Traffic law conundrum

[phylodog]

I've seen a cop drive exactly the speed limit and light up a car as soon as the car cleared the cop's front bumper.

Had one of our officers do that to me (pulled me over) one night last year. I had some not so nice things to say to him about it.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Had one of our officers do that to me (pulled me over) one night last year. I had some not so nice things to say to him about it.

Blue privilege! Blah blah blah.... higher standard!

 

[Birds Away]

If speed limit is 55, cop is going 45, I sure will pass him. Actually have a time or two,

I don't have anything to show him that will get me out of a ticket.

 

[jkaetz]

If the officer is at the posted speed limit then no passing. If the officer is below the posted limit then pass away as long as you're not over the limit. I don't think impeding traffic applies if you're doing the speed limit as they shouldn't technically be able to pass you therefore you're not impeding. That said I'm sure those can be argued in court until the end of civilization without a clear winner.

 

[MrsGungho]

I don't have anything to show him that will get me out of a ticket.

I've never flashed them!!

 

[CraigAPS]

If the officer is at the posted speed limit then no passing. If the officer is below the posted limit then pass away as long as you're not over the limit. I don't think impeding traffic applies if you're doing the speed limit as they shouldn't technically be able to pass you therefore you're not impeding. That said I'm sure those can be argued in court until the end of civilization without a clear winner.

I thought you HAD to move over for faster traffic regardless of whether or not the passing motorist was speeding. Or am I mistaken??

 

[phylodog]

I thought you HAD to move over for faster traffic regardless of whether or not the passing motorist was speeding. Or am I mistaken??

You are correct, that is how the law is written.

 

[phylodog]

Blue privilege! Blah blah blah.... higher standard!

I don't have marked car, I wasn't irritated because he pulled me over and I'm an officer. I was irritated because I don't think an officer driving the posted speed limit on the interstate and pulling anyone over who dares pass them is a reasonable thing to do.

 

[CraigAPS]

I don't have marked car, I wasn't irritated because he pulled me over and I'm an officer. I was irritated because I don't think an officer driving the posted speed limit on the interstate and pulling anyone over who dares pass them is a reasonable thing to do.

As an officer, perhaps you can answer a question: Is there any kind of "rule of thumb" for pulling someone over? 5 MPH over? 10? Is it a per officer idea (e.g. each officer has to decide how fast a driver must be going to pull him/her over)? Or is it per department?

 

[Mark-DuCo]

You could always try the PIT maneuver to try to remove the officer from the road thus removing the hold up for everyone. Traffic can then flow smoothly at any speed you want.

 

[phylodog]

As an officer, perhaps you can answer a question: Is there any kind of "rule of thumb" for pulling someone over? 5 MPH over? 10? Is it a per officer idea (e.g. each officer has to decide how fast a driver must be going to pull him/her over)? Or is it per department?

If an officer is in a ticket writing mood (or that's their primary responsibility), I think the majority are on the "9 is fine, 10 you're mine" thought process. Once you hit 65 in a 55 you're running a significantly higher risk of getting a ticket.

 

[spec4]

One thing I've noticed about police cars on interstates: they eventually exit after a few minutes. My policy is to just drive at the limit until they leave. Driving in MI I've seen police driving unmarked SUV's. Not cool to be blasting along and overtake one of those!

 

[Alamo]

Once on an interstate I came up behind a long line of cars in the right lane, all behind a trooper at the front. I checked the speed limit, checked my speedometer - we are all going 5 mph under. Double check. Yup, 5 under the limit. This is back in the bad old days of the Peanut Farmer, so we're talking 50 mph in a 55 zone. Boring. Check one more time. Yup, 5 under. So I blinker on, accelerate to 55 while I pull out to pass.

Everyone in the line snapped their head over as I passed them. Cruised right by the trooper, safe distance, signal, return to lane slowly. I look up in rearview. No response from trooper. 15 seconds later, every car in the line behind him simultaneously turns their turn signals on and pull out to pass, it was like synchronized swimming.

I've also been behind a trooper at the speed limit when he pulls off in the exit lane as we approach an overpass. I just left the cruise engaged and watched my rearview mirror. Sure enough he crossed the overpass and came down the entrance ramp, pulling in behind me. I'm sure if I had dropped the hammer underneath the overpass he would have lit me up.

 

[Tactically Fat]

If an officer is in a ticket writing mood (or that's their primary responsibility), I think the majority are on the "9 is fine, 10 you're mine" thought process. Once you hit 65 in a 55 you're running a significantly higher risk of getting a ticket.

Unless, of course, you're on 465 wherein if you're going 65, as I do (as indicated by my speedometer needle. Guess I may not actually be going that fast), you're still one of the slow cars on the road.

Know what'll really get this thread going? Let's talk about speeding cops! Muhahahahahaha.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I don't have marked car, I wasn't irritated because he pulled me over and I'm an officer. I was irritated because I don't think an officer driving the posted speed limit on the interstate and pulling anyone over who dares pass them is a reasonable thing to do.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Unless, of course, you're on 465 wherein if you're going 65, as I do (as indicated by my speedometer needle. Guess I may not actually be going that fast), you're still one of the slow cars on the road.

Know what'll really get this thread going? Let's talk about speeding cops! Muhahahahahaha.

Amen to that! [STRIKE]I've gone[/STRIKE] A friend of mine has gone 75 and was still one of the slow cars on the road. Allegedly...

 

[yeahbaby]

The wife and I were driving back from South Haven Michigan on Tuesday. Man the state of Michigan could of made a boat load of money on the FIBS heading home. Not so much speeding but speeding in construction zones. Which really p****s me off. Did not see on Michigan trooper the whole ride. Although once we got into Indiana, the ISP were parked within the construction zones which forced people to slow the hell down.

If an officer is in a ticket writing mood (or that's their primary responsibility), I think the majority are on the "9 is fine, 10 you're mine" thought process. Once you hit 65 in a 55 you're running a significantly higher risk of getting a ticket.

This is pretty much how my son works.

 

[jamil]

I don't have marked car, I wasn't irritated because he pulled me over and I'm an officer. I was irritated because I don't think an officer driving the posted speed limit on the interstate and pulling anyone over who dares pass them is a reasonable thing to do.

I remember years ago, I think just after they had lowered the speed on I-69 to 55 around Ft Wayne. In morning rush hour traffic I found myself behind a cop driving exactly 55. No one dared to pass him. I was a few cars behind him, and in my rear view mirror I could see cars bunched up bumper to bumper driving 55mph for as far as I could see. I thought that ****ing dickhead is causing a way more dangerous situation than if people just drove at their normal speed.

 

[Gary119]

In my earlier days crusing around 465 (middle lane) a trooper in the left lane pulls up beside me. I look over and he is giving me the 55 hand sign, I nodded, looked down at the speedometer.... I was doing 57, but not wanting to argue I slowed down.

Just so you know a week or two later I had a trooper run beside me to check my speedometer, it was correct.

 

[jkaetz]

I remember years ago, I think just after they had lowered the speed on I-69 to 55 around Ft Wayne. In morning rush hour traffic I found myself behind a cop driving exactly 55. No one dared to pass him. I was a few cars behind him, and in my rear view mirror I could see cars bunched up bumper to bumper driving 55mph for as far as I could see. I thought that ****ing dickhead is causing a way more dangerous situation than if people just drove at their normal speed.

So true. Traffic flow is far more important on a divided highway or interstate that a specific speed though you still get the impatient schmuck that must weave through traffic to gain two car lengths from his previous position.