Speed traps

[texasag93]

There is a reason for those weird limits that are not round numbers. And, believe it or not, you just proved that first part of the reason is correct.

The people making those signs and rules know that we get used to round numbers for limits. They think we will start to disregard them after a while. But putting an unusual number (19, 7, etc.) will draw attention to the sign and get people to remember it. The more you remember the sign, the mor elikely you are to obey the concept. You might not slow down to exactly 19, but you will slow much further down than when the sign says 20.

So 19 is the new 20?

[iflyabeech]

I always liked this sign on Quito Road in Saratoga, CA.
"Yes your honor, I was going 20 in a 19 mile per hour zone.

Here is another misconception which drives me nuts. The signs with black lettering and yellow backgrounds are advisory speeds. FYI
They are not speed limits and are not enforced as such!!

http://www.trafficsign.us/w13.html

http://www.msgroup.org/forums/mtt/topic ... IC_ID=6182

[LarryH]

Here is another misconception which drives me nuts. The signs with black lettering and yellow backgrounds are advisory speeds. FYI
They are not speed limits and are not enforced as such!!

http://www.trafficsign.us/w13.html

http://www.msgroup.org/forums/mtt/topic ... IC_ID=6182

While this is true, I have been told that, in the event you are exceeding that speed and have an accident, the excessive speed will be consider prima facie evidence of reckless driving. [This may have been back when I lived in Minnesota, so don't know if Texas has the same principles or not.]

[Keith B]

Here is another misconception which drives me nuts. The signs with black lettering and yellow backgrounds are advisory speeds. FYI
They are not speed limits and are not enforced as such!!

http://www.trafficsign.us/w13.html

http://www.msgroup.org/forums/mtt/topic ... IC_ID=6182

While this is true, I have been told that, in the event you are exceeding that speed and have an accident, the excessive speed will be consider prima facie evidence of reckless driving. [This may have been back when I lived in Minnesota, so don't know if Texas has the same principles or not.]

We all know the adviory speed limits posted on these signs in curves, etc. can usually be exceeded by a fair margin and still be fine.

When I was in Europe in the mid-seventies, you had better not exceed their posted speeds on curves or you were probably going off the road and over the edge. They only posted if it was a major need and then made sure it was pretty close to the max speed you could handle.

[E10]

"When I was in Europe in the mid-seventies, you had better not exceed their posted speeds on curves or you were probably going off the road and over the edge. They only posted if it was a major need and then made sure it was pretty close to the max speed you could handle."

When I saw those signs with speeds in kph I always tried to take the curves in mph.

But what does all this have to do with meetin' a law enforcement officer while carryin'?

[KBCraig]

But what does all this have to do with meetin' a law enforcement officer while carryin'?

Silly and arbitrary speed limits increase the likelihood of an encounter with law enforcement.

[dukalmighty]

We had a gravel county road in western Ks that was 55 mph and then there was a curve ahead sign that had 20 mph posted,and they were serious if you hit that curve at 30 you were gonna end up in the farmers field,one night a Kansas State Trooper was toodling along not paying attention and as he passed the sign at 55 it hit him where he was.It was a warm evening and he had his drivers window down,he spun his tires right and punched the gas trying to redirect his direction of travel and power thru the 120 degree curve but alas his best efforts failed and he slid sideways into a plowed field.After calling for a tow truck to pull him back on the road, he showed up at the Police Station,and his powder blue uniform had a brown tinge to it where all the dirt he kicked up came in the open window.All he said was when they put that 20mph sign up they wasn't kidding