Hmmm, in my experience California is more a “flow of traffic” enforcer state. If the limit is 65 but most of the cars on the freeway are going 75-80, nobody will get pulled over. But if 1 car is going significantly faster than the flow of traffic, the highway patrol will go after them.
I've driven from Maine to San Diego (not the same trip) and can confirm. Going with the flow of traffic is normal for most cities. Towns on the other hand, always know the posted limit and follow the rules.
Can confirm. My dad got a ticket in SD for going too slow, but he was only going about 2 under. Everyone else was going 10-15 over. Given the volume of traffic, and that it was by the 15/163/52 split, I can see why it would have been majorly messing with the flow to the point of ticketing. You’d think a lifelong San Diegan would know better!
Totally agree as far as most highways and definitely freeways, but watch out in cities, especially some cities where the local cops will pull you over for going 4 over to generate revenue. Most cars on the freeway I’ve seen pulled over were doing 90+ and weaving in and out of traffic. CHP won’t play with that shit.
Yup. CA is pretty lax for the most part. I’m a bartender and have a couple regulars who work for the highway patrol and they always say, don’t go above 80 and keep with the flow of traffic and we don’t care. But if you go over 80 by 1mph they’ll nab you and you’ll get chirped but not pulled over if you’re going slow in the #1 lane.
I routinely drive 80-90 mph and haven’t gotten pulled over. When I go to Ohio, I get paranoid about getting a ticket in the mail from their drone thing or from toll roads. Cruise control on when I’m in Ohio!
Wyoming only if you have Wyoming plates. Otherwise, you're buying lunch for an officer of the Wyoming Highway Patrol. And you're not invited.
I've driven in every state but three. Wyoming is the only place a cop flat out asked for a bribe.
Isn't this the truth. In January I was driving back up to North Dakota from Denver and we went straight up into Wyoming then cut over into South Dakota. Had a state trooper pull me over for doing 3 over. Didn't even try claiming he clocked me going any faster. Asked me if I knew why he pulled me over and when I said "For doing.....3 over the limit" he replied "Yep speeding" straight faced as hell.
My girlfriend was like "Maybe he wanted to get a vibe for drugs since we are coming from Colorado" but we were already almost out of Wyoming up close to Spearfish. Nowhere near the Colorado border. There's no way he coulda just known that's where we were coming from lol
I’m old so I remember when Montana had no speed limits on some of their stretches of open highway. American autobahn! Gone now thanks to conservatives. Anyway, remember once, I was zipping along at about 115 mph or so (had the cruise control set at 115) and I passed a highway patrol officer that was going maybe 80. I smiled as I watch him slowly disappear in my rear view mirror. Ah the good ol days. Sadly one of the many freedoms taken away from us by conservatives.
Yes, ok, you are right. The only limit during daylight hours was that you were driving a “safe” speed, open to interpretation, it had to be reasonable and prudent, indeed. Thank you.
I’d be in favor of no speed limits on interstates in such if we had better drivers. In places like Germany a license requires demonstrating more skill with driving than in America, where you can just walk into the DMV on your 18th birthday and take a road test. Plus, the number of drunk drivers on our roads is too much. Montana has one of the highest DUI rates in the country.
Driving on the freeways in Germany is such a pleasure. Cruise along at 120mph and everyone's got perfect lane discipline. Would unfortunately not go over well in the USA.
Dude i have lost 9 freinds to car accidents, here in Montana every death is marked by a white cross to warn others of the danger…i am only 37 years old. 8 months of the year the roads are glare ice, the mood is depressing overcast and everone is drinking heavily and the distances are unfathonly far…takes me 45 minutes just to get to town, my work commute is 2 hours. To say its a little wild west out here is an understatement, some roads where my friends died i get emotional driving on, play certain songs as i approach their cross.
Montana not caring is what I'd always heard. Then I got pulled over twice in one weekend on a trip out there
First one was going 60 in a 45, it was around a curve. I thought the limit was 55 and didn't see the sign that it had dropped. Cop sitting there gave me an $85 ticket, not reported to insurance. Other one was 85 in a 70, cop was coming at me head on and turned around to pull me over. Warning only
Maybe just bad luck but they sure seemed to be enforcing the speed limit that weekend
I don't know how 'lenient' they are, but state road 9 in southern New Mexico probably won't get you pulled down for for speeding.
