Would you pre-pay to speed?

[bakerzdosen]

I kind of found this interesting. It seems like the price is a bit high, but I think the idea can't be completely dismissed as crazy...

[Dave McReynolds]

At the time I grew up in Nevada, in the '50's, and for many years prior to that, there was no speed limit in Nevada on the open highways. People liked it that way, and I'm sure it would be that way today if people had their choice. I believe there was a federal law passed that required all states to have speed limits; perhaps it was part of the law that lowered the national speed limit to 55 mph for a period of time.

 

I assume there would still be some maximum speed, even with the get-out-of-jail-free card, although I didn't notice it in the article; maybe 90? It would be too dangerous if some people were doing 120 on the same road where others were doing half that speed.

[upflying]

Besides a vehicle inspection, a driver inspection should also be a prerequisite. Some people are dangerous behind the wheel at any speed.

Permission to speed should include attending and passing a one week high performance driving school. Las Vegas Motor Speedway would be an ideal venue.

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

Why would I want to pay for something that I already get for free?

[Paul Mihalka]

A absolutely stupid idea. Would every police car have a device to see whether the speeder has a transponder? A big piece of danger on roads is the speed differential between vehicles. This would legalize that difference. I prefer a occasional speeding ticket.

[tobyzusa]

This is pure posturing by a political candidate. He knows it would never become law.

[pbbeck]

Prepay to speed? It's called a track day.

[Rinkydink]

This is pure posturing by a political candidate. He knows it would never become law.

 

I agree, anything to get in office...

[eddd]

It might lead to some dangerous situations:

 

You see red/blue lights approaching from the rear. Whip out your iphone and hit the pay to speed app. Proceed on down the road at 90mph.

[russell_bynum]

Why would I want to pay for something that I already get for free?

 

+1

[bakerzdosen]

I've often wondered how you could increase speed limits in areas that are certainly prime candidates for that. (I-15 between here and Vegas certainly has a whole lotta nothin' but straight road and the occasional 80mph "test speed limit." Nevada certainly has many places where I'd feel safe driving 120mph+).

 

I'm just not seeing how this could ever happen. This seems like a good 'foot in the door' approach (all in the name of revenue) but I agree that it's not the speed that's the problem, it's the difference in speed that "kills." (Along with sleepy drivers and/or distracted ones.)

 

I guess we'll see how this pans out. I doubt it will go anywhere, but I like the out of the box thinking.

[notacop]

If you prepay, is it speeding or enjoying a privilege of finance?

 

[MotorinLA]

Why would I want to pay for something that I already get for free?

 

Did you mean "get away with for free" , because when the Chippies eventually catch up with you it won't be free anymore .

[Francois_Dumas]

You migrate to Germany, the last country on earth with sensible people as far as speeds are concerned. But HURRY, politicians are spoiling all the fun here too !

[EffBee]

Would there be taxpayer-supported government subsidies for lower-income people so that they wouldn't feel discriminated against? Say, a tax on every motorcycle and car capable of more than 100mph, so that all those Kia subcompact owners could enjoy "equality?"

[hANNAbONE]

tAX dEDUCTIBLE....maybe - just maybe..?

[upflying]

effbee has a point, low income people wishing to speed would be discriminated against and excluded. Maybe a Karl Marx inspired sliding speeding fee scale could be considered?

OTH, we have a new "Express" lane opening up in the SF Bay Area. This lane is intended as a carpool lane but solo drivers who wish to pay an extra fee can use the Express lane if they choose to do so. This is a form of speeding tax isn't it? You get to drive faster than the surrounding traffic.

[notacop]

Did you mean "get away with for free" grin, because when the Chippies eventually catch up with you it won't be free anymore eek.

 

On the freeway out for little jaunt this morning. I just went around a car using the #1 lane and pulled back into #2 lane going about 72 mph. There came passing me was a CHP in the #1 lane. I waved and he looked like gestured a wave with the radio mike in his hand. He went around me and went after the guy on the Harley doing 75 in the #1 lane a few hundred yards ahead of me.

Moral of the short story, if you are doing anything above the posted speed limit, you are subject to an award of the negative kind.

[CoarsegoldKid]

How about a law that forbids insurance companies from seeing our traffic violation records. Or 150 dollars gets you a book of 6 "just get a warning coupons". One book per year available upon registration renewal.

 

Oh! bye the way. What is it that the CHP writes down after they pull me over for a chat? "Nice enough fellow, 60 something, polite, wears ATGATT, red Ducati, silver helmet, resides locally, gave warning."

[AviP]

I like the concept but would like a staggered schedule.

 

$25 gets you 90mph with standard insurance.

$75 gets you 110mph with $100K/$300K insurance.

$150 gets you 130mph with $250K/500K insurance.

$250 gets you 150mph with $500K/$1M insurance.

$500 gets you 150+mpg with $1M/$2M insurance.

 

And that's for a 24 hour period with interstate recprocity. I think the IBA will be the winner.

 

Oh yeah, forgot to add that I would advise my family (and everybody else) to stay off the roads. And not to vote for an idiot who has no other solutions to budget problems.

[Skywagon]

Yes I would pay.

 

Upflying...we have had pay for singles in a car pool in Houston for a while. It works.

