First time offense pulled over 77/35mph zone. Fairfax Va (pickup, highway, premium)

[sholomar]

Originally Posted by Stonepa

Virginia? You are lucky they didn't impound your car and throw you in jail for 3 days before you were allowed to see a judge. I know at least 2 people that had this very thing happen and they were only going 10 over on the interstate. Virginia doesn't mess around when it comes to speeding.

Wow. People routinely go 90 out here.. our interstates are set at 80. That kind of crap wouldn't fly out here in either South Dakota or Wisconsin...maybe Minnesota.. they are more nazis in that state... people will speed here if they think the speed limit is set too low for the road they are on, which often happens on those country roads around towns. Set them at 35 when they really should be set at 45 and people will do 50. Screw the speed nazis.

Show me evidence that these low speeds actually save lives or help out the children.. they do NOT.. they maybe make a person who rear ends someone because they are distracted by texting have a bit less front end damage on their car.. that's what most of these low speeds are about lately in towns at least. Sometimes it has to do with people who buy houses near major commuting arteries and then get tired of the traffic noise.. well too bad.. don't buy a house there then... or maybe get them to regulate loud pipes and/or loud motorcycles.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by stockwiz

Wow. People routinely go 90 out here.. our interstates are set at 80. That kind of crap wouldn't fly out here in either South Dakota or Wisconsin...maybe Minnesota.. they are more nazis in that state... people will speed here if they think the speed limit is set too low for the road they are on, which often happens on those country roads around towns. Set them at 35 when they really should be set at 45 and people will do 50. Screw the speed nazis.

Show me evidence that these low speeds actually save lives or help out the children.. they do NOT.. they maybe make a person who rear ends someone because they are distracted by texting have a bit less front end damage on their car.. that's what most of these low speeds are about lately in towns at least. Sometimes it has to do with people who buy houses near major commuting arteries and then get tired of the traffic noise.. well too bad.. don't buy a house there then... or maybe get them to regulate loud pipes and/or loud motorcycles.

It's really not fair to compare South Dakota to metro-DC. You don't want people going speed limit + 30 in a major metro area. There's a reason why states with a lot of big cities have very draconian speeding laws. They were put in place because toolboxes were weaving in and out of dense traffic at speed limit + 30. Bumping up the fines didn't solve the problem so they had to make it reckless driving with license suspension and possible jail time.

Same thing with gun control laws. Who cares if everybody can buy a gun without a permit and concealed carry without a permit in a totally rural state? In a major metro area with high crime sections, the last thing you want is to make it legal for the gang bangers to walk around with guns. I'm split between Vermont and Massachusetts. Vermont has no gun law at all. Anybody can buy a gun. Anybody can concealed carry. There is no such thing as a gun permit. In Massachusetts, you need a permit from the chief of police to own a gun. A concealed carry permit is really hard to get in a lot of cities in the state unless you're ex-military or ex-cop with real training. I think both states have totally appropriate gun law.

I think 85 mph or 90 mph is a totally reasonable speed limit for a rural highway in flyover country. With driver training like they get in Germany, the old Montana "reasonable and prudent" would be fine. If the road is empty and you have the right car, 120 mph is no problem. Maybe not with all the distracted driving problems in the US. I'm always amazed in Germany at speed limit compliance. When the Autobahn goes from an unlimited area to a 110 kph zone, the Germans are going exactly 110 kph as they pass the speed limit sign. They worse than Virginia speeding laws and you don't want to get pulled over. Tickets cost a fortune.

[Magnatomicflux]

Originally Posted by AfriqueNY

VA is no joke. I DONT speed in that state. You are looking at a court date with a plea deal and at lease 1500 in fines and you WILL need a lawyer. Trust me. I know. Been there done that at your age.

