Auburn patrolman No. 6824 Anthony J. Harris: approaches a driver's window with his ticket book. The majority of speeding tickets in Alabama are given to 18 to 25-year-old drivers. Lindsey Davidson / PHOTO EDITOR
Highway patrol and local law enforcement could be noticing careless driving before they even clock your speed on the roadways.
Last year, Alabama racked up over 200,000 speeding tickets, the majority of which were given to younger drivers, ages 16 to 25. Inexperienced drivers tend to be preoccupied with other things while behind the wheel, leaving traffic laws and speed limits potentially unobserved at times.
“Speeding is still one of the leading causes of vehicle crashes and fatalities in the state of Alabama,” said John Reese, spokesman for the Alabama Department of Public Safety.
Here are some helpful driving tips from CNN.com that could keep you under the radar and your record free of speeding violations.
Always stay within 5 to 10 mph of surrounding traffic. This reduces your chance of being singled out by the radar gun, even if you are speeding. Avoid the outside lanes while in a group of vehicles. Cars in these lanes are more likely to be noticed.
Refrain from tailgating and frequent lane changes. Nothing draws more attention than an aggressive driver. Pass with caution and only when absolutely necessary. It’s been said patience is a virtue.
Be mindful of cutout strips in the median where policeman tend to stakeout. Pay attention to common patrol car “hideouts” as you drive, and refrain from speeding if you are the only car on a stretch of road.
Motorists also might want to reconsider buying that expensive radar detector they’ve had their eye on. Even though they are legal for most vehicles in Alabama, Reese explained the advanced radar technology most law enforcement officers have makes personal radar detectors obsolete and a waste of money.
“We are trained to visually observe and estimate a vehicle’s speed, prior to even activating our radar units,” Reese said. “It takes hours and hours of training and hard work.”
Drivers that assume they can exceed the speed limit by no more than 11 mph and not be pulled over are mistaken. Motorists can actually be pulled over for going 1 mph over the speed limit, but officers do exercise a discretionary speed to drivers, Reese explained.
“Many factors play into this discretion. It really depends on the flow of the traffic, the weather, if it’s inclement weather or not, things like that” Reese said. “We do try to be professional with all motorists.”
College students are stopped for speeding most often while on weekend road trips or on their way home for a few days.
“Yeah, I’ve been pulled over for speeding,” said Nathan Pauley, a senior in geography. “Ninety-four in a 70, Georgia State patrolman on I-16. I was really scared I might lose my license,” Pauley said. “I just wasn’t paying attention, my music was up loud, and I was heading home. Before I knew it, I saw blue lights in my rear view.”
Those that find themselves pulled over need to make sure they have all the necessary documentation and of course, a valid driver’s license. When the officer approaches the car, remain calm and have all of this information ready to hand over.
Leave the tears and excuses for another day. They won’t get you anywhere.
“Acknowledging that you did something wrong and being respectful to officers goes a long way, and it just might get you out of a ticket, depending on why you were pulled over,” said Captain Tom Stofer of the Auburn Police Department. “The main reason we write traffic tickets is to hold down the number of traffic accidents; the last thing we want is someone injured or killed in an accident.”
