How much over the speed limit do you drive?

[disneyseniors]

I don't get why the United States is so soft on enforcing speed limits. Why not just install speed enforcement cameras like they use in Oregon. Keeps speeds way down.

It's all probably due to money. The US is so vast that the amount needed to put these cameras up everywhere just isn't feasible. They should put them up in big towns though.

 

[Dan Murphy]

They should put them up in big towns though.

They have a lot of them in Chicago proper, along with red light cameras. A lot of both. And they are merciless, super quick yellows on the red light cameras, one half second. Suburbs have a few here and there. Red light cameras in the suburbs have 1 to 1 1/2 second yellows.

 

[Micca]

I'll go 5-10 over, but I don't mind driving the speed limit. Our neighborhood has a number of schools so I'm extra careful going past those areas. I think I've had a total of 3 speeding tickets, the most recent one was over 20 years ago. I have driven 80+ MPH a few times and I didn't like it at all.

 

[Babs Johnson]

I’m my old age I rarely drive over the speed limit. At most, 5 mph over. DW occasionally has to tell me to go faster. If I’m on the highway and get behind a slowpoke, I’ll often just follow at their speed until DW gets fed up and yells “Pass already!!”

 

[georgina]

When I see a camera, I drive carefully to be at the limit as to not get a fine and without fail, at least 6 people will speed up and pass me. Last time that happened I counted 8.

There is a stretch of highway that I drive frequently with a speed limit of 50. It is funny how everyone races until the well-known camera, then all slow down to 50 in both lanes. I will pass them doing 55, because I know it won't trigger, then they all speed up again.

 

[Smugpugmug]

There is a stretch of highway that I drive frequently with a speed limit of 50. It is funny how everyone races until the well-known camera, then all slow down to 50 in both lanes. I will pass them doing 55, because I know it won't trigger, then they all speed up again.

The cameras are moved every day multiple times a day in my area. I'll drive somewhere and see the camera in one spot and then when I go home it's somewhere else. But I always drive as if they're there. One was added near the high school by my house as the kids that drive to school tend to speed and not look out for pedestrians.

 

[tvguy]

The cameras are moved every day multiple times a day in my area. I'll drive somewhere and see the camera in one spot and then when I go home it's somewhere else. But I always drive as if they're there. One was added near the high school by my house as the kids that drive to school tend to speed and not look out for pedestrians.

When we had red light cameras, they moved them around, but the had far more of the camera housings than cameras. You never knew if there actually was a camera in that housing. And the flash system was at all locations too, so if it senses a car has run a red light, the flash goes off, even if there is not currently a camera in the camera housing. But like I said, they discontinued them last year because the cost of running the cameras exceeded the fines they brought in.

 

[MillauFr]

But like I said, they discontinued them last year because the cost of running the cameras exceeded the fines they brought in.

So they worked? I don't understand why they would say they turned them off.

 

[tvguy]

So they worked? I don't understand why they would say they turned them off.

Like I said, because they cost more than they brought in in fines.
https://www.kcra.com/article/sacramento-ends-red-light-camera-system-drivers-react/60206739

 

[MillauFr]

Like I said, because they cost more than they brought in in fines.
https://www.kcra.com/article/sacramento-ends-red-light-camera-system-drivers-react/60206739

The goal of these cameras is never to maximize revenue. Success would equal zero revenue.

 

[tvguy]

The goal of these cameras is never to maximize revenue. Success would equal zero revenue.

Correct. The article states that. They brought in less money than they cost to operate so they have discontinued using them since they were losing money.

 

[MillauFr]

Correct. The article states that. They brought in less money than they cost to operate so they have discontinued using them since they were losing money.

But that makes no sense to discontinue them then. If something is working why discontinue it? I guess I'm in the camp if it aint broken don't fix it.

 

[tvguy]

But that makes no sense to discontinue them then. If something is working why discontinue it? I guess I'm in the camp if it aint broken don't fix it.

It wasn't working. Like the article says, the redlight camera program was approved on the condition it was "revenue neutral". In plain English, it had to bring in at least enough in fines to cover the cost of running the program. It wasn't.

 

[lovin'fl]

I do about 7 to 12 over. I try to stick with 7-10 over. And lots of people fly by me so the 10-15 and 15-20 should have way more votes. And the other might be above 20. Cause there are so many folks racing like it's the Autobahn or the Miami F1 Grand Prix. Craziness.

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

It depends on where I am and the traffic nearby. When I am in a residential area, I am under the speed limit. I keep it about 15-18mph in my neighborhood. When I am on the freeway going to work, I'm usually in the 75-80 zone on the freeway which is the flow of traffic. On occasion, I have gone a little over 100, but again, that's on a freeway straightaway with no one around. I have been driving for almost 40 years - got one speeding ticket about 10 years ago, but that's it. While I do drive fast, I don't weave in and out of traffic, I always use my turn signal, and I make sure I am in the lane I need to be in for turns well ahead of time.

 

[wallawallakids]

I go 0-5 over. If it is a school zone, neighborhood etc, I will go the speed limit but if it is country roads, highway I will go 5 over. Everyone out here goes WAY too fast and I know that makes me sound old. But we have culverts on the sides of our roads and it is honestly unsafe at the speed people go. Every single week I see a car in a ditch, or through someone's fence. Our home is a mile off the main road thanks to a long driveway, but my mailbox is on the main drag. It is a mater of time before it is hit. I am always real cautious getting the mail. Our neighbors have all had people through their fences. It is scary. Our road has a 40mph speed limit and I am not joking when I say people go down our hill at 80. It is insane. We are unincorporated though, so we rarely see the police out here. Which is why, sadly, we have wooden crosses all over the sides of our roads. It is such a waste. I get passed a lot but that is fine with me. I would always rather they be ahead of me, then behind me. If I have room to pull over, I do and let them pass. I would rather make it home safe than fast any day.

 

[RangerPooh]

Here it's only an HOV lane for two hours in the morning one way, then two hours in the evening the other way, and they rarely, if ever, enforce anything. I doubt anyone even notices the signs, or cres about them. Regardless, that stretch of I-40 is a racetrack with people whipping all over the place. @RangerPooh knows what I'm talking about!

No one follows HOV rules in Memphis, nor are they enforced.

This was a huge shock to me after having lived in larger metro areas where it’s strictly enforced.

 

[BrianL]

No one follows HOV rules in Memphis, nor are they enforced.

This was a huge shock to me after having lived in larger metro areas where it’s strictly enforced.

Well, *I* do - but I'm the only person in the city who does.

 

[MillauFr]

It wasn't working. Like the article says, the redlight camera program was approved on the condition it was "revenue neutral". In plain English, it had to bring in at least enough in fines to cover the cost of running the program. It wasn't.

So now there are no cameras and enforcement is done by sending out police officers occasionally to write tickets? How is that more cost effective than video cameras?

 

[tvguy]

So now there are no cameras and enforcement is done by sending out police officers occasionally to write tickets? How is that more cost effective than video cameras?

Well, as they say, it's complicated. The Red Light cameras were run by the Sheriff's Department. It was the only traffic function they handled in the county. Traffic control in the county is done by the Highway Patrol. The sheriff was having to pay the shortfall on the red light camera program. The Highway Patrol is not paid for by the county, but by the state. However, a portion of every traffic fine they collect goes to the County. So this enforcement makes money. Making money is always more cost effective than losing money.