Here in Ontario, this would have landed the OP:

- An immediate seizure of the vehicle involved for 7 days
- Immediate drivers licence suspension for 7 days
- a fine between 2,000 and 10,000 dollars
- possible drivers license suspension up to 2 years
- 7 demerit points
- Dramatic increase in insurance rates

[MDrenter223]

Originally Posted by stockwiz

Wow. People routinely go 90 out here.. our interstates are set at 80. That kind of crap wouldn't fly out here in either South Dakota or Wisconsin...maybe Minnesota.. they are more nazis in that state... people will speed here if they think the speed limit is set too low for the road they are on, which often happens on those country roads around towns. Set them at 35 when they really should be set at 45 and people will do 50. Screw the speed nazis.

Show me evidence that these low speeds actually save lives or help out the children.. they do NOT.. they maybe make a person who rear ends someone because they are distracted by texting have a bit less front end damage on their car.. that's what most of these low speeds are about lately in towns at least. Sometimes it has to do with people who buy houses near major commuting arteries and then get tired of the traffic noise.. well too bad.. don't buy a house there then... or maybe get them to regulate loud pipes and/or loud motorcycles.

Not sure if they teach physics in SD, but one stops in a shorter amount of time and distance when traveling slowly.

So kid drops ball, ball rolls into road, kid follows ball, car stops before squashing kid.

Make that 35 into a 70, and that last part doesn't happen.

[Electrician4you]

Originally Posted by ajams22

Yikes all these responses make me glad I live in Oregon.

I was driving to Salem from Bend one summer (if unfamiliar, it's about 120 miles over a mountain pass, which turns into little mountain towns and farms just outside of Salem), cruising out of the mountains I got pulled over going 70 in a 35...the Sheriff let me off with a warning

You just got lucky. Maybe the cops wife just had a baby. You keep doing it you'll come across a cop that will cite you.

[Stonepa]

Originally Posted by stockwiz

Wow. People routinely go 90 out here.. our interstates are set at 80. That kind of crap wouldn't fly out here in either South Dakota or Wisconsin...maybe Minnesota.. they are more nazis in that state... people will speed here if they think the speed limit is set too low for the road they are on, which often happens on those country roads around towns. Set them at 35 when they really should be set at 45 and people will do 50. Screw the speed nazis.

Show me evidence that these low speeds actually save lives or help out the children.. they do NOT.. they maybe make a person who rear ends someone because they are distracted by texting have a bit less front end damage on their car.. that's what most of these low speeds are about lately in towns at least. Sometimes it has to do with people who buy houses near major commuting arteries and then get tired of the traffic noise.. well too bad.. don't buy a house there then... or maybe get them to regulate loud pipes and/or loud motorcycles.

You live in SD. Virginia is not South Dakota. Based on my experience out there, there is no traffic and no one out there to kill other than yourself. Speed all you want. However, where there are other cars on the road expecting people to go 35 mph and some fool comes along at 70? that should be an offense worthy of a few days in jail to let the seriousness sink in.

[Unsettomati]

Originally Posted by Kev.Kev

So on Friday at 2:55 I got pulled over by an officer of Fairfax city. He used the radar to determine I was going 77 mph in a 35mph zone, this is my first time pulled over. I've had my license for almost 3 years now if not already. My record is clean and I have plus 3 points. I'm 20 years old. I've been freaking out and feel like crying. I know I messed up. Being completely honest with you guys I didn't realize I was going that fast. I know it sounds stupid but I'm telling you guys the truth. I work full time and go to school on Tuesday and Thursday after work. I have never had any problems with the law. What do you guys think the court will do to me for the reckless driving ticket with the things I've told you.

Thank you for your time

Going 77 in a 35 isn't a 'mess up' - it's a dangerously reckless thing to do. Period.

It's fine if you want to put your own life on the line for no good reason, but it's beyond unacceptable to put the lives of others on the line. That speed limit is there for a reason.

[Tiffer E38]

Originally Posted by MDrenter223

Not sure if they teach physics in SD, but one stops in a shorter amount of time and distance when traveling slowly.

