Small town speed limits

[Dr. NO]

...and noticed 70MPH limits... glad my birth state got something right.

It's 75mph on I95 north of Old Town Maine

Lived in Wyoming prior to the 55 limits. Dirt roads, if marked could be anywhere from 45 to 50. State highways, 2 lanes, were 70 and Interstates were 75. Nobody bothered you under 90 usually on the interstate. Oh, when Wyoming finally succumbed to the Fed and lowered the speed limit to 55, Ranchers would use the dirt roads and pass us, doing 70 to 80. Had to watch out for those "T's" in the road as most were not marked.

[Big Bob]

...and noticed 70MPH limits... glad my birth state got something right.

It's 75mph on I95 north of Old Town Maine

Lived in Wyoming prior to the 55 limits. Dirt roads, if marked could be anywhere from 45 to 50. State highways, 2 lanes, were 70 and Interstates were 75. Nobody bothered you under 90 usually on the interstate.

And soon to be 70 MPH on I 89 and Rt 101 east of Manchester in NH also.

[steamboat1]

Back in the 90's there were no speed limits dawn to dusk in Montana. Yee haw!

[Andy J]

These days ... driving any Interstate highway at 75 mph, you need to be in the passenger lane.
All the increased speed limits do is close the violation gap, thereby reducing your fine

What is a passenger lane?

[Big Bob]

These days ... driving any Interstate highway at 75 mph, you need to be in the passenger lane.
All the increased speed limits do is close the violation gap, thereby reducing your fine

What is a passenger lane?

Right lane, passenger sits in the right seat.

BM, in NH they were worried about setting the speed limit at 75 MPH because people would be doing 85 MPH, which they felt was to fast. The fine amount for 10 MPH or less over the speed limit was set low so you would not have the same problem as VT for writing tickets for 2 MPH over the limit. It was a waste of time since the revenue generate would not cover the cost. They ended up raising the limit on certain stretches to 70 MPH.

[Andy J]

These days ... driving any Interstate highway at 75 mph, you need to be in the passenger lane.
All the increased speed limits do is close the violation gap, thereby reducing your fine

What is a passenger lane?

Right lane, passenger sits in the right seat.

I get it now...

[freeski]

These days ... driving any Interstate highway at 75 mph, you need to be in the passenger lane.
All the increased speed limits do is close the violation gap, thereby reducing your fine

What is a passenger lane?

Right lane, passenger sits in the right seat.

BM, in NH they were worried about setting the speed limit at 75 MPH because people would be doing 85 MPH, which they felt was to fast. The fine amount for 10 MPH or less over the speed limit was set low so you would not have the same problem as VT for writing tickets for 2 MPH over the limit. It was a waste of time since the revenue generate would not cover the cost. They ended up raising the limit on certain stretches to 70 MPH.

One nice thing about NH is our state troopers do not harass people for speed to earn money for the state. Even if they have a speed checkpoint set up you need to be going 8 mph or so more than the posted limit for them to even look at you. Not that you can't get a ticket, but they are just enforcing the law as opposed to trying to earn income. Even in the small towns up north we do not seem to have the problem VT does.
I was coming back from Killington 5 years ago and was on 89 passing a group of cars going around a corner. Sure enough there were 3 NH trooper cars and a cop with a radar gun. I look at my speedometer and I'm going 83 MPH. He waves my over. He told me "When your over 80 you're going to get a ticket every time". I was in a fast looking Mustang and he said "I know it's hard to keep your speed down in those". I told him I was knew I was going too fast. He only wrote the ticket for 70 MPH which is a big break. Only ticket I've had in 20 years and I deserved it.

[deadheadskier]

Nh has its spots with small town cops over enforcing to justify their wage. Waterville valley, new fields, francestown all come to mind

[Guy in Shorts]

To Quote a Mass State Cop " 72 cruise on thru, 73 you pay me."

[brownman]

Gestapo accent I'm sure

Same experience as freeski

Nh guys are quite lenient

[GSKI]

I got pulled over by a state cop for going 97 MPH in a 55 zone outside of Whitehall NY back in '97. I was in my brand new Audi A4 Quattro and in the process of passing 7 cars and a truck and got clocked. The cop pulled me over and asked me if I knew how fast I was driving. I said "no" as I was focused on passing the other vehicles and when room was running out to return to the proper lane the vehicles bunched up to prevent me from reentering. I expressed disbelief at my speed and he actually invited me to step out of my car to show me his radar clocking of my speed. The cop said he could take me to jail for the excessive speed! I saw the speed and expressed sincere regret and he let me off with a ticket for making an unsafe maneuver (its like a ticket for not yielding at a yield sign). It was a $55 ticket. My lucky day! When I was younger, had a better car and more stupid I got personal pride from passing many as many vehicles as possible in one shot! Now I just arrive a few minutes later than planned.

[brownman]

Those a4 scarely accelerate.
Electronic kits matter

[Bubba]

The problem isn't small town speed limits. Clearly it's unsafe to speed through a town like Woodstock or even Bridgewater or others, but the real complaint is enforcement. Cops sit in those towns day in and day out just watching to catch people and raise revenue. In fact, in the case of Bridgewater, the town pays the Sheriff to do just that. The problem, therefore, is sometimes just heavy handed enforcement. If the police want to slow people down, they don't have to issue tickets. All they really need to do is leave a cop car sitting out in plain site, even an empty one, and people will naturally slow down.

I remember a news piece in the Rutland Herald years ago where the constable in Wallingford was asked by the Selectboard why revenue was down. His response was that there were fewer out of state cars passing through (because it was a bad ski season). That should tell you all you need to know.

[Mister Moose]

The problem isn't small town speed limits...

It's the profit to the towns in writing the tickets. Where do all the billable hours for these cops and sheriffs come from? The towns. There is a glaring conflict of interest for the cop whose hours are paid by the town do do nothing but traffic enforcement. If the cop doesn't write enough tickets to cover his payroll and then some, will he keep his job? Doubt it. The cops know they need to produce, and the towns want the revenue.

And, yes, some of the problem is the limits. 25mph is fine for Woodstock, and when it is busy you can't even do 20. But it should be 25 from the Pleasant St fork to the bridge, not the rest of the way.

Plymouth doesn't need 35, there isn't a store, a gas station, or a traffic light. (I'm not even sure there's a single pedestrian.) Chester stone village could be 40 instead of 30. Mendon would be fine if they only stopped you for more than 10 over.

[Powderputz]

A few weeks ago I noticed a VSP cop parked in the rest area about 50 yards from the NY line on VT279.

I was wondering - is he catching speeders in New York as they come into VT? Or speeders in VT crossing over into NY?

What is the law?

If you break the law in NY, can a cop in VT pull you over in VT for speeding in NY?

How about if you were speeding in VT? Can he pursue you into NY and pull you over?

The VSP CAN summons you the instant you enter Vermont above the speed limit. If the radar trap is one INCH inside the state line...and you're "speeding" in that first inch...you're in violation of the law.
Sounds like the kind of crap a cop named TIFT is famous for. He's written more summons (spelling?) in Vermont than ANYONE.