MovieChat Forums > Vanishing Point (1971) Discussion > Best and Worst States to Speed in the U....

Best and Worst States to Speed in the U.S.

posted 18 years ago by candrew088
57 replies | jump to latest

After watching this movie, it made me think about state to state travel that I've done in the past. I've driven along most of the U.S. Interstate Highway System (except the pacific coast) and I'm curious as to what states people feel are the best and worst to exceed the speed limit.

Here's my best and worst:

Best: Arkansas - I've driven through Arkansas a few times and I think I've seen maybe one or two people pulled over. I always travel w/ a radar detector and I distinctly remember driving through the entire state in one afternoon and my radar detector didn't go off one time. My fastest time ever was probably Little Rock to Memphis (I-40). I don't think my spedometer went under 85 until I got to the Mississippi River.

Best (Honorable Mention) Texas - Texas is strange in that the local roads are a complete nightmare. Small towns make a big chunk of change pulling over poor schmucks who go 3 mph over the speed limit. But the state troopers are surprisingly cool. I've been pulled over 3 times and never got a ticket. The speed limit is 70mph but you can't do the left hand lane under 80 unless you're in or around Dallas, Houston, San Antonio or Austin.

Worst: Virginia - Absolutely without a doubt no contest. Both I-81 and I-95 (which run parallel on the west and east borders) are crawling w/ state troopers that will think nothing of giving you a ticket if you go 5 mph over the speed limit. You can't go 15 miles down either Interstate without seeing someone pulled over (People have also been known to be caught speeding by aircrafts). And about a third of the state is covered by these ridiculous "safety corridors" which apparently are nothing more than an excuse to jack up the amount of your ticket.

[–] goofyfoot-1 18 years ago

In 70, I, in a 65 Malibu SS, raced a Torino on I-70 (Kansas Turnpike) through Kansas......the other driver had me pull over, informing me that on the toll road, the time of entry is matched to the time of exit...........too soon, and they cite you............

[–] wdamico 17 years ago

I drove on the KS turnpike more times than I can count (I lived in Wichita for 25 years and traveled all the time) and rarely did I ever complete a trip having averaged BELOW the posted speed limit (and those few exceptions involved range fires or inclement weather). I never got a speeding ticket (or known anyone who did) upon paying my turnpike toll, in the mail afterwards, etc. as a result of some average-speed per time-stamp issue. I've also known a few buddies that even averaged triple-digit speeds for the duration of their travel on particular trips on the KS turnpike and never gotten a ticket in the manner you described (granted, sometimes they'd get "traditional" tickets when busted in the act, but that's not the point at hand). If averaging triple-digit speeds isn't enough to trigger a ticket via time-stamp issues then it doesn't make sense that any threshhold system is in place. I think you were the victim of paranoia and/or an urban legend, at least as far as the KS turnpike goes.

Former KS resident

[–] iLikeMonkies 18 years ago

I haven't done much interstate driving, but in Ohio there are alot of troopers hiding along the side of the road and they'll pull you over for going 5 miles over the speed limit.

Another state to be careful in is New Jersey, there are a lot of troopers out on the road, but they hardly come out to get you.

I hardly ever see troopers in Michigan and people be flying up and down the roads. You can be doing 80 in the right lane and they'll still zoom past you

[–] vizigothe 18 years ago

Do not speed on the highways in Ohio if you are from out of state. The bears are everywhere and they will get you. I mean they eye me down when I am going 6 or 7 over but I have yet to be pulled over. And if they pull you over they are *beep*

So if you are gonna go through Ohio be careful.

I live about 30 minutes from Michigan and 1 hour from Indiana. Those states are fine but Ohio sucks

[–] Nosferatu6979 18 years ago

Man, I couldn't agree more about Ohio! I live in Utah, but my dad lives in Ohio, and everytime I'm up there visiting him, I can't help but notice how paranoid everyone is about how fast they're going. My dad warned me to watch out, and I have to agree that I've never seen such a high concentration of state troopers anywhere else that I've been. Out here in Utah, if you're doing anything under 75-80 mph on the open road, even the semis will blow past you! Going through the remote parts of Nevada, it's even faster. If you're going much under 90 or so, you'll be getting passed left and right. It's always nice to get back home after visiting my old man cause I don't have to keep my eyes glued to the speedo all the time, just to make sure some overstaffed, bored cop isn't gonna make my life miserable! Today I averaged about 80 mph going through the middle of Salt Lake City on the interstate. I even passed a highway patrol sitting on the shoulder of the road while going that speed, and he didn't even bat an eye, because I was basically keeping pace with everyone else on the road! :o)

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] pbl1 18 years ago

Maryland is chock full of a$$hole troopers too.

What the *beep* is a Chinese Downhill?!?

[–] giangy333 18 years ago

I live in maryland and I dont think thats completely true. There are some dick cops, but most of them arent bad. I got pulled over going 91 in a 40 about 2 years back and the cop was surprisingly nice about it.(it was late at night on a back road) He said he wanted to give me a warning but that I was just going too fast. If I were in virginia I probably would of been arrested and had my car impounded. As far as this whole "theyll pull you over for 5 over" I just dont believe that even. Ill pass a cop going 10 over and think nothing of it and have never been pulled over.

If you know how and where to speed in maryland youll be fine...in fact there was a thing in the paper not too long ago that said "Maryland...Where Virginians come to speed" and givin the fact that people are commonly/always going 25 or 30 over on 695 Its pretty much true.

As far as the best and worst. Virginia is without a doubt the worst state to speed in with their utterly ridiculous laws and the fact that radar detectors are illegal there. I hate virginia.

on the other end the best state for speeding I think is west virginia. There used to be a time when u could drive from the maryland border through WV into PA and never see a cop. theyve gotten a little trickier now but there are still few cops.

