Virginia Drivers - watch your speed

July 25, 2007 7:01 AM

Don't speed in Virginia. Want to speed in Virginia? Go ahead if you don't live here. If you're a resident, make sure you know about the new monster fine and additional responsible driver taxes. So, pay attention to the speed limit and know where to look for speed traps. Don't like it? Speak up. Tell Governor Kaine. He defends the fees. Be sure to vote too.
posted by onhazier (80 comments total)

Thanks for the heads up. I plan on speeding all the way through Virginia this weekend, but as a North Carolinian, I luckily remain unaffected by the new fines.

Does anyone else get seriously freaked out by those "Speed limit enforced by aircraft" signs all over VA? I always imagine that a black helicopter is going to come down out of nowhere and rocket my speeding car into oblivion. Perhaps I should be less liberal with the road boredom reduction medicine.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 7:08 AM on July 25, 2007

I hear the sound thousands of traffic attorneys signing up to take the Virginia Bar Exam.
posted by spartacusroosevelt at 7:10 AM on July 25, 2007

Coming to a courtroom near you... This has been discussed as a possibility in MA. For now MA drivers just pay additional insurance for 6 years after even a single minor offense.
posted by Gungho at 7:10 AM on July 25, 2007

Given the "scariness" factor these days of being out on the roads with giant-ass SUVs and higher traffic speeds on average, I would fully endorse this. Unfortunately it's going to penalize some innocent people and pretty much destroy some innocent peoples' financial stability.
posted by rolypolyman at 7:11 AM on July 25, 2007

Be sure to vote too.

This might be more appropriate for your own blog.
posted by caddis at 7:12 AM on July 25, 2007

I have no problem with this. Every time tickets go up or other anti-speeding measures go into effect, people get their underpants twisted up and go into full whine mode; yet, none of those people ever advocate for, let's say, raising the speed limit. Realistically, the best approach is a combination of those two things -- raise the speed limit to what people actually drive and make tickets so onerous that people don't assume they can go 15 over. If freeway speed limits were 75 everywhere, with a minor ticket for 76-80 and a major one for 81+, the 90 mph jerkoffs wouldn't be a problem anymore.
posted by aaronetc at 7:15 AM on July 25, 2007 [2 favorites]

Wow. I tend to support the issuing of speeding tickets, and feel that the term 'speed trap' in this country means 'a place where speed limit laws are enforced', but this is spectacular.
(also seconding caddis)
posted by MtDewd at 7:16 AM on July 25, 2007

$1050 for 20 mph over. Wow. NH and MA could really rake in the dough on Rte 3, where the posted speed is, IIRC, 55 but nobody drives slower than 80.
posted by DU at 7:17 AM on July 25, 2007

Tailgating causes many more accidents than speeding, but you never see any following distance limit signs.
posted by SBMike at 7:17 AM on July 25, 2007 [6 favorites]

From the third link:
The sponsor of the law, David Albo, is a partner in one of Virginia's largest law firms; one of its specialties is traffic cases.

Christ, what an asshole.
posted by TedW at 7:17 AM on July 25, 2007

If this were done for road safety reasons, I'd be all for it. More people die on Virginia roads every year than all the people killed by terrorists in the whole country.

But it ain't about road safety. These fines are nothing more than new taxes. When Democrats raise taxes, they're called tax increases. When Republicans raise taxes they call them "civil remedial fees". That's double plus bad Governor Kaine.
posted by three blind mice at 7:18 AM on July 25, 2007

Does anyone else get seriously freaked out by those "Speed limit enforced by aircraft" signs all over VA? I always imagine that a black helicopter is going to come down out of nowhere and rocket my speeding car into oblivion.

That Eye in the Sky? It Sees You Speeding.
posted by peeedro at 7:20 AM on July 25, 2007

I.D.?
Here. I'm the contractor.
What's in your truck?
An ATM machine, and 183 miles of vaccum piping.
What's the pipe for?
Suction.
posted by Mblue at 7:20 AM on July 25, 2007 [2 favorites]

Even before this law, going 20 over the limit in Viriginia was "reckless driving" with a mandatory court appearance and potential jail time. That possibility would probably make a lot of people lawyer up.
posted by exogenous at 7:23 AM on July 25, 2007

Much better is the Finnish approach, which fines you according to income.

Still, this is a good start.
posted by imperium at 7:26 AM on July 25, 2007 [2 favorites]

If this were done for road safety reasons, I'd be all for it.

