Pulled Over by DPS

[speedsix]

Speeding puts everyone at greater risk.

Speeding is extremely selfish - Consider the rest of humanity and quit speeding ...

I'll step off my soapbox, but I'm serious about what I stated.

...selfish is THE word...I did it when I was a kid 'cause I thought I had to...did it when I was a cop cause I HAD to...when I quit, I decided I wasn't going to be in that much of a hurry ever again...so I don't purposely speed...and when I look down and see that I am...there's the brake pedal...my business is NOT more important than others...nor are there lives less important than mine....

[Scott in Houston]

Speeding puts everyone at greater risk.

Speeding is extremely selfish - Consider the rest of humanity and quit speeding ...

I'll step off my soapbox, but I'm serious about what I stated.

...selfish is THE word...I did it when I was a kid 'cause I thought I had to...did it when I was a cop cause I HAD to...when I quit, I decided I wasn't going to be in that much of a hurry ever again...so I don't purposely speed...and when I look down and see that I am...there's the brake pedal...my business is NOT more important than others...nor are there lives less important than mine....

All true, but however, some speed limits are a little ridiculous. Speed doesn't kill... the difference in speed kills.
West Texas highways and modern vehicles being limited to 70 mph is ridiculous. The speed limit should be 90 or so, and people driving slowly and not passing, but in the left lane should be pulled over more often than anyone else... but that won't happen because when it comes down to it, it's more about $$ than safety.

In the end, it's the pathetically taught drivers in our country. All the left lane blockers and others with NO CLUE how to drive on a highway.
Spend any time driving in Europe and you'll see just how ridiculous things are here in terms of driving. I wouldn't trade much of anything with Europe, but I'd trade our driving skills (on avg) for theirs any day. And driving laws... Germany has that figured out well.

So personally, I don't speed much, but when I'm out on an empty highway between places like Pecos and El Paso, yes, I will put the hammer down at times. It saves a lot of time when on the highway... and no time when in a city.

[speedsix]

...I've always been all for changing laws we(the majority) think are stupid...but it's kinda like the bumper sticker...which said something vaguely resembling...we have no concern about how you accomplished things in New York...the law IS the law...and to be obeyed until it's changed...when we disagree, we're being good Americans...when we break it...we're not...and need to weigh the consequences against what's gained by doing it our way...if it ain't there by the time I get there...I guess I missed it....

[Abraham]

Yes, of course the world is filled with others who frustrate us with their incompetence - so let's do as we please - and idiotic laws, don't get me started...

Foolish laws, incompetent others, the heck with that and them, do as you wish...

Any guesses as to those who primarily adhere to that perspective?

[speedsix]

...we used to call 'em "customers"...they got in for free...but hadda pay to get out!!! a lot of 'em lost the voting rights they didn't see any point in using...and the laws didn't change a bit...funny how that works....

[mreavis]

At least 50% if not more like 75% of the people in Austin are always doing at least 2-4 over. I usually am as well, its going 5-15+ over that gets you pulled over. I think that would happen no matter what the speed limit is though. I wouldn't mind seeing it be raised on high/free ways. But I don't think people need to be driving any faster on city streets.

[Scott in Houston]

Yes, of course the world is filled with others who frustrate us with their incompetence - so let's do as we please - and idiotic laws, don't get me started...

Foolish laws, incompetent others, the heck with that and them, do as you wish...

Any guesses as to those who primarily adhere to that perspective?

No one ever said "so let's do as we please" or "do as you wish".

What I stated is fact however... yes, the laws are poor and designed almost solely for the revenue, and yes, we have a poor system of driving and creating licensed drivers. Do you think the opposite?

We currently have on the books, as I understand it, a law against being in the left lane without overtaking... is that ever enforced??

[speedsix]

...some areas I've seen the sign that the left lane was for passing only...but I'm just testy enough that if that isn't the case, and I'm on an interstate doing the speed limit or a bit over, and someone comes flying up flashing and blowing and trying to make me hit my brakes and blend in with slower traffic in the right lane so that they can fly on by much faster than other traffic...just because they think they're more important than the others on the road....weeeeeeelllllllll...sometimes they get ignored...as far as an underlying blanket law requiring us to keep right unless passing...not aware of it...some folks just think they're too important to wait in line, be inconvenienced by others' presence in life, or take a number...their attitudes don't change mine....

[gringop]

Speeding puts everyone at greater risk.
Speeding is extremely selfish - Consider the rest of humanity and quit speeding ...
I'll step off my soapbox, but I'm serious about what I stated.

OK, I'll bite on this one.

How does driving 75mph in a 70mph zone put EVERYONE at risk? It really doesn't, does it?

How selfish could a person be, using their training, experience, knowledge and skills to navigate our roadways at speeds exceeding what is posted. It is interesting that a person could, on the same stretch of divided 4 lane highway in Texas, be unselfish in the mid 70s at 70mph, in the 80s have to slow to 55mph to be unselfish and in 2011 can go 80mph and still be unselfish.