 

I like the autobahn idea with a twist. Left hand lane only, $1500/year to join, any accidents you're in are automatically your fault for driving so fast. Caught under the influence in the left lane...Death Penalty!

[russell_bynum]

Moral of the short story, if you are doing anything above the posted speed limit, you are subject to an award of the negative kind.

 

No...if you're dumb enough to get caught doing anything above the posted speed limit, you are subject to an award of the negative kind.

 

The keys to not getting caught:

1. Avoid speed traps

and

2. Don't stick out

 

Don't stick out means don't be going a zillion mph faster than everyone else, don't be weaving in and out of traffic, and don't be running extra lights. You want to be invisible...or at the very least inconspicuous.

 

Avoiding speed traps is easy with a route you know. I know, for example, that most days there's a moto cop on the south side of the road on Ortega Highway in Capistrano. The speed limit there is artificially low and despite the fact that there's usually a cop there, most people still speed, so it's like shooting fish in a barrel for that guy. OTOH, with a route you don't know, you're best sticking with "Don't stick out" and keep that V1 on.

[tallman]

Russell,

That is "local knowledge", has nothing to do with being dumb or not.

Your other premise about not sticking out is valid.

 

I'd like to be paid for not speeding.

REad the memory from the installed black box, X miles equals Y $$, or ;a free pass when and if I speed.

Example, for every 1000 miles of speed limit driving you get a free pass at all speeds up to limit plus Z.

[Mike]

Jeez, I already paid for the road.

[Dave McReynolds]

Example, for every 1000 miles of speed limit driving you get a free pass at all speeds up to limit plus Z.

 

I think this is a really good idea. Probably 1,000 miles of lawful driving isn't enough to justify a feebee, but certainly some amount of lawful driving should. How about if you go through two driver's license renewal periods without any tickets, you get one free pass? The free pass could be for the kinds of violations that any of us might make at some point, the blown stop sign or traffic light, 15 mph or less over the speed limit, etc. Not that those things should be viewed lightly, as even minor or inadvertent violations can result in death or injury. But be that as it may, we are human and will make mistakes, and I'm not sure that fining someone or increasing his insurance rate will make a person who is usually careful anyway anymore careful than he already is. Violations that result from a willful decision to engage in unsafe behavior, such as DUI, reckless driving, etc. would not be included.

[Paul Mihalka]

Example, for every 1000 miles of speed limit driving you get a free pass at all speeds up to limit plus Z.

 

I think this is a really good idea. Probably 1,000 miles of lawful driving isn't enough to justify a feebee, but certainly some amount of lawful driving should. How about if you go through two driver's license renewal periods without any tickets, you get one free pass? The free pass could be for the kinds of violations that any of us might make at some point, the blown stop sign or traffic light, 15 mph or less over the speed limit, etc. Not that those things should be viewed lightly, as even minor or inadvertent violations can result in death or injury. But be that as it may, we are human and will make mistakes, and I'm not sure that fining someone or increasing his insurance rate will make a person who is usually careful anyway anymore careful than he already is. Violations that result from a willful decision to engage in unsafe behavior, such as DUI, reckless driving, etc. would not be included.

 

This exists in a way, but not like a get out of jail card. Around here if you have a clean record and get caught for something like speeding, if you go to court you probably can get "probation before judgement", means no fine and no points if you keep your nose clean for a year.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

This exists in a way, but not like a get out of jail card. Around here if you have a clean record and get caught for something like speeding, if you go to court you probably can get "probation before judgement", means no fine and no points if you keep your nose clean for a year.

 

I've found that a clean record and absolutely courteous/cooperative/unthreatening behavior during a traffic stop seems to get you out of a ticket, provided the offense isn't truly egregious. Last two stops for me - one for ~80 in 65, other for "an aggressive pass" - resulted in verbal warnings.

 

If the violation is too big to ignore, well, you're getting a ticket. And then the next officer to stop you won't be so merciful, since it appears the previous stop didn't teach you a lesson...

[russell_bynum]

Russell,

That is "local knowledge", has nothing to do with being dumb or not.

 

If you're speeding in places where you don't have local knowledge and you don't have a radar detector, that's dumb.

 

[russell_bynum]

This exists in a way, but not like a get out of jail card. Around here if you have a clean record and get caught for something like speeding, if you go to court you probably can get "probation before judgement", means no fine and no points if you keep your nose clean for a year.

 

I've found that a clean record and absolutely courteous/cooperative/unthreatening behavior during a traffic stop seems to get you out of a ticket, provided the offense isn't truly egregious. Last two stops for me - one for ~80 in 65, other for "an aggressive pass" - resulted in verbal warnings.

 

If the violation is too big to ignore, well, you're getting a ticket. And then the next officer to stop you won't be so merciful, since it appears the previous stop didn't teach you a lesson...

 

The exception is speed traps where there's a LEO seiiting there with nothing better to do that write speeding tickets. Get caught there and you're getting a ticket...almost without question. If it's an opportunistic stop...like they just happened to see you do something illegal, then yes...that stuff makes a huge difference.

[KevinH]

Would you pre-pay to speed? Yes - and I do it everyday - - It's called EZPass....