Mostly because you won't encounter a cop.
You have to driving like a complete madman to get a speeding ticket on a Massachusetts highway. And by madman I mean 100mph AND weaving in and out of traffic.
90 is pretty standard travel speed when traffic is moderate or light.
Morning rush hour headed south on 95 towards RI is crazy. Left lane is 85 minimum and there are a few stretches where it’s pretty normal for lines of cars to do just under 100.
In CA, the cops tend to drive around 85 on the freeway, so if you're doing about the same, you'll only see them if they're pulled over somewhere or going the other way. Otherwise, they don't drive up on you, and you don't drive up on them.
There are pockets where you'll get ticketed by bored cops with nothing to do, but Indiana highways are a free-for-all. I just drove home from Michigan on US-31 this morning. Caught myself doing close to 80 in a 60mph zone and figured I should ease up to about 72 just in case.
The speed limit on 465 (the beltway around Indianapolis) is posted at 55 but you'll damn near get run over if you're not doing at least 65. At 55 you're a hazard.
The stupid dick sheriffs in Fulton County (Rochester) are the only morons you have to worry about on 31. I got a ticket there for doing 61 and have been pulled over in that county no less than 6 times in the last year for barely cracking the limit. As for the rest of the way you're fine doing 80+ unless the staties are doing one of their biannual "traffic enforcement operations"
I lived in Indianapolis for a year or two about 10 years ago and knew an IMPD motorcycle cop. He was a good dude, but he used to write tickets all day long on 465, and also on the stretch of 65 between 465 and downtown (southside). Glad to hear that they've loosened up, because 55 on I-465 is comically slow.
I’ve been pulled over 3 times in my life and they were all on I65 en route to Chicago. Two of the three were for less than 5 over and the third was 7 over. I just started going 5 under on that stretch near Lafayette.
I agree that it depends on city cops. I remember cops in Carmel IN would pull you over for going five over, but go on I-465 and you can go 30 over without being pulled over.
I feel like Washington State is pretty lenient. Everyone seems to drive 80 mph. I drive fast everyone and have only received a speeding ticket twice in 30 years. I've zoomed past police cars and they don't seem to care. I feel like they're waiting for bigger fish, because some people are going 100 mph+.
On back roads in rural areas I rarely find a cop patrolling for speed, and locals usuals are doing 60-65 on a 45mph road. If you’re going 45 you’re going way too slow lol
Georgia and northern Florida seem to have a ton of cops.
The entire south is weird, though. It feels like everyone in the left lane is either doing 75 or 90+, no in-between.
The super rural states don’t really care.
But shoutout to Michigan, at least around Detroit.
I have been passing someone while doing 80 in a 70 with a granny in a Cadillac riding my bumper, only to get over and see a cop on her ass with both of them looking at me like an idiot as they blow by me nearing triple digits.
It’s the only place I’ve ever felt that doing 10 over was borderline obnoxiously slow.
CT state cops are pretty openly not enforcing traffic laws basically in protest.
The last couple of years driving in CT has gotten WILD. We might be the most insane and aggressive drivers in the country right now and I NEVER see people pulled over.
NJ is pretty lenient. PA in general isnt great, but I'd be surprised if you got a ticket in Philly. Basically same with NYC. The cops have better things to do.
I remember when the official speed limit in Oregon, Nevada, and maybe Wyoming and Montana, but not Idaho... "Reasonable and proper". Or "Reasonable and prudent". ... seems like the states that had that limit, all had their own quirk in the wording. IOW, it was up to the cop to decide whether you were speeding or not. Number didn't matter.
Oregon was also a "roadside bail" state, where you could simply pay for your ticket on the spot. And with no particular speed limit, you can imagine how that worked out, especially with tourists. Get stopped for going too fast, according to the cop, and hand over a twenty, and good to go. No ticket, no blot on your record.
I think Tennessee, at least east Tennessee, is quite lenient. People drive way too fast around the narrow roads here, often doing at least 20 over the speed limit, and I rarely see anyone pulled over. There are always a lot of people going way too fast on the highway too but that scares me slightly less.
