Pulled over for speeding? It may be the car you're driving

Are there P-Plates or an equivalent in America? I know here in Australia that driving around with those on can lead to the police singling you out and pulling you over to check on things.

[DrRocket]

Originally Posted by MrBlonde

Are there P-Plates or an equivalent in America? .................

Each state has its own system of special license plate procedures.

In Minnesota, they have what they call "whiskey plates." A regular plate has a series of three letters, followed by three numbers. XXX-000. A whiskey plate starts with a W, followed by 4 numbers (W0000). The offenders have to buy a set for every vehicle they own.

Under state law, a law officer can stop any car with a set of these plate without prior cause to check and see if the driver has been "behaving." (Is sober.) It usually (Not always.) takes at least two offenses to earn a set of these plates. They're intended primarily for intoxication related offenders, but it's not unknown for the legal system to require someone they want to keep a close eye on to have them as well.

That's interesting, DrRocket, I haven't heard of those before!

The P-Plates I was referring to are for new drivers, those who have passed their driving test but are in their first two or three years of driving. You stick them on to your car and always have to have them on, as well as obey certain speed restrictions, engine size restrictions, curfews and have 0% blood alcohol content (at least in my state).

[DrRocket]

That's interesting MrBlonde. I'm thinking maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea. They DO have liscense restriction in our state for new drivers.

Here's a link to a drivinglaws.org page that explains our setup in this state.

Although there are restrictions on new drivers, there are no special plates for them. Most families have multiple cars, so I'm not entirely sure a P Plate program would be practical here.

[Lainie]

A number of states have progressive licensing laws for new drivers under 18. New drivers over 18 are usually exempt.

Ohio has special plates for some repeat drunk-driving offenders -- they're yellow with red numbers, very distinctive.

and i just bought a 2009 mustang. red, of course..LOL.. but i drive 'traffic speed' usually, if traffics rolling at 35, so am i.if traffic rolling 85, me too, with a huge smile on my face!! just kidding.
radar detectors dont work since a lot of cops dont use them, plus all the false signals, its just annoying.
best thing is blend in. dont change lanes a lot, dont tailgait, dont swerve all over the road.if you stick in one lane ( as much as possible, los angeles different story..lol) and dont go zipping past everyone, your usually cool. also, watch for low flying small planes that seem to follow the freeway, they are police that can call down to police on the road to pull you over. they can tell how fast you go by the mile markers on every road..
drive smart, dont get road rage, dont drive when your mad or buzzed, and your good..
ps.. im thinking about a licesne plate frame ' im not faster than a speeding ticket!! ' for my 2009 red mustang..lol

[robbiev]

I can't speak for general statistics, but in my case, I used to get pulled over all the time when I was younger and in a sports car (I've owned sports cars since I was 18).

At the same time I owned my first Corvette (18 years old) and various other sports cars, I also owned a 1986 Hyundai Excel. If I went out in my Corvette or other car, I pretty much got always pulled over for something, even if I wasn't speeding. When I went out in my Hyundai, I basically never got pulled over. In the 5 years that I owned the Hyundai, the only time I was pulled over while drivingit, I was on a divided highway late at night, was the only car, and was driving 15 or so miles over the speed limit.

Mabye it's just coincidence, but it's just my observation.

A couple of years ago a friend of mine bought an older red Porsche 944. He got 3 speeding tickets the first month he had it whilst swearing his driving habits hadn't changed. He got rid of the Porsche three months later. He now drives a Ford Explorer and said he hasn't had a problem since.

I drive a very unassuming grey 2004 Honda Accord and I've never had a problem getting pulled over. And I drive fast. The only problem is the car is so drab sometimes I can't find it in parking lots.

[stagemanager0610]

I just got an 08 Kia Spectra and got pulled over for going 7 over en route from buying it off the lot to pulling into my home driveway. I was also driving the same speed as everyone else on the expressway at the time - the police chose between pulling me over or a truck. While I couldn't fully support the original article, I certainly lean towards agreeing with it!

Originally Posted by stagemanager0610

I ... got pulled over for going 7 over en route from buying it off the lot to pulling into my home driveway. I was also driving the same speed as everyone else on the expressway at the time - the police chose between pulling me over or a truck.

I was driving into Indianapolis in a business van owned by a contractor I was working for. I was driving in a block of other vehicles, all driving at the same speed about 75 in a 65, and was waved over by a State Trooper.

I said "officer I was driving at the same speed as everyone else back there" and he said "I couldn't pull everybody over so I got you"

My only lucky break was that if I didn't argue the case in court and mailed my check for $120 in within two weeks, it wouldn't go on my driving record.

[barbrainey]

There was a case in Florida several years ago where a woman driving a BMW accelerated too fast and caused a severe accident which killed two of her passengers and seriously injured a third. The woman was thrown but also survived. Her car went much too fast--70 miles per hour at least--and spun around a tree which caused the fatal accident of the two girls.

The woman was later tried for murder. During her trial, the defense claimed that her car was at fault. The accelerator had an electrical flaw and she lost control of the speed. The prosecution claimed that she was a reckless driver.

Barb Rainey