VBirginia State Police...Be Careful

[LancePearson]

Just a note to tell you that the State police in Virginia have the legislature's backing with among if not the toughest speeding laws in the country as far as I can tell. Further, they have figured out that the department can be self funding writing tickets and have a new tactic rolled out last weekend with six big BMW cycles under an underpass with radar and one car and they sit on the interstates, the interstate circular bypasses like I 295 where I saw them while in my Z and going the speed limit and not a mph more. Virginia is a state a lot of out of state people pass through going north or south and has heavy interstate traffic.

There is a local non state police sheriff in a local town below Richmond, the town of Hopewell, Va., who on interstate 295 in a one mile stretch around mile 10 or so writes more than Two Million Dollars of tickets a year. Almost always see the Sheriff's four cars there stopping people on a 70 mph Interstate. State cops say it's legal and the local papers now call it "the two million dollar mile." Hopewell's biggest single revenue source. The state police appear to have taken a message from it and are getting set up to do the same.

It is all in the name of safety according to the Hopewell Sheriff and the state police commissioner but when police departments are self funding those chiefs get raises and politicians love them. That is the case in Va.

A speeding ticket here by a state guy if you are going 20 over and more than 80 mph is $3,400 over three years plus loss of license for a year and can be jail time if considered reckless by the judge. My going 145 in a 55 zone would qualify for all of that if I had ever done it. Same for you.

As an aside which I agree with, driving under the influence in this state now if caught the average total cost according to the police for one ticket without considering insurance is now $12,000. You are generally required to put an interlock alcohol testing device on your car, driving and alcohol schools, tickets, fines, loss of license, etc.

Radar detectors are illegal to have in the car or use in Va. and they do confiscate them. I have one but haven't used it yet on the Vette as I have not taken it out of state.

So, a word to the wise regarding Virginia Highways...stick within the laws as this state is becoming like the old speed trap revenue generating states of decades ago...every bit of that and more just using the Interstates to do it where it is safer for them to run people down and write the tickets.

The national stats for tickets for 2011 I saw were $6.3 billion dollars for speeding, $300,000 written per trooper involved in writing them.

That was a year ago before Virginia really got organized as above.

I have not gotten any tickets but beware of Virginia.

[Kevin]

virgina doesn't mess around. anything 20+ over or over 80mph is reckless driving. I used to set the cruise at 75 and enjoy getting passed by people doing over 80 knowing I wouldn't be hassled.

I read an article about a group with MP4-12c's, gallardos, and the like getting nailed for stupid driving and they got their cars towed...well the ones they could get on the trailer, the others were driven to impound

what we learned here is don't **** around in VA

[LancePearson]

Kevin,

You are right...the other thing that got that group of exotics touring at 100+ mph was they hired policemen to escort them and the police also got in trouble.

If I had done 145 mph on a country straight road 2.3 miles with no driveways that was 55 mph speed limit ever it sure would have landed me in jail if an officer were around any of the theoretical times I might have done so. He would not have needed radar at 90 mph over.

Our interstates in long straight-ish stretches would be perfect out away from the cities but you dare not unless you can see everything the entire way you plan to run it through the gears hard and that it is clear. If I had done 145 I would have been very pleasantly surprised how well the car handled the speed with the suspension. Shifting full out into fifth would be a goal sometime to see what fifth can do at that starting point above 140 mph.

One can't forget that this is the state pre interstate that U.S. 1 used to run through and everyone from the NE going to Florida had to take it. Every little town was a worse speed trap than the next one. Some have not forgotten and are just applying the logic to the Interstates.

Lance

Lance

[Racinfan83]

Thanks for the warning! Guess that means I will stay out of that state.. I HATE that garbage. Kinda like here - the drug dealers, car break-ins, robbers, shooters, and rapists run rampant in the little towns closer to the City - while the cops in their shiny new Chargers with all the bells and whistles sit out on their little 1/4 mile piece of interstate writing tickets for 70 in a 60...

While we are on the topic - I-70 from the Mississippi river to I-270 (St Louis) is nothing but speed cops as well. Some of them only have like 200yds of interstate in their jurisdiction - but they are out there all the time.
Here in Missouri we have a law called "The Macks Creek Law" which states that ticket revenue can only provide 45% of a town's total funding. That came from a little town of about 100 people (now defunct) down by the Lake of the Ozarks that used to drop the limit from 55 to 25 and they wrote anyone who was doing 26. They had like 8 fulltime cops and new cars for a town of 100 people... One day they got the wrong guy - a State Legislator who audited the town and got the law passed. Even with the law - I bet some of these punk towns here are violating it. I am actually pushing to get a couple of them audited right now..
If I were to EVER become a State Legislator - the first two bills I would put in would be #1 - Ban all forms of ticket issuing cameras (don't EVEN get me started on those scamming And #2 - prohibit town cops from writing tickets on any interstate highway unless they have 5 miles or more in their jurisdiction. The cops need to be PATROLLING THE TOWN - not out sittin on the highway making money!

Sorry - but this kind of garbage really TICKS ME OFF....

[scottfab]

Use Trapster.com

http://www.trapster.com/

[Daniel_Mc]

Speed "traps" are common IMHO. Where I live is no exception I have gotten numerous "High Speed Awards" over the years. Two towns that are within a few miles of me (I live in one) are on the States and Country's worst list.

Ball, LA

Woodworth, LA

I travel a good bit for work and got one for 4 MPH over down around Baton Rouge, LA 2 weeks ago. Granted I was speeding but 4 MPH c'mon... You can't be mad you do it to yourself and the Officer(s) are only doing their job. One thing radar detectors and jammers are legal here.

Not that I would do such a thing but we have miles of strait road and 165 and 175 is easily doable with all the room and no on or off ramps…. With tracks so scattered throughout the US it is easy to go somewhere that has a closed course (no moms with mini-vans to worry about) medical personal and no tickets. But then again there is always that urge

-Daniel

[efnfast]

Thanks for the heads up bro. Headed through VA tomorrow. I'll have to hide the radar detector. And keep the speed down. Thanks again.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by efnfast

Thanks for the heads up bro. Headed through VA tomorrow. I'll have to hide the radar detector. And keep the speed down. Thanks again.

Ditch the radar detector, stay under 80 and you'll have no issues

[efnfast]

Can't ditch the radar detector, headed home to NH from NC. I'll stow it away though.

[DennisC]

Sounds like a Story for ABC News, we had one here in Texas, Selma to be exact that was the same way until media did a story on them, then all of a sudden the units slowly disappeared off IH-35.