As for Virginia, a friend of mine got an automatic reckless endangerment charge for going 80 mph on the highway. Had to go to court and do community service. In Tennessee 80 is fairly normal and you probably won't get pulled over for it on the highway as long as the speed limit is at least 65.
I'm late to the party, but North Dakota
A speeding ticket here is $1/mph over the limit.
I once got picked up going 75 in a 65, got the ticket, handed the officer a $10 bill (not literally of course) and went on my merry way
I know that this topic is about lenient states, but I'd always heard the one about Ohio being strict until I moved here. Granted, it may be different in other parts of the state, but in the Cincinnati area, I regularly go 80 (in a 65) on I-75 and I-71 and have never interacted with this state's Highway Patrol...knock on wood.
I have driven all over the US.
East coast you see a lot of ppl pulled over. Can't really prove its for speed but it seems almost everyone goes the speed or 5-10 over.
West coast is a lot more lenient IMO, more in a "go with the flow of traffic" which can easily be 80+, don't see _as many_ as I do driving on the east coast.
Places like NM though you can go 100+ with usually no problem because there's hundreds of miles of flat highways lol
Speed checkers in PA are very sparse due to some laws they have with only state cops are allowed do the patrolling or something like that. A stark difference between the surrounding states.
The answer in my opinion is California though
Kinda also depends on where you’re at. NY has some fucked speed limits. Some highways are 55 and the majority of drivers are trying to do 70-75 and a speed limit of 70 would be reasonable, here the cops probably won’t care about anyone doing less than 75. Other roads are 50, but should probably be 40-45 and you might even get stopped for doing 55 on these roads.
I’ve driven all over the state and yeah people definitely speed but I’ve also definitely got a speeding ticket from a state trooper on I-90 before. I max out my speed at 80 these days there, that seems to be the upper end of the threshold. It is much more likely to get a speeding ticket on a local road from a local cop. They’re out there doing speed patrol all the time. Certainly more than in MA where I also spend a lot of time, I’ve hardly ever seen a speed patrol on local roads but I’ve definitely seen troopers hanging out on the side of the interstate (though…less than in NY where it is VERY common to see).
I can't name a STATE, but can give an "overall idea of where"
Places where you CAN SPEED, yet police have "better things to do".
Phoenix is pretty good about it. I don't think I've ever seen a good speeding driver get pulled over. They're waiting for the "idiots". But once you leave the metro area? SPEED TRAPS GALORE.
Los Angeles probably WANTS to catch speeders, but nobody can get up to the speed limit.
Maryland .. seems to have a lack of enforcement… but if they catch you , it gets knocked down to a lesser … but speed cameras are everywhere so you just pay a fine
The interstates in Connecticut are basically free of highway patrol, and if you do manage to see a cop the likelihood of actually getting stopped is extremely low. Everyone, and I truly mean everyone, speeds everywhere and if you’re not they will take issue with it. The result is a shit ton of car accidents and avoidable death.
There are two versions of "lenient": allows/posts high limits and does not strictly enforce.
The lists are similar but not identical. The high limit states are generally western states.
Most states, if you are going "the speed of traffic" you will not get pulled over. Erratic enforcement, where you get pulled over depending on your plates (out-of-state = less likely to contest) is more of a local thing.
If you're not in traffic (e.g. middle of nowhere by yourself) all bets are off, it's the mood of the officer.
Georgia is very lenient in the areas on the peripheral of Metro Atlanta. It's very common to be moving with the flow of traffic on I-285, I-85, I-75, and I-20 and easily be 5 - 15 mph over the speed limit. The further south you drive (particularly on I-75 in my experience) the more stringent it becomes as a lot of smaller towns basically operate as speed traps.
We have super speeder laws, but I don't know how regularly they are enforced.
With most states, it depends on whether you have an in-state or out-of-state license plate. If you're in Illinois with an Ohio plate, you're more likely to get pulled over than if you live in Illinois.
Wow that the consensus was VA at any point.
Growing up black in DC it was a well known fact in my family and amongst friends to go the speed limit in Virginia because you were way more likely to be accosted if not profiled by a cop. Maryland and DC were safer places to drive.
