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.

[–] rock99and9 15 years ago

Have lived in Indiana, Ohio, and Virginia. Of these States, Ohio is by far the worst. While I've never received a speeding ticket anywhere, have been pulled over for speed in Ohio three times, (Once for doing 86 on an exit ramp. The little S-10 pickup that passed me as I exited the highway must have been doing 126...)But as others have said the troopers are everywhere. Nothing like coming around a corner and one steps out on the road aiming his Laser at your windshield. How none of them have been injured or killed doing this is one of life's great mysteries to me.

Was pulled over once in VA for going too slow, he thought I might be drunk. Was driving a Ford Escort and couldn't go from 30 MPH to 55 MPH as I left town, very fast. Never had any trouble with extra speed in Virginia at all. I do remember seeing plenty of unmarked cars there though.

Have spent most of my driving life in Indiana. Pulled over once for speed. He didn't really clock me, but said I looked to be going pretty fast. Was actually under the limit but didn't argue with him. I make trips from east central part of the state to Chicago numerous times each year. Rarely seeing more than one or two LEO's during the trip.

As I live on the State line between Indiana and Ohio I've heard numerous truck drivers comment on going "hammer down" once crossing the state line into Indiana on the CB.

[–] jeffm-11 15 years ago

For me, Arizona is the worst. I drove from Jacksonville to Los Angeles. When I passed through Phoenix, I got 3 speeding tickets in one hour.

[–] SunCanyonRoad 11 years ago

after the second ticket, did you EVER consider NOT speeding? Just saying. Sounds like you deserved the tickets.

"I don't want your watch, man. I want your friendship!"
- Lightfoot

[–] trekkie313 11 years ago

Ohio must've eased up on the state troopers everywhere thing or the poster was lying. I regularly go 8-10 miles over the limit on the highway/interstate and 6 while in town.

70MPH is the speed limit in Ohio right now, but I've barely saw anyone adhere to the old maximum. Usually they went 11-13 over.

"Listen, do you smell something? -Ray Stantz"

[–] megatosspot 14 years ago

With 33 deaths per 100 000 pop, Wyoming is the winner.

[–] A_Fistful_of_Pennies 12 years ago

I live in Michigan. What they say about Ohio troopers getting out of state drivers is true. Michigan is decent but since I live here, it may seem worse because I know of the areas where the cops are really dicks about it (including the town I live). In the bigger cities the cops have better things to do, but the smaller towns they don't.

I drove from Michigan to Florida once and Ohio was where I had to worry about my speed. Kentucky wasn't too bad. Tennessee was very nice to drive through.

Georgia and Florida was almost like an action movie in some places. In certain areas, if you DON'T speed, you're in greater danger. Atlanta is actually scary. 8 lanes of traffic at one point and everyone is going 80.

[–] chas437 12 years ago

From my experience, Texas is by far the worst State to speed in. I've driven quite a bit in every Western State. The thing about Texas is that it has SO MANY Counties, that there is a County sheriff or deputy sitting at every County line. So, you don't only have to worry about State police. What makes this so aggravating is that the landscape is so flat and boring that it makes you want to speed like crazy. It takes forever to get across the State at 70 MPH....sigh.

Also, Texas has very stiff fines for speeding.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] liscarkat (18541) 4 years ago

California is a socialist state that has egregiously overspent and is desperate for revenue from every and any possible source, including BS and CS traffic tickets. There are also monthly ticket quotas, and cops are under pressure to fill them. They will always claim that quotas are a myth, but my dad and two uncles were cops, and my grandfather was a police chief. Ticket quotas are real. In California, cops park at the freeway underpasses and on the highways with radar guns, their sole mission to bring in the cash for government employee pensions, teachers' union demands, and out-of-control leftist welfare programs. If you are going to speed here, be sure you have a damned good radar detection system.