How strictly is the speed limit enforced in Dallas and/or Texas?

Question

People seem to zoom around L.A. with impunity, and you'll even get tailgated when traveling 80 miles per hour on the freeways. On the other hand. Seattle area cops seem to have nothing better to do than parking along the freeway and aiming their radar guns nearly daily. So, what is it like in Dallas or Texas in general?

Answer 1

They have been pretty strict recently. If you travel on Central Expressway through Plano, just stay in the right two lanes and stay within 5 miles per hour of the speed limit. The Plano police have been setting speed traps on a regular basis due to the town's financial problems. If they stop you for speeding, they'll try to add on other violations to make the ticket cost more. It's all about the money. If you drive a nicer car, you'll probably get more violations added on.



Watch out for red light cameras also. If you turn right on a red light, make sure there isn't a sign that says it's illegal at that light.



If you do get a ticket that you feel you don't deserve, keep in mind there are cameras on the top of some police cars that could be used to help you in court.

Answer 2

It is very difficult to drive with your eyes glued to the speedometer. Speed limits are there to improve roadway safety but making drivers nervous through rigorous enforcement is likely to have the opposite effect. A cop who gives someone a ticket for driving 15mph over the speed limit on a highway is simply an a$$hole. Drinking age is for protecting young people from drinking alcohol. If an adult wants to poison himself then there is nothing the society can do about it. However, drinking age of 21 is way too high and the law should only ban providing alcohol to minors. The drinking act itself should not be penalized.My guess is that those states that have this nonsense law have the policy - there is nothing we can do about gangsters, so let's throw some students into the slummer.

Answer 3

They do set up radar officers and then the officers on motorcycle come after you. In my area it seems comes in spells. One bad area will be Six Flags on 30 when it opens. The more traffic and as accidents rise the more radars set up.

Ive lived here all my life. Weather is variable. Today cloudy , yesterday thunderstorms. Before that hot. Many hail storms this time year.

I might let you know the cameras on red light corners are becoming more frequent. Snaps your pic and ticket mailed to you. So watch for those.

Texas has a lot different type areas. Down central south more dairy cows and small country towns. Far East actually has lumber production. Houston is shipping import/export. West is dry and sandy, so you can take a short road trip in any direction and see something different. When you can get out to Austin to start out.

Answer 4

Lately (past 4 months or so) it has been more strictly enforced as have all other traffic laws because even cities have been hurt by the economy so many pd's have been instructed to pull over any and everyone for any little thing so that they will bring in revenue from tickets. But you can fight receiving a ticket in court and there are multiple options to keep it off you record, and you can fight a speeding ticket because technically there is not Legal Set speed in Texas... the posted speed limits are suggestions and there is actually legislation that backs this up.

Answer 5

It depends. Some cops will write you up, and some will let you go.

On the highway you can usually get away with something under 10 over, but in the city you might get written up for doing 10 over.

Often people will speed on the freeways, but often there will be radar out and you will not get away with doing 20 over at any time.

If you are on the freeway and the herd is going fast then if you stay in the middle lanes at the same speed as everyone else you are not going to get a ticket.

Answer 6

They're pretty strict. I live in a teeny teeny tiny town where everybody knows you, so it's not so bad here, but in the larger cities it is. And it honestly depends on the car you drive, I think. I used to drive a "sketchy" looking truck (as one officer said...he was shocked when he walked up and saw I was a girl) and I'd get pulled over all the time for silly ones like 33 in a 30 (no joke). But I recently got a more soccer-mom-ish type of car and haven't gotten pulled over in a year! But anyways, yeah, places like Dallas are pretty bad.

Answer 7

I lived in Dallas for three months working on a merger, I got pulled over twice. They are pretty strict...at least with me. In some places it is kind of hard to go fast because of the traffic but the cops do watch the highways a lot.

Answer 8

Dallas cops do a pretty good job of keeping speeders under control.

You certainly wouldn't get tailgated doing 80 here. Thank goodness.

Answer 9

Just abide by the posted speed limit. I've had no tickets since 1986 for speeding although I have been stopped for not having brake lights and a warning for not signaling.