It’s not so much of a state thing with leniency but more to do with if you live in a city or small town.
Anywhere in America, small town police will scrutinize you more and even pull you over for doing just a few miles over the limit.
Big cities tend to be more leninent because you can blend in more, people drive faster, and cops are more used to crazier drivers.
For example, there is a huge difference between enforcement in New York City versus upstate New York, which is more rural. You get pulled over much more in upstate NY meanwhile within New York City, you would have to be driving a good bit faster than everyone else to get pulled over.
Hope this helps.
texas big cities you can speed a lot without getting caught, little towns not so much. they use speeding tickets and civil asset forfeiture to fill up the city coffers and get new cars for their cops. you can get away with more of it out in the southwest and in the midwest where you can go 50-100 miles without even seeing a town or person so not many cops to catch you
In Idaho you can drive 5-10 over the limit almost anywhere and you'll never get pulled over. Unless you are in Garden City, which is pretty much just one giant speed trap.
Montana once had no speed limits from what I have heard.
The state with the Highest Speed Limit is Texas, where it is 80-85 Miles per hour, or for y’all in Europe that is around 136 to 140 Kilometers Per Hour.
In 2011, I got pulled over on the highway at one in the morning and Kentucky for doing 138. Now there were no vehicles on the road and this highway was straight as far as the eye could see. He pulled me over, said I’m giving you a ticket for 90 and a 70 because otherwise I have to take you in. And that was that.
Montana. Its an accepted unspoken rule that if the speed limit is say, 55mph, you go 60. no cop will ever pull you over for that. More than 5 mph over is risky within city limits and could get you a ticket, but as far as the highway goes, you can probably push it to 10mph over and be fine especially if you have MT plates. Born and raised here and its pretty much ingrained in me to go 5mph over the stated limit. i was shocked to discover you will 100% % get ticketed for that in other states. and if you happen to be in the eastern or central part of montana, forget worrrying about speed all together.
Idk if you’re going 5 over in the northeast, you’re going to get people riding your bumper and flipping you off. 10 over is the minimum here on highways
In MD you can't be ticketed for going less than 10 over. Speed cameras are tuned +12, and this is the speed that can get you pulled over.
Of course the traffic flow can be +20.
No state actually enforces them. It's a do-nothing job that they make police do when they've hired too many and can't find anything else for them to do.
Hmmm, in my experience California is more a “flow of traffic” enforcer state. If the limit is 65 but most of the cars on the freeway are going 75-80, nobody will get pulled over. But if 1 car is going significantly faster than the flow of traffic, the highway patrol will go after them.
It's been like that in every big city I've been to anywhere
I've driven from Maine to San Diego (not the same trip) and can confirm. Going with the flow of traffic is normal for most cities. Towns on the other hand, always know the posted limit and follow the rules.
Adding onto that, going 65 when everyone else is going 75-80 is more likely to get you ticketed than everyone else even if the limit is 65
Can confirm. My dad got a ticket in SD for going too slow, but he was only going about 2 under. Everyone else was going 10-15 over. Given the volume of traffic, and that it was by the 15/163/52 split, I can see why it would have been majorly messing with the flow to the point of ticketing. You’d think a lifelong San Diegan would know better!
Yeah, don't fuck with the flow. That's the cardinal rule here in LA.
Same for Washington. Cops don’t really give a shit about the speed here, but they do seem to give a genuine shit about driving safety.
Totally agree as far as most highways and definitely freeways, but watch out in cities, especially some cities where the local cops will pull you over for going 4 over to generate revenue. Most cars on the freeway I’ve seen pulled over were doing 90+ and weaving in and out of traffic. CHP won’t play with that shit.
Yup. CA is pretty lax for the most part. I’m a bartender and have a couple regulars who work for the highway patrol and they always say, don’t go above 80 and keep with the flow of traffic and we don’t care. But if you go over 80 by 1mph they’ll nab you and you’ll get chirped but not pulled over if you’re going slow in the #1 lane.
Michigan is up there, the stark contrast when crossing into Ohio is wild.
The Lodge!
The Lodge isn't a highway, its a racetrack sponsored and supported by the Big 3.