So kid drops ball, ball rolls into road, kid follows ball, car stops before squashing kid.

Make that 35 into a 70, and that last part doesn't happen.

With that logic, we might as well make speed limits about 5 mph. No damage to anyone in the case of an accident and everyone is safer. Physics, right?


You can still squash a kid who darts out in the road when you're doing 35 mph, too, if the kid does it closer to the car.


So lets petition to make all speed limits 5 mph or less. I mean, think of the children!





And to the OP, the only way you would have thought that 77 was almost 35 was if you had been doing 120 right before than, so that 77 felt like a crawl...

[sholomar]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

It's really not fair to compare South Dakota to metro-DC. You don't want people going speed limit + 30 in a major metro area. There's a reason why states with a lot of big cities have very draconian speeding laws. They were put in place because toolboxes were weaving in and out of dense traffic at speed limit + 30. Bumping up the fines didn't solve the problem so they had to make it reckless driving with license suspension and possible jail time.

Same thing with gun control laws. Who cares if everybody can buy a gun without a permit and concealed carry without a permit in a totally rural state? In a major metro area with high crime sections, the last thing you want is to make it legal for the gang bangers to walk around with guns. I'm split between Vermont and Massachusetts. Vermont has no gun law at all. Anybody can buy a gun. Anybody can concealed carry. There is no such thing as a gun permit. In Massachusetts, you need a permit from the chief of police to own a gun. A concealed carry permit is really hard to get in a lot of cities in the state unless you're ex-military or ex-cop with real training. I think both states have totally appropriate gun law.

I think 85 mph or 90 mph is a totally reasonable speed limit for a rural highway in flyover country. With driver training like they get in Germany, the old Montana "reasonable and prudent" would be fine. If the road is empty and you have the right car, 120 mph is no problem. Maybe not with all the distracted driving problems in the US. I'm always amazed in Germany at speed limit compliance. When the Autobahn goes from an unlimited area to a 110 kph zone, the Germans are going exactly 110 kph as they pass the speed limit sign. They worse than Virginia speeding laws and you don't want to get pulled over. Tickets cost a fortune.

True.... sometimes I forget about what it's like to live in a higher population density area, and what Illinois drivers from the Chicago area drive like when they are driving through Wisconsin.. they are always the ones weaving in and out of lanes without signaling on the interstate, trying to maintain 85-90MPH.. it's not the speed that kills but going outside the average speed the rest of the traffic is going.. people going 55 on the interstate when people are flying by them going 20 MPH faster are just as dangerous as the ones trying to go 90MPH, trying to pass everyone in heavy traffic. However, those Chicago drivers are likely paying more attention to the road... when they set speed limits so low it makes one want to fall asleep, then they just start to pull out their phones instead.

I would not be a speed nazi trying to prove some point with kids in the car... you're likely to get rear ended by a distracted driver some day by not just going with the flow of traffic... speed is not dangerous if you are paying attention to what you are doing.. I promise! If semi trucks are passing you in large numbers, you should not be driving on the interstate. Get off. You're just clogging things up and pissing everyone off, creating a road hazard.


All this said, there is no defending 77 in a 35... say what you want, if you can't tell you're going that speed, then it's a good learning experience for you. I'm waiting for the self driving car to gain popularity so I can stop paying attention.. all these ultra low speed limits, stoplights that stay parked on red at 6AM despite nobody being around, 4 way stops that people don't know how to use properly because they think the other person is going to run the stop sign so they just sit there, people thinking the person with their right blinker on is not going to turn so they sit there and lose multiple opportunities to make a left turn, among other little annoyances.. they'd all be a thing of the past.

[middle-aged mom]

There's a reason why auto leasing companies usually do not rent to those under 25.

There's a reason why insurance companies charge males under 25 a huge premium.

Someone who cannot detect the difference between 35 and 77 does not belong behind the wheel.