how fast you drive off duty.

[Zaw]

I know rarely people follow speedlimits on freeways(highways). If speed is limited to 65mph people will go lil faster like 70mph or 75mph.

You guys are enforcer of the law, I wonder if you all follow the max speedlimit when you're off duty.

If not how fast you usually drive on 65mph freeway. http://www.officer.com/ubb/wink.gif Off Duty of course.

[Stryfe]

I'm not a cop, so the question doesn't really apply to me. I drive fast. I've never gotten a ticket. I usually do about 15 over the speed limit, except in town, if its a highway, I just follow the pace. If I'm late, I go fast.

[Superhero]

I usually either go with the flow or, at the most, I'll go 14 mph over the speed limit.

If I'm traveling cross country, it's the same thing. Staying in a pack of cars is very safe, most of the time.

If a trooper sees hundreds & hundreds of cars going 85 mph in a 70 mph zone, whats the point of stopping one (ha)? I might catch some flak for saying that http://www.officer.com/ubb/eek.gif

[dkiefner]

Stryfe writes
>>>I drive fast.<<<

Gotta go faster to outrun them speeding eggs, though. http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[GDenman]

I don't like to see enforcers of the law violate the law. It sends the wrong message & makes enforcement even harder.

I know most departments allow 5-10mph over the posted limit as a buffer for those people that may have a speedometer just a little off or for passing speed or just that momentary waiver from the limit. I like to hold my speed to the speed limit when within the city limits & not more than five miles over on the interstate. I also like to maintain that in the left lane whenever I can just to mess with all those going faster. It took me several years to realize that there is no place that you have to drive faster than necessary to get to, even on-duty. The main thing is getting there.

[Rebecca]

http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Dave! http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[movista]

I do not do anything that I would write someone a citation for. I allow 10 miles over and I drive 10 miles over....in a 55 zone. In a 70 zone I do not go beyond 75...and that is rare that I am over 70. Nor do I allow others to drive over 75 without a citation.

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Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the presence of justice.

[Topdog]

When I visited Atlanta, the interstate that circles the city was about 10 lanes wide and the average speed was 90-95 mph (no, I'm not kidding). When I only went 90, people tailgated me because I was one of the slower drivers. I've never seen anything like it.

[Boss Hog]

I usually average about 8-12 over the limit while in the urbanized side of town. On the interstate, I usually stay within 14 mph of the limit.

I hate writing speeding tickets and RARELY do so-- and if I do, he's got to be flying (at LEAST 20 mph over the posted limit).

Some of our posted speed limits are too slow. I disagree with the slow postings in some areas, so I REFUSE to write speedings tickets in those areas.

Traffic tickets are also WAY too expensive and the assessed points are WAY too much (insurance companies are having a field day).

[FLLawdog]

The last thing, as an LEO, that I want is to get pulled over. Likewise, I'm not hypocrite. I won't do anything off duty that I write for. That includes equipment violations. As far as going with the flow, Orlando is gridlocked, so speed isn't an issue...proper driving/bird flipping/reloading techniques are. I have driven around Tampa, Atlanta, Richmond, Charlotte and Columbia,SC. You take your life in your own hands if you're going less than 15-20 over.

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FLLawdog
"Never try to teach a pig to sing...it wastes your time and it annoys the pig."

[retired]

Zaw,
What you are talking about is the difference between the Prima Facie speed limit and the Basic speed limit. The Prima Facie is usually referred to as the "posted speed limit" while the "basic speed limit" is define as what is reasonable and proper. Road conditions, traffic volume and other factors determine what the reasonable speed should be. Another consideration is called "the 85-percentile factor". The 85 percentile speed or the speed that 85 out of 100 cars travel at or below assumes that reasonable drivers will consider road conditions when selecting their speed of travel. A person driving 50MPH in a posted 50 MPH zone is actually causing a hazard when the rest of the traffic is traveling at 70 MPH. Also, if you are driving 50 MPH on a highway that has a posted speed of 60MPH, and the road is covered with ice, or thick fog, you are definitely in violation of the basic speed law and can and should be issued a citation, even though you are driving below the posted speed limit.

Hope this isn't too confusing and explains why some vehicles can and often do travel above the posted speed limit, and are actually legal.

Disclaimer: My opinion is based on California law.

Retired

[JKT]

Normally, in my personal vehicle, I drive the speed limit or no more than 5 over. In a marked unit, I follow the same rules. In an unmarked unit, it depends on what I'm doing or where I'm going.
Recently, I transported an inmate to the state prison in Huntsville, Tx. I was driving a marked slicktop and kept my speed no more than 3 to 5 over. It was amazing the responses from surrounding cars. Traveling North on I-45 out of Huntsville, I was traveling at about 73 in the left lane. At one point, I looked in the mirror and noticed a line of cars abot a mile long stacked up behind me. As I changed lanes when I approached my exit, the driver of the vehicle behind me could finally read the name of the county on the side of the vehicle (the rear just has SHERIFF CALL 911 FOR EMERGENCY), he eased past me. That really opened the flood gates and everyone started passing me! Interesting study in responses.

KenM; Just what exactly do you do with all the road-kill 'dillers in your area? I must have seen at a dozen!!

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Good luck and be safe

Jack

[KenM]

JKT, We gather up all we can and make chili. Then we sell it to all the tourists that come thru from out of state!!!! http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Seriously, I live about 25 miles east of Huntsville and we are on the edge of a different "belt". You were in the piney woods and I live on the border between there and the post oak belt. The direction I drive to work I have to contend with possums and deer but rarely any armadillos. So many deer in fact that I invested in one of those huge Ranch Hand grille guards for my truck. Now I can just hammer down and push Bambi and her dad right off the road.

