Speeding Tickets In Texas - A Spin-off From Another Discussion (Austin: school, law)

[Trae713]

Cops pulling people over for speeding is so dumb. Cops here in DFW speed, especially if they are not in their municipality, and will slow down once entereing their city limits to pull people over. It's one big revenue stream. Pretty obvious, especially in smaller suburban cities like Round Rock. You don't see the same things in urban cities really.

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by Trae713

Cops pulling people over for speeding is so dumb. Cops here in DFW speed, especially if they are not in their municipality, and will slow down once entereing their city limits to pull people over. It's one big revenue stream. Pretty obvious, especially in smaller suburban cities like Round Rock. You don't see the same things in urban cities really.

Austin is FULL of speed traps, and plenty of people get "Acevedo'd" when leaving the entertainment district.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Trae713

Cops pulling people over for speeding is so dumb.

How is it dumb? I've never heard anyone explain this position to my satisfaction. Police are tasked with enforcement of the laws. If you don't speed, you don't get pulled over for speeding.

Don't want a speeding ticket? Don't speed. It's simple.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by OpenD

How is it dumb? I've never heard anyone explain this position to my satisfaction. Police are tasked with enforcement of the laws. If you don't speed, you don't get pulled over for speeding.

Don't want a speeding ticket? Don't speed. It's simple.

Exactly. Apparently, though, it's not simple enough for some. If you don't want a speeding ticket, don't speed. If you decide to speed anyway, and DO get a speeding ticket, don't blame the cop who's enforcing the law like he's being paid to do. Accept responsibility for the consequences of your own actions, and move on. Apparently THAT is impossibly difficult for some, too, though.

[JayBrown80]

Originally Posted by OpenD

How is it dumb? I've never heard anyone explain this position to my satisfaction. Police are tasked with enforcement of the laws. If you don't speed, you don't get pulled over for speeding.

Don't want a speeding ticket? Don't speed. It's simple.

One would think this is a simple concept, but the flame wars that it starts will boggle your mind.....

There are MANY people that just don't get this simple simple concept.

The other thing that confuses the hell out of them is "I speed thru here everyday, and have never gotten a ticket before!!! so you shouldn't give me one now!! If I break the law without getting caught, that means the action is no longer illegal! Right??? RIGHT???"

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by OpenD

How is it dumb? I've never heard anyone explain this position to my satisfaction. Police are tasked with enforcement of the laws. If you don't speed, you don't get pulled over for speeding.

Don't want a speeding ticket? Don't speed. It's simple.

But when those same cops speed to get into the Chick Fil A drive thru line, or speed in their personal cara knowing they wont get a ticket (cops have told me thia), it begs the question, why are these "laws" here? Cops don't even obey them. Are they better than the civilians? The cause of most traffic problens are people's driving habits, so if driver's would yiels to faster traffic and continue to pass the cars to their right, congestion would plummet.

[JayBrown80]

Originally Posted by Trae713

But when those same cops speed to get into the Chick Fil A drive thru line, or speed in their personal cara knowing they wont get a ticket (cops have told me thia), it begs the question, why are these "laws" here? Cops don't even obey them. Are they better than the civilians? The cause of most traffic problens are people's driving habits, so if driver's would yiels to faster traffic and continue to pass the cars to their right, congestion would plummet.

If you want the perks that cops get....then go be a cop! Teachers get summers off. If you want summers off, go be a teacher! Don't call your boss on June 1st and go "well TEACHERS get summer off, so I will see you sometime around August! I GET EVERY PERK THAT EVERY OTHER PROFESSION GETS! Now, CEOs get to ride around in private planes, so I am going to go down to ABIA and demand my private airplane! This seems like a brilliant plan to me."

As far as your assertion that getting rid of speed limits will cause "congestion to plummet" please prove that? I think we both know it's a bunch of BS, but I will read any evidence you put forth.

I am surprised, I didn't know that there was so much congetion in the "chik-fil-a drive thru line" that would be solved if you could go thru there at 80. Do you even know the speed limit in a drive thru line? How do you know cops are breaking that speed limit....at Chik-fil-a.......LOL, sorry...I had to stop and laugh. That was such a ridiculous statement on your part. Cops speed in the Chik-fil-a drive thru..so you should be able to as well..to help lower congestion.....Sigh.

[hal2814]

Originally Posted by JayBrown80

If you want the perks that cops get....then go be a cop! Teachers get summers off. If you want summers off, go be a teacher! Don't call your boss on June 1st and go "well TEACHERS get summer off, so I will see you sometime around August! I GET EVERY PERK THAT EVERY OTHER PROFESSION GETS! Now, CEOs get to ride around in private planes, so I am going to go down to ABIA and demand my private airplane! This seems like a brilliant plan to me."

As far as your assertion that getting rid of speed limits will cause "congestion to plummet" please prove that? I think we both know it's a bunch of BS, but I will read any evidence you put forth.

I am surprised, I didn't know that there was so much congetion in the "chik-fil-a drive thru line" that would be solved if you could go thru there at 80. Do you even know the speed limit in a drive thru line? How do you know cops are breaking that speed limit....at Chik-fil-a.......LOL, sorry...I had to stop and laugh. That was such a ridiculous statement on your part. Cops speed in the Chik-fil-a drive thru..so you should be able to as well..to help lower congestion.....Sigh.

So are you done comparing apples and oranges? Speed Limits are put in place as a safety measure. The other things you mention are not. While I'm pretty sure you can't speed in a private parking lot (though you can drive recklessly or too fast for conditions), I often see police officers exceeding the speed limit. If it is a safety issue, then why are the officers charged with keeping the peace endangering others without reason? (If there were reason to exceed the speed limit, then their lights should be on and I see plenty of cases where that's not the case.)

