Watch the speed: Douglas Road, Alpharetta (Atlanta, Acworth: neighborhood, school, law)

[billl]

In the span of 15 minutes this morning I saw an Alpharetta patrol car pull over two different cars along Douglas Road in Alpharetta (near Southlake Drive). I'm guessing they were pulled over for speeding. The road is posted at 35 miles per hour but is very hilly. It is very easy to get up to 45 when going downhill without even realizing it.

Drive safe!

Bill

[cityrover]

You wont get pulled over for under 15 anyway. Usually 18+ on city streets gets them LOOKING at you. Also they cant even pull you for under 10 over. Doesn't go on your record till 15+ over.

Alpharetta is a speed trap anyway.. everybody knows that.

[billl]

He was out there again this morning. Sitting at the bottom of the hill (gully, really), catching people as they come downhill on Douglas from either direction. He doesn't have to wait long for his next victim. I think this qualifies as a speed trap.

[wxjay]

I am almost positive there is a law in GA that prevents you from getting caught speeding if the hill is a certain grade. There was a story about this out of Acworth where a neighborhood was concerned about speeding cars down a steep hill, but the cops couldn't issue tickets because the hill was "too steep" for the law to be enforced.

[billl]

According to motorists.org:

Georgia has a speed trap law that applies to all police agencies except State Patrol. Some of the regulations regarding Speed Measuring Device (SMD) use include: (1) cannot issue tickets for less than 10 mph over posted speed limit, (2) cannot use SMD on downhill road with more than a 7% downgrade, (3) cannot use SMD closer than 500 feet inside a changed speed limit zone (4) police vehicle using SMD must be seen by all approaching vehicles at least 500 feet or more, and (5) any municipality using SMD must have warning signs on major road at city limits or county limits stating so.

Not sure of the grade on Douglas Road, and given the hill and the curves I also wonder about the 500 feet limitation. I'm just going to watch my speed on that road since I travel it 4 times a day.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by billl

In the span of 15 minutes this morning I saw an Alpharetta patrol car pull over two different cars along Douglas Road in Alpharetta (near Southlake Drive). I'm guessing they were pulled over for speeding. The road is posted at 35 miles per hour but is very hilly. It is very easy to get up to 45 when going downhill without even realizing it.

Cumberland Parkway in southest Cobb is the same way -- the speed changes from 45 on the west side of S Atlanta Road (where it's a straight flat road) to 35 on the east side even though the road retains all four lanes, and after it crosses I-285 the road goes down a hill and around a curve before winding up and down towards Paces Ferry Road. And the cops like setting a trap at the end of that first downhill curve.

It's very easy to coast too fast on that hill without having any idea that you're speeding.

Thankfully the speed trap is usually in the same location, so it isn't that hard to anticipate where they will be.

[fooner]

I travel that road twice a day and have seen several car accidents on Douglas Rd. involving teenaged drivers. School is almost out; please remember that there are more teens out on the roads in the summer. Please be careful!