as you can, just remember that anything over 60-65 mph sucks down the gas like crazy.
evoluzione said:
Ah the time where cruise control is a life saver. On my long drives home (600 miles) and other trips like it cruise control is nice. I just set it my speed is maintained with out worry of increasing speed because of a heavy foot.
Last semster I spent about 1k taking car of 3 speeding tickets I got in 2weeks, 2 of which in a single day one of which was a blant speed trip and I really dont respect towns that run things like that because they dont care about safety but only money. Come on I counted at least 7 city cops for one town doing that day. It was not to slow down teh speeders but to make money. Other one I swear the cop clock the guy next to me but because he slamed on his breaks and I was passing the car on the other side I get the ticket. But minus that one 2 week strech I hadnt been pulled over for anything for about 3 years.
Either way those 3 tickets did cool me off speed wise for a while. Now I just set my cruise at about 75 in a 70 (car speed is 72-73 after adjusting for the speedo inaccurcy).
As for the topic I have flashed my headlights before but normally when it would be useful I dont really see any other cars. But I will say that the flashing has help after xmas when I was driving on TX highway 287 on my way back to college. One guy flash his headlights and the next thing I knew my radar dector starting going nuts. I get to the top of a small rise in the road and low and be hold there is a Texas Troop sitting there clocking people.
I flash mine after for a few people. General the rule I go by is it depends on how the cop is set up and if I have any respect for the town I am driving though.
As for speeding I have my own rules on it and opinan. Speeding in a school zone or residental neiborhood is just unexpetible and needs to be crack down hard on. It is a huge safety issue and in my own home neibhoor I have skided to a stop several times with not much extra room because a kid darted out into the street not seeing me. It scary every single time and I know if I was going over the limit I would of hit the kid.
As for Highway keep it safe. 80-90 mph doesnt bother me if there is not much traffic on the road. Yes I am guilt of breaking that one and pulling 100+ at some point in time (First ticket of the 3 I was glad the ticket was only for doing 81 mph in a 70 instead of the 90-100mph I was doing about a 1/2 mile back. I dont disagree with that ticket at all I deserverd it big time).
That all being said Texas state law for highways says no where in it about the posted speed limit being the ticketible speed. The law states that if you are going faster than 85% of the traffic you are going to fast and are ticketble. Now I ahve seen that 85% speed be 45mph in a 70 (rainday) and as fast at 90mph in the same 70 (it was pretty cool doing that speed and yes I had a cop in the lane next to me matching the pace). It a safety issue. The speed limits are the suggested safe maxium speed.
But there are times where going to speed limit is dangous because it is 2 slow. To really understand that it would require driving in side a major city where you learn quickly that the speed limit doesnt matter. 9 time out of 10 it around the posted speed limit. I had people argue with me over that saying if everyone else is speeding you shouldnt. He went to houston to work a coop and tell me he now understand what I mean and the speed limit doesnt matter. You go the speed of traffic. Best example I have to illistrate this is from when I drove home for spring break (houston more so a little town just south of houston). From about 20mile north of the Beltway 8 to about where I cleared the south side of it I honestly dont know what my speed was. I never look at my speedo and I would of been stupid to do so. It was pretty heavy traffic and my attention was keeping track of all the cars around me and making sure I didnt take a wrong exit. Distance bettween cars is about 1.5-2 car lenghts quick offen the lanes next to you are not clear. Oh yeah and you have cars making lane changes into that 1.5-2 car lenths of room bettween you and the guy in frount of you. On top of that you also have to make the same moves. I know what my speed was before I stop looking at that was around 65. I know I hit the 60mph area still doing 65. But after that I dont know. It was all attention on the road and that was taking everything up.
Moral of the story. The speed one should be going is NOT what the speed limit is but what traffic is doing. That is the safest speed. Most of the time it is within 5 miles of the posted limit. But I have seen it break 20 miles both ways. (record was 85-90 mph in a 55 . That was just a strange day). Any one who thinks other wise is a danger to the road. There was a reason when houston drop it speed limit to 55 for a while traffic accedents INCREASED on houston highways. A lot of people still kept doing 70 while others drop to 55. People did not follow the first rule of driving on city highways and that is GO WITH THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC.
Now if you dont agree with that go drive in a major metroplontian area for a while during heavy traffic and you figure out real quickly why I stating that. There is to much else that is going to require you eyes and attention other then the speedo. IN heavy traffic you eye more than likely will never drift down the the gauges. You be watching you mirrors and the road more than anything else like you should.
yeah... that was a long one.....Heb1228 said:
Those of us with ADD have a hard time getting through huge posts like that
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Lucky where I live in CT is right on the boarder of Massachusetts, so the police hang out near the state line to catch all the people speeding from Mass.
yellow said:
shouldn't effect your insurance at all, since it none of them have ever been reported to insurance companies due to paying them off, traffic school and getting out of them.
But yeah, back to flashing your lights, and not Peyton's criminal record...
Timepass said:
I heartily agree with you that in heavy traffic you should around the same speed as the other drivers. I have seen many times the idiot going 40 when everyone else is going 75. However, whether or not a small town is set up as a speed trap shouldn't matter. If you see the speed limit and you know that it is a trap then slow down, it is simple really. I grew up in Texas and I know the exact type of town you are talking about. It is extremely annoying to have to slow down to 25 after going 65 all day. But it is even more annoying to have to pay the fines and increased insurance.
parrothead said:
yeah I know. slow down for them and stuff but it does not chang the fact I have no respect for that town. They clearly care more about money than they do safety. I dont have much respect for their police for or the town it that simple.
The one I got the ticket in had a very annoying way of setting up there speed limit signs. It went 70,65,55,45, then to 35 for about 1-2 blocks and then up to 40. I missed the 35 sign (and I was watching my speed like a hawk) but I saw the 40 one up the road. I got clock doing 43, I was ajusting to go from 45-40. That little town did not put a 45 in the diretion cars are coming from so it easier to get people in the 35.
It just a very poor way to do it. And I just dont have respect for a town or a police force that is just after speeding tickets. It shows a lack of public safety and the want for public money.]
For my drive home I know the 2 areas I have to watch my speed. The big one is know as Post. The other is Highway 287 just because the speed slower than it is on I-20 or I-45.
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