It's hard to take seriously that the speed limit impacts safety when the people in charge of enforcing that limit don't see the need to follow it unless they're trolling for revenue. And just to kick over the stupid straw man before it rears its ugly head again, I realize I'm responsible for my own actions and that if I am speeding, I may get a ticket and it's nobody's fault but my own. I'm not saying that I shouldn't get a ticket for violating the law. I am saying that I think that speed limits are merely a revenue generation device as currently implemented and the law needs to be changed.

[JayBrown80]

Originally Posted by hal2814

So are you done comparing apples and oranges? Speed Limits are put in place as a safety measure. The other things you mention are not. While I'm pretty sure you can't speed in a private parking lot (though you can drive recklessly or too fast for conditions), I often see police officers exceeding the speed limit. If it is a safety issue, then why are the officers charged with keeping the peace endangering others without reason? (If there were reason to exceed the speed limit, then their lights should be on and I see plenty of cases where that's not the case.)

It's hard to take seriously that the speed limit impacts safety when the people in charge of enforcing that limit don't see the need to follow it unless they're trolling for revenue. And just to kick over the stupid straw man before it rears its ugly head again, I realize I'm responsible for my own actions and that if I am speeding, I may get a ticket and it's nobody's fault but my own. I'm not saying that I shouldn't get a ticket for violating the law. I am saying that I think that speed limits are merely a revenue generation device as currently implemented and the law needs to be changed.

And as I told the previous poster if you can provide EVIDENCE that speed limits have no purpose other than to generate revenue, I will happily read it. Please, post evidence saying that driving only 35 in a school zone serves no safety reason whatsoever, it's just an excuse to write tickets. A 35MPH speed limit in school zones in no way makes children more safe. Please present that evidence.

It's not apples and oranges dear. You and Trae have only made 2 arguments.

1) Cops speed all the time!! *stamps foot* IT'S NOT FAIR!
2) Speed limits serve no purpose other than revenue generation! Congestion would actually go down with no speed limits.

To which I say:

1) I am sure cops speed and don't have to worry about tickets. It's a PERK of their job. Just like a perk of my job is I get paid a lot of money to sit here and argue with you on City-Data, and not everyone can say that. Are those cops bad examples? Yes. Should they get tickets? Yes. If you want the same perks they get, go be a cop.
2) Present the evidence and I will read it. Personally I think it's BS, which is why I am not going to hold my breath for evidence, because you won't be able to provide. it.

No straw man, just logical reasoning. So many people on city-data use the phrase "apples and oranges" and "strawman" and "ad hominem" and they have NO IDEA what those phrases mean. It's silly.

Originally Posted by hal2814

Speed Limits are put in place as a safety measure. .

Originally Posted by hal2814

It's hard to take seriously that the speed limit impacts safety when the people in charge of enforcing that limit don't see the need to follow it .

Am I witnessing schizophrenia in action? Which hal2814 am I talking too? They seemed to switch up halfway thru your posting.

[hal2814]

Originally Posted by JayBrown80

And as I told the previous poster if you can provide EVIDENCE that speed limits have no purpose other than to generate revenue, I will happily read it. Please, post evidence saying that driving only 35 in a school zone serves no safety reason whatsoever, it's just an excuse to write tickets. A 35MPH speed limit in school zones in no way makes children more safe. Please present that evidence.

It's not apples and oranges dear. You and Trae have only made 2 arguments.

1) Cops speed all the time!! *stamps foot* IT'S NOT FAIR!
2) Speed limits serve no purpose other than revenue generation! Congestion would actually go down with no speed limits.

To which I say:

1) I am sure cops speed and don't have to worry about tickets. It's a PERK of their job. Just like a perk of my job is I get paid a lot of money to sit here and argue with you on City-Data, and not everyone can say that. Are those cops bad examples? Yes. Should they get tickets? Yes. If you want the same perks they get, go be a cop.
2) Present the evidence and I will read it. Personally I think it's BS, which is why I am not going to hold my breath for evidence, because you won't be able to provide. it.

No straw man, just logical reasoning. So many people on city-data use the phrase "apples and oranges" and "strawman" and "ad hominem" and they have NO IDEA what those phrases mean. It's silly.





Am I witnessing schizophrenia in action? Which hal2814 am I talking too? They seemed to switch up halfway thru your posting.

Having a purpose and taking that purpose seriously are different things just like your trumped up (and aptly named) straw man argument is different than what I'm arguing and just as apple and oranges are in fact different.

I'm not saying there shouldn't be speed limits. What I am saying is that those speed limits are geared more towards revenue generation than safety (not entirely, just more) in their current form. I am also saying that it's reasonable to expect those enforcing laws to not be above those laws. Furthermore, I am saying that law enforcement acting above the law undermines the law itself.

As far as studies, here's a Michigan study on speed not being a factor in more frequent of more serious crashes: Study Shows That Motorists Drive at Reasonable Speeds, Speed Limits . Auto and Road User

Here's a UVA study on raising the speed limit not having an impact on safety in a particular instance: Long-Term Speed Compliance and Safety Impacts of Rational Speed Limits - Transport Research International Documentation - TRID

And here is a 1996 study showing no correlation between speed limits and the number or crashes: The Effects of Raising and Lowering the Speed Limit | NMA

One thing that all 3 of these reports touch on is that with increased speed limits, we have increased compliance but no further accidents. So if it's just as safe either way, why not raise the limit and increase compliance? I'll tell you why: Too much revenue would be lost.