Oh, and in answer to the original question....I drive under the limit. My wife tells me I drive just like the dang farmers and ranchers around here. On duty it depends on the circumstances. If I'm going to a call I drive the way I have to. If I'm not on a call I like to work traffic and I think it would be pretty hypocritical to write someone a ticket for something that I just did.

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"Trust me. I'm from the government, I'm here to help."

[H8Criminals]

I am like a lot of the others, where I tend not to do things that I write tickets for. I own a Jeep and a Dodge truck, so I tend to automatically keep my speed down. I figured, why buy a sportscar for off-duty time, when I drive a high-performance vehicle at work?

On-duty, I drive the speed limits on two-lane roads (one lane each direction) but on the freeways, I drive 5-10 over the flow of traffic. If you are driving the same speed as everyone else, the vehicles around you never change, and you can't catch the non-commuters in the commuter lanes, and you may never see that car that a lookout was given for. Now, if we are travelling in a caravan (3 or more cars) coming back, or going to a detail somewhere else, I will drive as fast as the lead vehicle in the caravan ... which is usually either a sgt. or a lt. In fact, we were returning from Yosemite just this week, and we were travelling between 75-80 in a 65 ... but people were passing us, and on two occassions, someone cut into the caravan, and drove with us at close to 90 in a 65. On details like that, I usually drive the transport van, so I can't go over 80 anyway without vibrating everything to pieces. I'm not saying driving like that is right, but, at the same time, I'm not going to tell a supervisor he/she is wrong ...

ZAW -- just so you know ... cops are NOT immune to the laws, just because they are in a marked vehicle. About 5 years ago, 2 officers were driving back from an assignment in Utah, and got pulled over for speeding. THey were in a marked car, and got ticketed. THey switched drivers, and 2 hours down the road, got popped again for speeding. They were in uniform and in a marked car ... But as you know, here in the Bay Area, the average highway speed during non-rushhour times is close to 80 in a 65 zone. Kind of weird for the news crews to refer to a "high speed chase where speeds reached an excess of 80mph " when most people drive faster than that on an average day ...

[Niteshift]

"About 5 years ago, 2 officers were driving back from an assignment in Utah, and got pulled over for speeding. THey were in a marked car, and got ticketed. THey switched drivers, and 2 hours down the road, got popped again for speeding. They were in uniform and in a marked car."

*just shaking my head*

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Niteshift-
Perseverate In Pugna

[Dukeboy01]

Upon witnessing the aftermath of one of my horrendous crashes involving county owned property, one of my fellow officers stood silently for a moment, then spoke the following poem:

"He came around the corner...
ALL FOUR WHEELS OFF THE GROUND!!

Never less than eighty,
Judg
ing by t he
sound."

-Dukeboy
With apologies to e.e. cummings

[Rita]

I guess that I am a hypocrite. I LOVE to work traffic but I give just as many warnings as I do write tickets. Hafta obey traffic laws in our patrol vehicles, they are marked with our badge numbers on them so that people can call in and complain if you do something that they dont like. Off duty is another story. In my own county I drive fast (not reckless just fast). If I'm in my home state I tend to go faster than the speed limit, out of state I try to stick close to it and/or follow the flow of traffic. And hope that If I do get stopped my shinny gold badge will help me out a little bit. Call me what you will, I have a leadfoot.

FLLAWDOG I promise that I will slow down while comming through Volusia County. At leas long enough for you to catch me so that we can finally meet each other. I'll buy you a sub at Red & White.

[This message has been edited by Rita (edited 11-18-2000).]

[Monty Ealerman]

KenM:

...Bambi and her dad...

Bambi the deer grew up and became a heroic father. You must be confusing him with Bambi the girl, who grew up and became an exotic dancer. http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Regards,

Monty

[FLLawdog]

You do that, Rita! Nice to see ya 'round again.

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FLLawdog
"Never try to teach a pig to sing...it wastes your time and it annoys the pig."

[KenM]

Sorry Monte.

Bambi the deer would MAKE some good sausage.

Bambi the dancer...........

I'll try to get my cartoon charecters right next time. http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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"Trust me. I'm from the government, I'm here to help."

[phuzz01]

I don't know about other states, but in Mass., the marked state troopers are almost ALWAYS the fastest cars on the road. They do about 80 mph in the left lane, and whenever somebody sees them approaching in the rear view mirror, they move over. So, the troopers enjoy a speedy cruise down the Turnpike! In fact, I was reading the online forum on the State Police Association of Mass. page, and a number of them said that their favorite moving violation was failure to keep right because the cars were not moving over quickly enough to let them pass at 80 mph! (Of course, I am talking about when they do not have any lights or sirens going. Obviously, if they did have lights and sirens on, everyone should be pulling over)

[FinCop]

I drive by the speed limits, never faster.

[GDenman]

Bambi the dancer & sausage...that was funny. No, wait, it was Bambi the deer & sausage, wasn't it. Okay, never mind, sorry, my mistake.

[Dave]

in my state we have to give a 6 mph buffer for speedo decrepincies, and that is usally what i do above the limit, only on the highway tho, in the city it is almost alays the posted limit, i am not above the law just cus i am the law in my small comunity, besids day in and day out i see the tragic effects of speed, and i have no desire to be a statistic, my pholosiphy is leave early give plenty of time ill get there when i get there, it aint worth it.