How in the world could I, on a track day at Texas World Speedway, ride my bike at 120mph and not be selfish and endangering the rest of humanity and yet if I go 5 mph over the limit on State highways, I'm putting everyone at risk? The traffic density is the same and the credentials required (current DL) are the same.

It's because exceeding the posted speed limit is "Malum prohibitum" or "bad because I say so" not "mala in se" or "bad in or of itself". Speed limits get set for many reasons and most of them are political. Few are with regard to safety.

Driving safely is not about blindly following every single rule and regulation to the T but about using experience and knowledge to make real world decisions about traffic, road conditions and your own capabilities to reach your destination safely and efficiently.

Don't overdrive your vision, alter your speed for traffic and road conditions and know your skill and your vehicle capabilities. And don't whine if you do get pulled over for a ticket.

And don't call me selfish for driving 5 over.

Gringop

[speedsix]

...a lot of common sense there...but when we're standing in front of the JP...he doesn't put too much stock in it...just reads the LAW and determines if we broke it...and how much it's gonna cost us...that's the bad thing about laws...they don't always make sense...they're not always correct...or efficient...but they're always the law...and there's our choice...either break them, keep them, or work to change them...I've done all three...

[gigag04]

I invite some of you to contact NHTSA to learn about how speed limits are determined.

Lots of "jailhouse lawyer" type info in this thread.

[TexDotCom]

Thanks.
I got the idea when I used to ride motorcycles. I had a bright orange laminated card attached to my jacket zipper that had a lot of info on it. If you get into accident or emergency situation they will always look for the ID.

Also...

In your mobile phone, set up a contact called "ICE - XXXXX" (where XXXXX = the name of your In Case of Emergency contact)...

There are many smartphone applications that hold emergency/contact/medical data, etc...
Here's just one... http://www.androlib.com/android.applica ... -jqpz.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is a good method for letting EMS know your emergency contacts. However, this will only work if you don't have a password on your phone to get to the contact list, otherwise there will be no way for them to get into the phone to see the information.

On my Blackberry and my wife's, which are always locked and encrypted because they have company data on them, I used the "Owner Information" option to put ICE info on the main screen. I set mine up as:

ICE: wife's name
wife's phone number

and her phone with my info. Emergency responders can see that data without unlocking the phone because it's only displayed on the screen when the phones are locked. PM me if you would like assistance with this.

[pcgizzmo]

It's always bugged me to see the little and large cities for that matter pulling revenue from speeders. With all due respect to the LEO's here and I do have FULL respect for you except in this one small area. For those LEO's that have done it did you really think when you became an officer of the law you'd be an over priced tax collector for the city you worked for?

At one time I wanted to be a police officer and my career took a different path but I know that if I would have become one and got stuck on traffic duty I would have become highly disillusioned at some point. Especially if I worked for a smaller city.

[tallmike]

...some areas I've seen the sign that the left lane was for passing only...but I'm just testy enough that if that isn't the case, and I'm on an interstate doing the speed limit or a bit over, and someone comes flying up flashing and blowing and trying to make me hit my brakes and blend in with slower traffic in the right lane so that they can fly on by much faster than other traffic...just because they think they're more important than the others on the road....weeeeeeelllllllll...sometimes they get ignored...as far as an underlying blanket law requiring us to keep right unless passing...not aware of it...some folks just think they're too important to wait in line, be inconvenienced by others' presence in life, or take a number...their attitudes don't change mine....

I'm not supporting those who drive way above the speed limit, but I do need to attack you logic here a bit. You are being at least as selfish as the speeders here by not moving over. Frequently those who want to stay in the left lane and not yield to faster traffic just don't want to be inconvenienced by others and driving slowly in the left lane is the easiest way to avoid coming upon slower drivers in front of you.

I do about 5 over, I pass in the left and drive in the middle. When someone else wants to go much faster than I do, I try to weigh out how much slowing I will need to do to let them over before passing the next car vs how much slowing they will need to do to wait for me to pass. Sometimes I get inconvenienced by having to slow, other times they do. Seems like a fair trade to me, common courtesy and all that. =)

[srothstein]

as far as an underlying blanket law requiring us to keep right unless passing...not aware of it

Just thought I would point out this law for you, Transportation Code section 545.051(b) states:

An operator of a vehicle on a roadway moving more slowly than the normal speed of other vehicles at the time and place under the existing conditions shall drive in the right-hand lane available for vehicles, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, unless the operator is:

(1) passing another vehicle; or

(2) preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

Note the speed limit and signs are not mentioned, just if you are moving slower than the other traffic, you are supposed to move right unless passing or turning left.

I have said before, and will say again and again, that there are a lot of little clauses in the Transportation Code that most of us are unaware of. Almost every time I read it, I find another one.