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I typed all this shit out, only to see someone else already posted most my ideas... what the hell here it is. When my insurance company emailed me today saying that they were taking another discount off my premiums for having a *perfect* driving record, I decided I really should write down my ideas on speeding. Not many of you probably know me now, but if you did when I had my RX7 you’ll know that my perfect driving record is an insult to traffic enforcement everywhere. But since there’s a method to my amateur madness, I thought I’d finally write up all I’ve learned in my six years behind the wheel and see what all your experiences were. My specs are this: -Issued one citation, 66 in a 35 zone, age 17, “defeated” in court. -Pulled over for speeding once, no citation. -Pulled over after leaving a campus lot after witnessing an acquaintance do donuts and then be chased at about 90 miles an hour in a 35 by CPD, to be questioned by one officer and “watched” by three cruisers and six officers. -Pulled over for various stupid shit (expired tags in daddy’s car, screaming a profanity out the window age 17 etc.) several times. -Questioned on lack of front license plate/ rear license plate cover several times. -One other incident, but I was uh, kinda already “parked” but we won’t get into that. (No citation! ) Here’s my methodology. I’ll divide my methods into two groups, on the road and how to interact afterwards. On the road: Speeding is a game of risk management. Much like driving fast on a road you don’t know, and how well you manage it will decide whether or not you get citations often. You cannot say things like “I haven’t had a ticket my whole driving career, so I’m due for one.” Nor can you say, “I got a ticket yesterday, so I’m good to go for a while.” The math doesn’t work in that manner. Every time you speed the risk is there, regardless of yesterday’s events. On the highway there are two components to not getting pulled over….a logistical one and a psychological one. Logistically you need to avoid being clocked. Psychologically, you need to do everything to keep an officer from deciding you need to be pulled over. First off, make the likelihood you are hit with a radar or laser as small as possible. On the interstate, stay in the lane farthest to the right as possible, always! The farther to the right you are, the more “humble” your driving is going to be interpreted as. I call the left lane the suicide lane for these reasons. Everyone knows that you’re in the Fast Lane because you intend to be speeding. An officer is more likely to pull you over because he perceives that you intend to be speeding. Not only does using the left lane broadcast your law breaking intentions, but you’re far more visible for clocking in most circumstances. Standing out from the crowd while breaking the law is the quickest way to get in trouble. Stay right, as far as possible, and always use the other cars to block the angle of view ahead of you with reference to the median. Even tend to stay to the right of the right lane! This is very important, as it conveys your whole attitude to anyone watching. Make your car “invisible” for the greatest distance ahead possible with these blocking cars. Without being able to draw diagrams, it’s hard to show how much field of view just a few cars can rob from an officer in the median, and you need to be able to put this to your use. This way, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to see the officer before he can get a clear shot at you. You only need a quick peak, but he needs a straight shot to get your speed. Drive sanely. Don’t make erratic lane changes, use your turn signals when they’re to your advantage, but not say, when you’re discreetly sneaking between cars left and right on the highway at night. It’ll attract the officer a quarter mile behind you and give him a homing beacon to follow. This will be debated, but get a Valentine One and learn how to use it. This is the single best investment I’ve ever made in my life, best car mod I’ve ever done, I kiss it’s ass and yadda yadda, I’m not kidding. I’d be in jail if I didn’t have it. If you can afford it, get the Blinder M10 laser jammer, that’ll help too but I don’t have one. DON’T buy a cheap ass detector, use daddy’s 1992 Escort etc. The false confidence it gives you will get you a ticket in a heartbeat. Because on the interstate the amount of time you and an officer have for visual contact, ie your driving behavior and body language (!) there is definitely communication between you and him. If you come around a blind corner speeding, with no one in front of you to block, and there’s a laser gun looking down your nose, you have a split second decision to make… jam on the brakes and try to beat him to the trigger (only if you have good suspension and your car doesn’t nose dive like a sonnofabitch when you do it, cause that looks reckless) or just let off the gas and coast to as low a speed as possible, accepting the fact that you’re gonna get clocked and just avoid looking reckless too. Generally, only stomp on the brakes if you’re really braking the law and the drama is worth it. I’ve had several occasions where I had to do this, got under the speed limit a split second before the detector went of and didn’t get pulled over. In this instance, you need to put the psychological aspect first and foremost. Believe me, the officer is PISSED! You were cookin and everybody knows it. DO NOT make eye contact with him, it is directly challenging him and admitting guilt and he WILL find a reason to pull you over, probably just because he’s pissed. Drive by at the speed limit, look straight ahead (make sure your passengers do the same) don’t change lanes and hope for the best. In the suburbs there’s not much to say, keep your eyes and radar scanning, and be ready for a once a year clocking at night on a one lane road with no warning… to me that means less than 15 over on roads I know well, about 10 over (except in short bursts) on roads I don’t. Talking with the officer/judge: If you’ve been pulled over or are doing anything wrong and could get a ticket for it, you need to handle yourself well to give yourself a chance. Your appearance being neat, your language educated, humble, and honest are very important. Never lie unless you’ve got nothing to lose, and I mean unless you’re going to go to jail if you say tell the truth. Cops are NOT dumb, they’ll pick up on your BS in a heartbeat and you’re done. They do this all day long, and believe me another bullshitter is nothing new to them and you’ll get the ticket you deserve. Be personable, polite, answer there questions truthfully while avoiding admitting anything you can. “Do you know how fast you were going?” “Well Officer, I thought I was going with the flow of traffic…” At this point if you pause he’ll pick up and say how fast he clocked you at. If you say “78 MPH” you’re done. If you say, “I was going the speed limit!!!” you’re done. Try to acknowledge the officer without legally admitting guilt. You’re showing respect without screwing yourself. It’s your best chance at getting a warning, which is now your best bet. If you get the ticket, still be very polite! This is extremely important! “I apologize officer, have a good day.” He can write comments you’ll never see, and the judge will read them when you contest. This is the next step  Always contest, you have a chance the officer won’t show. That’s how I got out of my 66 in a 35 at age 17, combined with the comments the officer wrote about how polite I was. On those two counts, the judge dismissed it entirely. Prepare a respectful but strong as possible argument for court. I had a map of the area, pictures of the area from where I was clocked and where the officer was sitting and so on all ready to show the judge (since this was the one time in my life I actually didn’t deserve a ticket, as I wasn’t in the 35 zone yet). Use whatever mostly truthful arguments you can. I’ve read lots on requesting calibration certificates and so on but have never had to try and use these methods. Just give your argument respectfully and reasonably and you’ll probably get it reduced at minimum, if not dismissed. Be prepared! If you don’t have a font license plate, you better have a good reason for it! I’ve been questioned on it several times, but because I had a reasonable answer for it right away I’ve never gotten a ticket. You must be ready to answer immediately. Think of a good reason, there are several I won’t type because I don’t want to get busted next time I’m pulled over! This is the longest bunch of junk I’ve ever posted, and I’m sure no one read it. What can I say, my it’s Friday night and my girlfriend’s a hundred miles away. Tell me your speed secrets! (I sure as hell didn’t proofread all that either). [ 31. January 2003, 03:16 AM: Message edited by: 100 RWHP ]