Some of us like to view speed limits more as recommendations rather than hard and fast rules. Law enforcement officers, not so much. While there is no sure way to prevent being pulled over if you are a speeder, there are good habits to develop to drastically lower your chances. I am not encouraging speeding – it is a leading factor in the majority of fatal accidents and is, in general, not a good idea – but knowing how to reduce your chances of getting pulled over can ultimately make you a better driver, and damn do we need more of those.
Know the road – The best way to avoid being caught while speeding is to know where the police hide out. Keep a close eye out on your regular routes and study where they like to set up speed traps and slowdown in those sections when you are flying through. I am continuously amazed at how predictable cops are with where they sit, and knowing their preferred spots makes it easy to avoid. However, speeding is a habit and leads to driving fast on roads where you know there can be surprises. Be cognizant that there can be surprise construction or an accident around the next corner, so never go so fast that you can’t adapt to any surprise.
Read taillights – My favorite method, particularly on the freeway, is looking at cars as far ahead as possible for unnecessary breaking. If drivers are breaking on a straightaway or going down to 65 in the fast lane, they have likely seen a cop. If you can train yourself to glance ahead for breaking, you can let other drivers tell you where the cops are, while also knowing if you are going to need to break quickly for some other reason. This is also just a good general skill to have, as knowing what cars are doing well ahead of you makes getting into an accident far less likely.
Get a radar scanner – Here in California, radar scanners are illegal, but in many parts of the country they are not. If you have a good radar scanner and know how to use it, avoiding getting puller over is a lot easier. Alex Roy, in his record-setting trip across the U.S., used a combination of radar scanners and jammers to avoid getting pulled over while averaging a ridiculous speed. While these toys are excellent, albeit expensive, methods for avoiding getting caught, know that the cop will likely be a lot less friendly to you because of it if you get pulled over.
Truckers are your friend – Sometimes truck drivers pulling out in front of you can drive you to madness, but they can also be a friendly tool as you attempt to avoid radar guns. Cruise alongside the left side of a truck and police on the right side of the road will be unable to get an accurate reading of your speed. Then, when you can see far enough ahead, speed up to the next truck. It’s not the most efficient method, but it beats getting a ticket.
Learn the headlights of police in your area – If you are speeding and see the headlights of a cop car in your rearview mirror, it is likely too late. But on the off chance you are stuck behind a slow driver at that moment, or have a reason that necessitates avoiding the police, it is good to know what cop headlights (and taillights) look like. Jalopnik has a handy guide for doing just that. Study up!
Accept your fate – Even if you are an attentive, careful, studied speeder, chances are you are going to get pulled over at some point. If you regularly speed, you should probably mentally budget for the inevitable few hundred dollars and increased insurance prices. Don’t be hostile when it happens, just accept the ticket and move on.
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