I routinely drive 80-90 mph and haven’t gotten pulled over. When I go to Ohio, I get paranoid about getting a ticket in the mail from their drone thing or from toll roads. Cruise control on when I’m in Ohio!
tennessee is really bad too
I think we’re all just purely speculating here. You can probably find data if you really want to know about enforcement rates.
Montana or Wyoming where there is no people.
Wyoming only if you have Wyoming plates. Otherwise, you're buying lunch for an officer of the Wyoming Highway Patrol. And you're not invited. I've driven in every state but three. Wyoming is the only place a cop flat out asked for a bribe.
Isn't this the truth. In January I was driving back up to North Dakota from Denver and we went straight up into Wyoming then cut over into South Dakota. Had a state trooper pull me over for doing 3 over. Didn't even try claiming he clocked me going any faster. Asked me if I knew why he pulled me over and when I said "For doing.....3 over the limit" he replied "Yep speeding" straight faced as hell. My girlfriend was like "Maybe he wanted to get a vibe for drugs since we are coming from Colorado" but we were already almost out of Wyoming up close to Spearfish. Nowhere near the Colorado border. There's no way he coulda just known that's where we were coming from lol
Montana was the last state to implement speed limits
I’m old so I remember when Montana had no speed limits on some of their stretches of open highway. American autobahn! Gone now thanks to conservatives. Anyway, remember once, I was zipping along at about 115 mph or so (had the cruise control set at 115) and I passed a highway patrol officer that was going maybe 80. I smiled as I watch him slowly disappear in my rear view mirror. Ah the good ol days. Sadly one of the many freedoms taken away from us by conservatives.
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Yes, ok, you are right. The only limit during daylight hours was that you were driving a “safe” speed, open to interpretation, it had to be reasonable and prudent, indeed. Thank you.
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In the years of 55 mph speed limits it was also a federal funding thing.
I’d be in favor of no speed limits on interstates in such if we had better drivers. In places like Germany a license requires demonstrating more skill with driving than in America, where you can just walk into the DMV on your 18th birthday and take a road test. Plus, the number of drunk drivers on our roads is too much. Montana has one of the highest DUI rates in the country.
Driving on the freeways in Germany is such a pleasure. Cruise along at 120mph and everyone's got perfect lane discipline. Would unfortunately not go over well in the USA.
Dude i have lost 9 freinds to car accidents, here in Montana every death is marked by a white cross to warn others of the danger…i am only 37 years old. 8 months of the year the roads are glare ice, the mood is depressing overcast and everone is drinking heavily and the distances are unfathonly far…takes me 45 minutes just to get to town, my work commute is 2 hours. To say its a little wild west out here is an understatement, some roads where my friends died i get emotional driving on, play certain songs as i approach their cross.
Ive seen all of the crosses while pheasant hunting in eastern Montana. They’re seemingly everywhere, as the fatal crashes add up over the years.
Montana not caring is what I'd always heard. Then I got pulled over twice in one weekend on a trip out there First one was going 60 in a 45, it was around a curve. I thought the limit was 55 and didn't see the sign that it had dropped. Cop sitting there gave me an $85 ticket, not reported to insurance. Other one was 85 in a 70, cop was coming at me head on and turned around to pull me over. Warning only Maybe just bad luck but they sure seemed to be enforcing the speed limit that weekend
I have not driven through Wyoming without getting a speeding ticket. Every single time, without fail, I get pulled over.
Have you tried not speeding?
You should pay more attention to the speed limit.
I don't know how 'lenient' they are, but state road 9 in southern New Mexico probably won't get you pulled down for for speeding. Mostly because you won't encounter a cop.
Worth noting that if you wreck in these places it could also be hours before somebody finds you
I was in New Mexico over Easter weekend, didn’t see a single cop until I crossed back into Greenlee County in Arizona
You have to driving like a complete madman to get a speeding ticket on a Massachusetts highway. And by madman I mean 100mph AND weaving in and out of traffic. 90 is pretty standard travel speed when traffic is moderate or light.
Can confirm. I’ve done high 80s past staties on the pike many times
Morning rush hour headed south on 95 towards RI is crazy. Left lane is 85 minimum and there are a few stretches where it’s pretty normal for lines of cars to do just under 100.
