Speed: Margin of tolerance?

[Bootworks]

OK LEOS, the question may be naive but I'm going to ask anyhow:
Do you give a "margin of tolerance" to speeders?

Now, I realize school zones, special event crowds, traffic weaving and "look at me" loud and obnoxious behaviors are provocations; I'm talking about either general traffic flow that's (all) faster that posted limits and rural (light traffic) environments where riders are riding spiritedly but not crossing "the line" (I mean evidently racing or endangering others.)

What "plays" into a degree of "tolerance", if any?

*- Are Hyper-Sports and racing suits on the street more likely to get less "slack"?
*- Say you "light up" a rider, his record checks out and he's courteous and honest: Is there a "threshold" over the posted limit where you'd give the rider a warning or at least some slack?
*- Say you spot a radar detector: Does that make you "smirk and ignore" or is that additional provocation to cite the "poor ignorant speeder"?

So, just to be clear, none of this is intended to encourage breaking the law but rather to get a perspective from the enforcement side: i don't adhere to speed limits always, it's clear most riders will push that threshold. The question is about "tolerance", when is the line being crossed sufficiently to warrant "The Talk"?

 

[Shaggy]

Generally 10-15+mph over the prima facie is citable.
Anything over 65mph on the freeway is citable.

 

[}Dragon{]

The question is about "tolerance", when is the line being crossed sufficiently to warrant "The Talk"?

It really depends on where you are (conditions), who is pulling you over (what agency) and what time of the day.

5 over in most, if not all, circumstances, won't usually get you pulled over in California. :2cents

 

[ScottRNelson]

Anything over 65mph on the freeway is citable.

Some freeways, like I-5 and Highway 99 have 70 mph speedlimits on sections of the road. Even on the 65 mph sections of those roads you'll be holding up traffic if you stick at 65.

Personally, I try to stick to not more than 9 mph over the posted limit, but anymore I'm happy to stay at 65 when I'm not being more dangerous by doing that (in a car at least).

I've found that increased age seems to help get warnings instead of tickets. :afm199

 

[Burning1]

Not a LEO, but I'll pose a counter-question...

Have you ever looked at someone's car and thought "That guy is a douchebag?"

Be honest.

Maybe it's the guy in the lifted truck, maybe it's the woman with limo tint on all 4 windows. Maybe it's the Harley Davidson with the open baffle, the stanced Japanese import with road-rash on the fenders, or the Busa with the extended swingarm.

Ever made an assumption about a person because of their vehicle? "The dude pulling away from the bar on his Harley is probably DUI. The dude with the rashed up body work probably thinks he is ricky racer."

That's human. Few police officers are going to come out and say that they target those guys. A lot of officers probably don't even intend to cite based on vehicle or ethnicity. But LEOs are human, and experience the same, if not worse, biases.

 

[kongjie]

Have you ever looked at someone's car and thought "That guy is a douchebag?"

Too bad that's not a box LEOs can check on the citation.

 

[RightCoastBias]

"5 your fine, 10 you're mine" is always what I've heard.

Had a moto CHiP tell me 65 on the BB was fine by most and there are a few assholes who will cite.

 

[purposeinlife1]

I normally will only cite someone if they have committed multiple VC violations. I pulled someone over the other day for speeding and rolling three stop signs. I only wrote him for one stop sign. He was happy to have only one $280 cite instead of the $1,420 ticket I could have written him.

 

[shouldnthave]

I normally will only cite someone if they have committed multiple VC violations. I pulled someone over the other day for speeding and rolling three stop signs. I only wrote him for one stop sign. He was happy to have only one $280 cite instead of the $1,420 ticket I could have written him.

My pops always said, "If you're going to break the law only break one law at a time."

 

[tgrrdr]

He was happy to have only one $280 cite instead of the $1,420 ticket I could have written him.

:thumbup

 

[NudeMischief]

[From my experience]
Police officers are human, and how they feel that day, how bad of a lie you tell them, if you make them laugh, how fast you were going, how your action affected others, what type of vehicle and condition and may other factors can play a part in tolerance.


As long as you are not being reckless most of the time they let it slide.

I have only been pulled over once for speeding by CHP, on the way to work around 2am I was probably the only person on the freeway(or so I thought) going about 75-85ish, the officer was sitting at the on ramp with the lights off on his phone
(Probably jerking off, thats what I would be doing)

Right before I passed him he flipped his lights.
I pulled over immediately and got my paperwork ready from my side pocket.
First thing he said was "why did you stop?" I replied "You didn't let me get a head start" He laughed and asked me where I was going, I told him I was headed to work and I really had to poop,
he laughed again and asked me how fast I was going,

He seemed like he didn't want to hear a BS excuse, so I told him the honest truth that I was unsure if I was going over the speed limit or not and that I couldn't focus because "I had really spicy Torta Ahogada (spicy pork sandwich)late last night" and that I was going to put a hurting on my work bathrooms, he than laughed pretty hard, I was farting the whole time he was talking to me, he asked me If I have had any prior tickets in the last few years and I told him none (which is true)

He handed me back my licence and told me to slow it down, and that mexican food will mess you up. No ticket and I made it to work early still and I was able to drop duke.

 

[Bootworks]

I normally will only cite someone if they have committed multiple VC violations. I pulled someone over the other day for speeding and rolling three stop signs. I only wrote him for one stop sign. He was happy to have only one $280 cite instead of the $1,420 ticket I could have written him.

That's cool. Just from observation, given how many infractions I see constantly, I'd be selective of the worse as well. I once had a motor officer at the junction in Sunol wave his hand up and down at me, I appreciated the warning and slowed down through the canyon.

I'd imagine there would be less forgiveness when on a traffic assignment due to a rash of accidents or resident complaints.