Traffic stop, CHL comes through again

[esef]

Off topic but ...

69mag has a good point. All of us here are so anal about good gun safety yet so nonchalant about safety on the road. Car accidents kill more people than accidental gun shootings and yet many of blow through yellow/red light, regularly follow cars too close and exceed the speed limit. I don't want to debate the economics of the speed limits (saving gas), but its common sense that the slower you go, the more time you have to react.

Now, I know that we all believe on the randomness of crime and that is why we feel that we should always be armed to protect ourselves, but how about when driving? Car accidents are just as random.

I've got three young children. Do you think it would matter to me if they got hurt or worse in a car accident caused by someone running a red light or someone speeding or someone pulling a trigger of a gun?

Ed

 

[Jesse H]

On many of the wide and open roads in Texas, 75 is not fast by any means...especially if you're a capable driver.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Nice.

Around here (Northern Virginia) I'd probably be face down on the side of the road wearing funky bracelets...

 

[TheeBadOne]

MV accident stats have had basicly the same 2 top factors for years. Alcohol is........ #2. The #1 factor involved in MV accidents for many many many years running is........ Excessive speed!

 

[spacemanspiff]

it really isnt that difficult to avoid getting pulled over. simply obey the traffic laws.
of course, i couldnt bear to allow myself to adopt the bad driving habits of my mother, she is THE worst driver on the road, has no tickets, maybe has 3 total over 30+ yrs of driving. her guardian angels must be working overtime to protect her on the road.

 

[David Park]

If pulled over, I was prepared to notify the officer, since my driver's license is flagged anyway. However, last year I was in an auto accident, which wasn't in my mental "plan" for dealing with the cops. An officer pulled up right after the accident and said "I saw the whole thing." (I wasn't at fault. ) After running my license, he called me over and said "where's your gun?"
I told him, and he didn't disarm me (I think he wanted to, but not in front of the other drivers) but told me just to keep my hands away from that area. He said he supported RKBA, but he also showed me a scar on his arm where he'd been shot and said he didn't want to get shot again. Overall it went well.

 

[BPNovum]

I caught a break too...

In December of last year I was driving a little too fast in the great southern state of Mississippi out in the middle of no where. I was running way late for an appointment and was running way over the limit when out of nowhere appears a MHP car the other direction.

I knew I was nailed, so I pulled over and waited for him to turn around and pull in behind me. As I was taught in the military, I put my hands on the wheel and waited for him to approach my car. When he asked for my DL, I handed him my DL and CWL. I am from Texas and carry a FL CWL. He looked at the DL, then to the CWL and back and forth....

Then he asked, "How come you be carrying a FL CWL when you be staying in Texas?".... A reasonable question.... I explained, I travel a lot and a Texas CHL would not be valid in the state of MS whereas the FL CWL is. He seemed to accept that explaination (which was great since it was the truth).

He asked if I was carrying a weapon. I said I was. He asked where it was and I told him it was in my briefcase on the floor next to me. He said "How about we leave it in that briefcase on the floor?" I agreed and he handed me my CWL back and went back to his car to process my DL.

He returned and handed me the ticket (hey, I was lucky he didn't hall me in) and suggested I slow it down a bit. All in all I still felt like I caught a break. That was confirmed when I talked to the JPs office. They said they couldn't believe he hadn't taken me in. "He doesn't cut anyone a break" they said...

Anyway, glad it worked out well. Sorry about the novel here...

 

[JohnBT]

65 m.p.h.? 75 m.p.h.? Try cruising at 75 on I-95 between Richmond and D.C. and you'll have a semi 3 feet off your bumper with his high beams in your mirror. And that's the slow lane.

It's safer to move with the traffic flow - or get off and use U.S. 1.

John

 

[Jeff OTMG]

The limit had been 65, but when you cross into Oklahoma County it drops to 55 and I didn't notice. The car is a BMW 330Ci Sport (3 series convertible with the Sport package) and is TOO much fun to drive 55 on a U.S. Hwy. I did slow down for towns, but the Oklahoma countryside is sparse and most traffic runs on the turnpike right next to Rte 66. What you would really hate is my BMW 740i Sport. I ran my house in Austin to the house in OKC, 415 miles, in exactly 5 hours. That was from 01:00 to 06:00 and I-35 the whole way running full electronics. Normally I do it in 6 hours, 7 if I am in my truck. 5 is a personal best that I will never surpass.

 

[rick458]

It's the slow ones that get you killed, driving 500-600 miles at 55mph will make you catatonic.
also put your reg and ins some place your pistol isn't and the Officer will like you MUCH better

 

[LiquidTension]

There is a BIG difference between driving fast and driving dangerously. Most of the time, speeding is safer than doing the speed limit. One of my buddies used to be a cop. He told me that it's more dangerous to go slow when everyone else is going fast because you're impeding the flow of traffic and causing other motorists to brake on the highway and change lanes to avoid you. He gave one old guy a ticket for impeding traffic (old guy was doing a little under speed limit, everyone else was doing 10-15 over). Old guy started yelling and complaining "I didn't do anything wrong boo hoo." Yeah, nothing wrong except putting everyone else on the road around you at risk.

Logic dictates that you should go with the flow of traffic. I speed all the time, but I'm never the fastest car on the road, and I rarely hold up other motorists. At least I move out of the way when somebody is driving faster than I.

That said, I don't speed much (maybe 5 over) when traffic isn't speeding. I did get pulled over one time when I wasn't paying attention. Cop told me I was doing 51 in a 35 which was BS because I shift to 5th gear at 45mph and I was still in 4th - I would have noticed the engine racing. Honesty got me $505 in tickets instead of 5-10 in fed prison. I never lie to cops, but sometimes I omit certain bits of information

 

[esef]

When I was referring to speeding in my last post, I meant that as driving too fast for the situation. Heck, I've been on I-95 and was almost side swiped by a semi because I was only going 70 Mph and he was pissed off because I wouldn't move out of the slow lane. I agree, the best way to stay safe is to drive with the flow of the traffic, but at the same time it doesn't make any sense that these cars going 80 Mph leave only two car lengths between themselves. Just plain stupid.

 

[NukemJim]

"Logic dictates that you should go with the flow of traffic. "

I am a little confused here. I thought we were talking about the laws concerning speeding.

Since when does logic and the law have any relationship except by coincidence ? Whitness the AWB, or the CCW laws in many states.

If I got a ticket for going above the posted minimum and below the posted maximum I would take it to court ( would cost me a days pay OUCH! ) and ask the judge to explain to me why I got a ticket for obeying the law.

As far as obstructing traffic if the other drivers were not breaking the law by speeding they would not be obstructed.


The above is just my opinion only

NukemJim

 

[esef]

Jim,

I sympathize with your point and even agree with you. Just an FYI- I know a guy who had gone to court in VA and beat the ticket by stating that he was following the flow of traffic and felt that had he had driven slower, he would be causing a hazard on the road. The aurguemnt worked when the police officer stated that he was traveling the same speed as the traffic.

I really wish I could drive drive the speed limit on I-95, but I can't without putting myself and family in danger of those semi trailers passing and cutting me off like they're on a NASCAR track.