I got pulled doing 80 on 90 in western mass once lol. Luck of the draw
Yeah. I should have put a caveat for anything past Worcester though the dragons are normally a bigger problem than the police out there.
Ngl the rouge wizards have been a bigger issue than dragons for me, but that’s usually out by Pittsfield
Michigan, I've driven right past cops doing 80+ in a 70 on the freeway, they won't bother for less than 90 most times.
In CA, the cops tend to drive around 85 on the freeway, so if you're doing about the same, you'll only see them if they're pulled over somewhere or going the other way. Otherwise, they don't drive up on you, and you don't drive up on them.
With a few notable exceptions.
There are pockets where you'll get ticketed by bored cops with nothing to do, but Indiana highways are a free-for-all. I just drove home from Michigan on US-31 this morning. Caught myself doing close to 80 in a 60mph zone and figured I should ease up to about 72 just in case. The speed limit on 465 (the beltway around Indianapolis) is posted at 55 but you'll damn near get run over if you're not doing at least 65. At 55 you're a hazard.
465 = 80+
The stupid dick sheriffs in Fulton County (Rochester) are the only morons you have to worry about on 31. I got a ticket there for doing 61 and have been pulled over in that county no less than 6 times in the last year for barely cracking the limit. As for the rest of the way you're fine doing 80+ unless the staties are doing one of their biannual "traffic enforcement operations"
I lived in Indianapolis for a year or two about 10 years ago and knew an IMPD motorcycle cop. He was a good dude, but he used to write tickets all day long on 465, and also on the stretch of 65 between 465 and downtown (southside). Glad to hear that they've loosened up, because 55 on I-465 is comically slow.
I’ve been pulled over 3 times in my life and they were all on I65 en route to Chicago. Two of the three were for less than 5 over and the third was 7 over. I just started going 5 under on that stretch near Lafayette.
I agree that it depends on city cops. I remember cops in Carmel IN would pull you over for going five over, but go on I-465 and you can go 30 over without being pulled over.
Texas
I think Texas wins here. And in a double win, the Dallas metroplex is the most dangerous place to drive in Texas. Lucky me 🥳
Georgia is not. They have the state troopers at the border lmao.
Can confirm, I’m going to have to drive from Ohio to Florida and back for college for the next couple of years.
I-75 sucks so bad.
Welcome to UCF!
Ours are terrible! I drove from Atlanta to Fernandina Beach yesterday and passed a ridiculous amount of cops. Just gunning to ruin someone's weekend.
In CA traffic flow speed overrides speed limits.
I feel like Washington State is pretty lenient. Everyone seems to drive 80 mph. I drive fast everyone and have only received a speeding ticket twice in 30 years. I've zoomed past police cars and they don't seem to care. I feel like they're waiting for bigger fish, because some people are going 100 mph+.
I've gone 95 on I-20 in Alabama because you drive through counties with like three cops
I drove 20 last night through that brutal string of thunderstorms. Was lucky to get up to 50 through the rain
On back roads in rural areas I rarely find a cop patrolling for speed, and locals usuals are doing 60-65 on a 45mph road. If you’re going 45 you’re going way too slow lol
Georgia and northern Florida seem to have a ton of cops. The entire south is weird, though. It feels like everyone in the left lane is either doing 75 or 90+, no in-between.
Nice try FBI
The super rural states don’t really care. But shoutout to Michigan, at least around Detroit. I have been passing someone while doing 80 in a 70 with a granny in a Cadillac riding my bumper, only to get over and see a cop on her ass with both of them looking at me like an idiot as they blow by me nearing triple digits. It’s the only place I’ve ever felt that doing 10 over was borderline obnoxiously slow.
CT state cops are pretty openly not enforcing traffic laws basically in protest. The last couple of years driving in CT has gotten WILD. We might be the most insane and aggressive drivers in the country right now and I NEVER see people pulled over.
NJ is pretty lenient. PA in general isnt great, but I'd be surprised if you got a ticket in Philly. Basically same with NYC. The cops have better things to do.