Va. Enacted Bad-Driver Fees Despite Red Flags:

RICHMOND, July 23 -- Virginia lawmakers imposed steep new fees on bad drivers this year despite warning signs from states with similar programs that they cause a surge in unlicensed motorists and have crippling effects on the poor.

The licenses of tens of thousands of motorists in New Jersey and Michigan have been suspended because they cannot afford the fees, and little evidence has emerged that such fines improve highway safety, according to state officials and studies.

posted by peeedro at 7:26 AM on July 25, 2007

three blind mice writes "But it ain't about road safety. These fines are nothing more than new taxes."

Oh yeah, I can hear the "Why do you hate traffic safety ? Do you want childrens to be killed by marauding cars ?" being yelled in your direction.

But you are right , as SBMike is ..tailgating is far more dangerous then speeding, not mentioning DUI and traffic-lights only crossings. Have I mentioned distraction, lack of mandatory ABS system and the insane new practice (at least in europe) of placing the speedometer and the car HUD in the -middle- of the car instead of the traditional place, in front of the driver ?

That's done , probably, primarily to save cost so a company doesn't have to manufacture right handed and left handed huds, but it is not good for safety.
posted by elpapacito at 7:27 AM on July 25, 2007

I live in the Commonwealth. If they want to increase the base fines for the worst offenses, great. But these "fees" that only apply to VA residents are insane. Everyone knows that the worst drivers in North Virginia have Maryland plates. [wink wink]
posted by candyland at 7:29 AM on July 25, 2007

In some states you can go directly to jail at certain speeds. The ticket prices here are for people driving over 20 miles an hour.
posted by delmoi at 7:33 AM on July 25, 2007

For poor people, there should be an option to work off the fines by doing community service. And actually states should do what Finland does, and make ticket rates based on income.
posted by delmoi at 7:35 AM on July 25, 2007

Or maybe it has very little to do with speeds and very much to do with people who camp in the left lane like the ignorant bitches they are, going +3 MPH over the speed limit or concurrent driving pace, acting shocked when someone whose blind spot they have been occupying for the last five fucking miles decides to pass a semi they've been nervously inching closer towards during this timeframe?

Speed maximums and minimums don't mean a goddamn thing, so ticket the people who drive like dipshits, EOD. Look at the autobahn, you get nailed for camping in the passing lane. I think there are a few states like NJ who have this law as well, but I don't know how enforcement pans out. If it's about safety this is what they should do, but it's not - it's about the goddamn money.
posted by prostyle at 7:37 AM on July 25, 2007 [4 favorites]

Actually, in Virginia you can get stuck with these fines for 15 over. Reckless driving is 20 over the posted limit or over 80. So in a 65 zone, 15 will do it. This is not something they talk about much, and a good portion of the public didn't know until this latest discussion about new fines. I learned this the hard way about a week before July, so I'm lawyered up and hoping for a dismissal.

Virginia traffic courts are beyond weird. If they actually wanted revenue, you'd think they'd just increase the fines for speeding tickets. People just pay those by mail. Reckless driving tickets make people get lawyers and lots of those tickets get dismissed in the end. Quite a racket. Less money for the state, more money for the lawyers.
posted by False Jesii Inc. at 7:39 AM on July 25, 2007

I am just waiting for the first time a Virginia legislator gets nailed with one of these fines...watch how fast it disappears after that.
posted by briank at 7:41 AM on July 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

20 over is reckless, both technically and in reality. My understanding was that getting caught going 85 in a 65 faced one with a suspended license, major fines, and potential jail time. An in-state only fee is dumb though.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 7:42 AM on July 25, 2007

I'm more surprised that it's not an out-of-state fee.
posted by boo_radley at 7:45 AM on July 25, 2007

Here in Florida they've raised fines for drivers who run red lights, and the extra revenue goes to the trauma unit of the regional hospital. I'm all for it.

20 over is the average on the highway I take to work. Except for the occasional grandma driving in rush hour traffic.
posted by kableh at 7:46 AM on July 25, 2007

also you seem very passionate about the passing lane, prostyle.
posted by boo_radley at 7:46 AM on July 25, 2007

Virginia traffic courts are beyond weird. If they actually wanted revenue, you'd think they'd just increase the fines for speeding tickets. People just pay those by mail. Reckless driving tickets make people get lawyers and lots of those tickets get dismissed in the end. Quite a racket. Less money for the state, more money for the lawyers.

