Police Stops (Raleigh, Cary, Speed: lawyers, neighborhoods, statistics)

[saturnfan]

Speed trap on Millbrook between Falls and 6 Forks. Very aggressive enforcement.

Otherwise not too bad here in my part of North Raleigh.

Many speed limits here are from earlier days and are WAY too high for current conditions and lousy night visibility.

[Xxtayce]

To the OP, you don't have to go exactly the speed limit.

If you get a speeding ticket and go to court, the DA will generally drop the speed listed on your ticket by 5mph. In city areas, staying around 5mph over will ensure that you're following along with the speed of other drivers and won't really have to worry too badly about getting pulled. On highways (and by this, I mean real highways like 440 and 540, not Capital Blvd. or 64), you can usually go 5-9 over the speed limit with no worry. I was told by a highway patrolman that they don't typically pull people over doing so little over the speed limit because new tires, suspension, etc. could affect the speedometer on people's cars and it's usually worth it to wait for someone who is actually speeding.

Just a forewarning: In North Carolina, police have the ability by law to take away your license on the spot for driving 15mph or more over the speed limit. (It is considered reckless driving, and not something that insurance companies look upon too fondly, either.)

But, the above suggestions for "safe speeding" are just general rules I learned around here and aren't to be taken too seriously. I've never gotten a ticket, but that doesn't mean you won't.

Breaking the law is still breaking the law, so don't be surprised when you get slapped with a big, fat ticket. (Oh, and enjoy the lines at the courthouse. You should expect to be there for several hours, from what I heard last.)

[lamishra]

And one more reminder regarding traffic laws: NC has the MOVE OVER law. You have to move over if there is an emergency or police vehicle stopped on the side of the road. I see people with out of state tags doing this all the time (not moving over) so I wondered if most people who have recently moved here were even aware of it.

[golfgrl]

Originally Posted by NYer

I have been shocked by the amount of traffic accidents I see on Capital almost every day. Up by me people go REALLY fast & I guess it is ineveitable that there would be accidents.

Only been here 2 months but my observation so far is that the is very little police presence. I think I have seen 3 police cars so far. I posted on another thread the amount of tail-gaters I have experienced and there seem to be an inordinate amount of accidents in the Triangle region. It seems as if every other car is on a cell phone. It's against the law in NY, how about here? Where in NY were you from?

[cary native]

Originally Posted by lamishra

And one more reminder regarding traffic laws: NC has the MOVE OVER law. You have to move over if there is an emergency or police vehicle stopped on the side of the road. I see people with out of state tags doing this all the time (not moving over) so I wondered if most people who have recently moved here were even aware of it.

You would be amazed at how many drivers break this law!!

[saturnfan]

The person in Cary who was ticketed in a school zone for not knowing new school hours really should have fought.

How can anyone expect a driver to know the school hours in a neighborhood where they do not live?

Here in Raleigh, most school zone signs tell the hours if the speed restrictions are only for part of the day.

What moron thought everyone would automatically know the hours?

Typical Cary behavior.

[Waterboy526]

Originally Posted by saturnfan

The person in Cary who was ticketed in a school zone for not knowing new school hours really should have fought.

How can anyone expect a driver to know the school hours in a neighborhood where they do not live?

Here in Raleigh, most school zone signs tell the hours if the speed restrictions are only for part of the day.

What moron thought everyone would automatically know the hours?

Typical Cary behavior.

It sucks, but in most cases ignorance of the law is not a defense.

[AnNYYankee]

Originally Posted by golfgrl

Only been here 2 months but my observation so far is that the is very little police presence. I think I have seen 3 police cars so far. I posted on another thread the amount of tail-gaters I have experienced and there seem to be an inordinate amount of accidents in the Triangle region. It seems as if every other car is on a cell phone. It's against the law in NY, how about here? Where in NY were you from?

I was wondering about the cell phones also. That being said even though its illegal in NY people still do it, mostly teens who think they're invincible and above the law.

As far as the police presence, cops in NY pull people over constantly too, so I don't see the big deal. The guys have a job to do. Although in the town where I used to live in Westchester County we called them "The Asphalt Patrol." Pull someone over to raise more money for the town to buy ashphalt so you can build more roads to pull people over on to raise money to buy more asphalt.

[kristennc]

Originally Posted by lamishra

And one more reminder regarding traffic laws: NC has the MOVE OVER law. You have to move over if there is an emergency or police vehicle stopped on the side of the road. I see people with out of state tags doing this all the time (not moving over) so I wondered if most people who have recently moved here were even aware of it.

My hubby is a paramedic, and we are shocked to see honestly almost no one obeys this law. And it is a class 2 misdemeanor if you are caught, but I've never seen or heard of anyone ticketed for it. I am so glad he is off of the street.

I've had more cars pull around me when I pull over for emergency services than I can count. But I didn't ask them if they were born north or south of the mason dixon line. I do admit to giving a "highway salute" a time or two though.

[saturnfan]

Originally Posted by Waterboy526

It sucks, but in most cases ignorance of the law is not a defense.

This is not ignorance of the law.

It is an improperly composed regulatory sign that is vague and unenforceable.

How about one like "Speed limit 25 during quarter moon periods". How do you determine the phase of the moon while driving by in daylight without the weather section of the daily paper?

A sign like that was designed by a typical Cary fool who feels "anyone who doesn't know shouldn't be here".

Cannot see a Wake County District Court judge ruling against a driver who was driving safely but exceeding the improperly posted time restrictions.