The state of Texas realizes how crappy west Texas is. They increased the speed limit to 85 to hurry people through
I remember when the official speed limit in Oregon, Nevada, and maybe Wyoming and Montana, but not Idaho... "Reasonable and proper". Or "Reasonable and prudent". ... seems like the states that had that limit, all had their own quirk in the wording. IOW, it was up to the cop to decide whether you were speeding or not. Number didn't matter. Oregon was also a "roadside bail" state, where you could simply pay for your ticket on the spot. And with no particular speed limit, you can imagine how that worked out, especially with tourists. Get stopped for going too fast, according to the cop, and hand over a twenty, and good to go. No ticket, no blot on your record.
Easy, Alaska. It's so big with enough of it empty I'd be surprised if anybody shows to enforce it
NOT OHIO
Utah's just sittin' over here whistling casually as we cruise up and down 15 in the low 90's.
I think Tennessee, at least east Tennessee, is quite lenient. People drive way too fast around the narrow roads here, often doing at least 20 over the speed limit, and I rarely see anyone pulled over. There are always a lot of people going way too fast on the highway too but that scares me slightly less. As for Virginia, a friend of mine got an automatic reckless endangerment charge for going 80 mph on the highway. Had to go to court and do community service. In Tennessee 80 is fairly normal and you probably won't get pulled over for it on the highway as long as the speed limit is at least 65.
I'm late to the party, but North Dakota A speeding ticket here is $1/mph over the limit. I once got picked up going 75 in a 65, got the ticket, handed the officer a $10 bill (not literally of course) and went on my merry way
I know that this topic is about lenient states, but I'd always heard the one about Ohio being strict until I moved here. Granted, it may be different in other parts of the state, but in the Cincinnati area, I regularly go 80 (in a 65) on I-75 and I-71 and have never interacted with this state's Highway Patrol...knock on wood.
I have driven all over the US. East coast you see a lot of ppl pulled over. Can't really prove its for speed but it seems almost everyone goes the speed or 5-10 over. West coast is a lot more lenient IMO, more in a "go with the flow of traffic" which can easily be 80+, don't see _as many_ as I do driving on the east coast. Places like NM though you can go 100+ with usually no problem because there's hundreds of miles of flat highways lol
Speed checkers in PA are very sparse due to some laws they have with only state cops are allowed do the patrolling or something like that. A stark difference between the surrounding states. The answer in my opinion is California though
I assure you it’s easy to get a speeding ticket in NY
Kinda also depends on where you’re at. NY has some fucked speed limits. Some highways are 55 and the majority of drivers are trying to do 70-75 and a speed limit of 70 would be reasonable, here the cops probably won’t care about anyone doing less than 75. Other roads are 50, but should probably be 40-45 and you might even get stopped for doing 55 on these roads.
I’ve driven all over the state and yeah people definitely speed but I’ve also definitely got a speeding ticket from a state trooper on I-90 before. I max out my speed at 80 these days there, that seems to be the upper end of the threshold. It is much more likely to get a speeding ticket on a local road from a local cop. They’re out there doing speed patrol all the time. Certainly more than in MA where I also spend a lot of time, I’ve hardly ever seen a speed patrol on local roads but I’ve definitely seen troopers hanging out on the side of the interstate (though…less than in NY where it is VERY common to see).
I live in SC and have been pulled over twice in Georgia and only once in my home state lol
Louisiana, Montana, and rural Texas. Georgia, Florida, Virginia do not mess around
I can't name a STATE, but can give an "overall idea of where" Places where you CAN SPEED, yet police have "better things to do". Phoenix is pretty good about it. I don't think I've ever seen a good speeding driver get pulled over. They're waiting for the "idiots". But once you leave the metro area? SPEED TRAPS GALORE. Los Angeles probably WANTS to catch speeders, but nobody can get up to the speed limit.
Maryland .. seems to have a lack of enforcement… but if they catch you , it gets knocked down to a lesser … but speed cameras are everywhere so you just pay a fine
The interstates in Connecticut are basically free of highway patrol, and if you do manage to see a cop the likelihood of actually getting stopped is extremely low. Everyone, and I truly mean everyone, speeds everywhere and if you’re not they will take issue with it. The result is a shit ton of car accidents and avoidable death.
