Unless your child has just been bitten by a mountain lion, and you are the driving to the nearest hospital to potentially save his life, speeding is dumb! Granted, we live in one of the most traffic congested areas of the country, and frustration is the norm – but speeding is not the solution.
How many times have you had an impatient driver ride your tail and then speed by you, only to find him one or two cars in front of you at the next stoplight. The reality is: the risk of speeding, and its consequences, is not worth the reward. (You save incredibly small amounts of time on most trips).
Consider a 10 mile commute to work, on a road with a 55 mile per hour speed limit. Most officers will give you the benefit of the doubt for driving 60 (or 5 miles over) but, you are in a hurry and drive 70. If caught, you are going to get a ticket for 15 over and a fine of at least $100.00. More than likely, your insurance premium will rise by an equal amount – all to save less than 90 seconds!
It will take you 10 minutes to drive 10 miles going 60. It takes you 8.6 minutes if you drive 70. At 20 over, for the same trip, you save a whopping 2 minutes; but now, you will be ticketed for reckless driving. So, in addition to greater fines, you may require a lawyer just to keep your license.
Most importantly, it pays to be careful of your speed in congested areas, especially neighborhoods where there are a lot of kids. These areas are often patrolled regularly, if the residents notice speeders and complain, accordingly. It is very easy to find yourself well above the speed limit – but the same consequences apply, whether you are driving 45 in a 25 zone, or 75 in a 55 zone.
The best solution might be to regularly use your speed control. Most cars are equipped with speed controls that adjust for hills and keep you from losing track of how fast you are going if you get distracted; or if you don’t want to be constantly looking at the speedometer.
Be careful out there and save time! Don’t speed and you won’t be sitting on the side of the road for 20 minutes while the officer prepares your ticket.