Florida also I think is a good state to speed in because while there are cops there is just such an utter disregaurd for the speed limit in florida that its hard to get caught. The first time i drove south towards miami people are going 90 in 55mph work zones and people were getting pulled over, and everyone else just kept going...crazy

[–] Dawg338 18 years ago

Well you know what I love? I love it when people whine and bitch about getting pulled over for speeding and saying that the cops should be out there getting drug dealers or rapists or something.

Well you know what? That is how a lot of drug runners get caught, for speeding.

Two, do you really think that the speed limit sign is merely a suggestion? Do you honestly think that by going 80 in a 55mph zone that you are going to get there any quicker? No, because sure enough you will still get stuck behind slower moving traffic or stop lights. (Yes, there are some on freeways in certain places.)

Maybe the speed limit should be increased in certain areas, but in others, it is meant to keep everyone safe, especially in stop and go traffic.

Ever think about a deer jumping out onto the roadway while you are speeding along at 80+? Bye-bye deer, bye-bye car.

I constantly hear about morons involved in high-speed crashes because they wanted to be first, blah blah blah.

I would *beep* support a limit on how fast your engine could go, but automobile makers would probably think their cars wouldn't sell because of some smuck getting a hard-on for speed.

Just think about it next time. Speed kills. You are in control, at least I hope you are in control, of a two-ton killing machine. Maybe everyone should be involved in a crash to learn that. I learned it when I was in high school. Flipped the *beep* going 55 on a dirt road on a slight curve, hit a bank and rested on the roof. Lucky I was wearing a seatbelt in which many morons don't do.

Slow down, you just may save a bus load of nuns or something.

[–] debofly 17 years ago

Dawg 388. You apparently just love to call people names if they don't live the way you do or believe what you say. There are plenty of laws cops use to bring in money, period. Wearing your seatbelt is a fcking choice. So just STFU dude.

[–] horrorrcraft 17 years ago

1) We don't have deer jumping out onto 65mph highways in Dallas. I'm sure this is the case in other places as well.

2) Speed is fun and people are in a hurry. If you don't like it, get in the right hand lane with the senior citizens.

Sure, speed limits exist to protect people. But someone can die just as easily going the speed limit as going 20mph over. It's not always about the speed, it can be about the carefulness of the driver and their awareness of what's going on around them. The dumb *** talking on his cell phone in fast-paced, rush hour traffic is one of the problems, whether he's going over or under the speed limit.

Also, my Cooper S weighs 1.5 tons and is quite safe :D

As a side note to tie this back in to the main post, there are a *beep* of troopers in and around Dallas, especially in the outlying suburbs, just waiting for happy little speeders to go by. Rarely, however, do they care if you're going a mere 8 or 9 over.

[–] Thunderbird351 17 years ago

This is the VANISHING POINT forum, if you don't like going fast, then get the *beep* out of this forum!

[–] pbl1 17 years ago

your rambling rant is the most idiotic thing i have read in 2007!

What the $%*& is a Chinese Downhill?!?

[–] Verdoux-1 17 years ago

Speeding is really stupid. You might save a couple of minutes or not, but you use a lot more gas and you have a lot less time to react to unexpected situations.

--
"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time"

[–] pbl1 17 years ago

yes, local MD cops vary with regard to "dick" factor and ticket threshhold. The state troopers, however, are a$$ clowns!

What the $%*& is a Chinese Downhill?!?

[–] parramatt 18 years ago

I live in California and I think that in this state a courteous speeder has a 20 to 30% chance of talking their way out of a citation. I have also had favorable encounters with law enforcement in Nevada and New Mexico. I would warn others about Arizona. I have witnessed two traffic stops where the officers were complete A-holes and have heard from a reliable source that a warning was given to this person for driving TOO SLOW ( 57 in a 65 zone ). Thumbs down on Arizona law enforcement ! If you want good stretches of road to test the top speed of your car I would try eastern Nevada and Interstate 10 just west of El Paso, Texas. These are two of the most desolate regions I have ever driven through. The Eternal V-8 engine and Oldsmobile 442 Enthusiast !

[–] yourconscience 18 years ago

i haven't gone out of state much yet, but Florida, on 4 or 75 i was able to do 90mph most of the time and when i did see a cop i slowed down to roughtly 75 and nothing happened.
sometimes cops pass you without their lights on.
i've also been pulled over in the same parking lot twice, once for playing chicken with a cop (i didn't know it was a cop)and than again for playing Ship's Mast
and neither time was i given a ticket, or taken to jail, though legally the cops were within their rights to do so.

that's my story about florida driving

"My future starts when I wake up every morning" Miles Davis

[–] Darknight1080 18 years ago

lol I live in Memphis and I couldnt agree with you more.

[–] willh51 18 years ago

Virginia, without a doubt the worst. Not to mention that radar detectors are illegal. New York can be pretty bad as well. I live in North Carolina and it is not too bad, South Carolina, at least around Myrtle Beach and south has a lot of troopers to pull tourists.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Thunderbird351 17 years ago

Funny thing about Virginia. Me and a buddy (live in PA) were cruising around in his mustang one night last summer and decided on a whim to drive to virginia. Don't ask me why we did it. We made it through virginia about 50 miles shy of Richmond averaging 120mph the entire time before we turned around and headed back. We were flying and never once saw a cop. I guess we just got lucky. If we had seen a cop, you can bet your ass we'd have given chase though.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] midnightmutants 17 years ago

I agree Virginia is aweful. I travel either I-66, I-81, I-95, everyday and there are always cops pulling people over. Kentucky seems to be pretty cool about speeding, as was Iowa and Texas.