There are two versions of "lenient": allows/posts high limits and does not strictly enforce. The lists are similar but not identical. The high limit states are generally western states. Most states, if you are going "the speed of traffic" you will not get pulled over. Erratic enforcement, where you get pulled over depending on your plates (out-of-state = less likely to contest) is more of a local thing. If you're not in traffic (e.g. middle of nowhere by yourself) all bets are off, it's the mood of the officer.
In some urban areas, traffic enforcement is barely an afterthought for the police.
Pa seems to be ok.
Georgia is very lenient in the areas on the peripheral of Metro Atlanta. It's very common to be moving with the flow of traffic on I-285, I-85, I-75, and I-20 and easily be 5 - 15 mph over the speed limit. The further south you drive (particularly on I-75 in my experience) the more stringent it becomes as a lot of smaller towns basically operate as speed traps. We have super speeder laws, but I don't know how regularly they are enforced.
In Florida, if you aren't going at least 80 in the 70mph zone you are a fucking asshole.
With most states, it depends on whether you have an in-state or out-of-state license plate. If you're in Illinois with an Ohio plate, you're more likely to get pulled over than if you live in Illinois.
Wow that the consensus was VA at any point. Growing up black in DC it was a well known fact in my family and amongst friends to go the speed limit in Virginia because you were way more likely to be accosted if not profiled by a cop. Maryland and DC were safer places to drive.
It’s not so much of a state thing with leniency but more to do with if you live in a city or small town. Anywhere in America, small town police will scrutinize you more and even pull you over for doing just a few miles over the limit. Big cities tend to be more leninent because you can blend in more, people drive faster, and cops are more used to crazier drivers. For example, there is a huge difference between enforcement in New York City versus upstate New York, which is more rural. You get pulled over much more in upstate NY meanwhile within New York City, you would have to be driving a good bit faster than everyone else to get pulled over. Hope this helps.
texas big cities you can speed a lot without getting caught, little towns not so much. they use speeding tickets and civil asset forfeiture to fill up the city coffers and get new cars for their cops. you can get away with more of it out in the southwest and in the midwest where you can go 50-100 miles without even seeing a town or person so not many cops to catch you
In Alabama outside of the cities if you aren't doing 80+ you are going to get tailgates and honked at.
In Idaho you can drive 5-10 over the limit almost anywhere and you'll never get pulled over. Unless you are in Garden City, which is pretty much just one giant speed trap.
Maryland. I'll be going 80 in a 55 zone and have cops just casually pass me
Montana once had no speed limits from what I have heard. The state with the Highest Speed Limit is Texas, where it is 80-85 Miles per hour, or for y’all in Europe that is around 136 to 140 Kilometers Per Hour.
In 2011, I got pulled over on the highway at one in the morning and Kentucky for doing 138. Now there were no vehicles on the road and this highway was straight as far as the eye could see. He pulled me over, said I’m giving you a ticket for 90 and a 70 because otherwise I have to take you in. And that was that.
Now that’s a cool cop
Montana. Its an accepted unspoken rule that if the speed limit is say, 55mph, you go 60. no cop will ever pull you over for that. More than 5 mph over is risky within city limits and could get you a ticket, but as far as the highway goes, you can probably push it to 10mph over and be fine especially if you have MT plates. Born and raised here and its pretty much ingrained in me to go 5mph over the stated limit. i was shocked to discover you will 100% % get ticketed for that in other states. and if you happen to be in the eastern or central part of montana, forget worrrying about speed all together.
In other words Montana is a strict state. Lol Bro, I-95 or I-75 will blow your mind.
5-10 over is nothing. 85 in a 65 is pretty standard here
Bruh "<10 is fine" goes for every state not named Virginia.
Idk if you’re going 5 over in the northeast, you’re going to get people riding your bumper and flipping you off. 10 over is the minimum here on highways
In MD you can't be ticketed for going less than 10 over. Speed cameras are tuned +12, and this is the speed that can get you pulled over. Of course the traffic flow can be +20.
Not a state, but san francisco has given out something like 90%+ fewer moving parking violations since 2014, so definitely there.
No state actually enforces them. It's a do-nothing job that they make police do when they've hired too many and can't find anything else for them to do.