Didn't you see, one of the sponsors of the bill works for a major law firm that defends a lot of speeders.
posted by delmoi at 7:47 AM on July 25, 2007

Here in Florida they've raised fines for drivers who run red lights, and the extra revenue goes to the trauma unit of the regional hospital. I'm all for it.

See, the sensible thing would be to increase yellow light wait time on intersections with a lot of collision. But that doesn't get anyone any money. Sure, making money off red-light running will create an incentive to make yellow light shorter, so that you get more red-light runners and more accidents, but I don't see how that could possibly be a problem.
posted by delmoi at 7:50 AM on July 25, 2007

@briank ... A Virginia legislator can't be hit with those fines. They have next to diplomatic immunity with their legislator plates. They also know judges. Lots of reckless charges get dismissed if the person has a lawyer. I'd imagine all of a legislator's friend's charges would get dismissed, easy peasy.

... and @meat, remember that it's 80 in a 65 that you have to worry about. 70 to 75 is traffic flow. Get distracted, have a crappy speedometer, whatever, you get sucked into an obnoxiously confusing world of potential jail time and traffic fines in the four digit range.

@delmoi ... I know, I was just emphasizing that it's not a paranoid conspiracy. If they really wanted more revenue for the state, this is not the way to do it.
posted by False Jesii Inc. at 7:53 AM on July 25, 2007

$1050 for 20 over? Good. Only I would adjust the fine according to income and vehicle weight, something like: (big fine) * (your household income/average household income) * (your vehicle's weight/average vehicle's weight in that class). And of course charge some minimum in case the speeder has a very low household income.

Of course, it would suck to be Forrest Mars Jr. caught racing a truckload of stolen uranium down I-95, but it should, shouldn't it?
posted by pracowity at 7:56 AM on July 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

and then a year later, you'll have citizens complaining because the court system is tied up with traffic tickets and policemen are busy showing up at court and criminal law enforcement suffers as a result

brilliant!
posted by pyramid termite at 7:57 AM on July 25, 2007

I've got a novel idea. Don't drive like a fucking idiot. If you can't stop for a traffic light then you sure as hell can't stop for anything else that could happen and you're an accident waiting to kill someone who probably doesn't deserve it anywhere near as much as you do.
posted by srboisvert at 8:05 AM on July 25, 2007

You know what, Virginians? You ruined your state's fiscal health by getting rid of the car tax. You all love your low, low, low income taxes. And when that money goes down to Richmond, your state legislators love to blow the money on pork for their rural constituents rather than bulk up NoVa's transportation infrastructure, which is the economic powerhouse of the state and has been in desperate needs of highway and rail upgrades.

So suck it up. The money has to come from somewhere.
posted by deanc at 8:08 AM on July 25, 2007

See, the sensible thing would be to increase yellow light wait time on intersections with a lot of collision.

They're already pretty long, here. There is a long delay, too, between when the light goes red on one side and the other goes green. This just seems to embolden people, and the red light running really is egregrious. A year or two ago I witness some woman in a minivan run a red light and hit an ambulance that was on its way to a call.

I'm opposed to these absurd traffic fines for speeding, though. If someone is driving recklessly, ticket them for that. When a bunch of cops are running a radar trap on the biggest highway in town in the middle of rush hour, it's clear that safety isn't their concern (much less making sure that the road is clear and moving quickly so everyone can get to work).
posted by kableh at 8:11 AM on July 25, 2007

We never decided that the national 55 MPH limit was the safe speed. It was imposed in 1977 in response to the fuel shortage, since it is a more fuel-efficient speed.

Even so, since that time cars have improved. Handling has improved. Crash safety has improved. And we have airbags. In my experience, with adequate following distance, speeds up to 90MPH are no problem in a modern car.

In light of this historical context, this Virginia law has no basis in fact. Instead of increasing the fines, why not increase the speed limit?
posted by pantsonfire at 8:30 AM on July 25, 2007

It might help if people knew what speed to drive. Some comedian said it would be nice if the police just put up a sign saying what number they were giving tickets for today.

Ask yourself this: An urban interstate, nice weather, good driving conditions. Max speed limit 55, min speed limit 40.
What speed should you be driving?

Most people have a number, but my number might be very different from your number. The way we do it in the US, most drivers feel that they should be driving at a speed that is illegal. When an overwhelming majority believes they should be violating the law, it's probably time to change the law. Typically, the response is to raise the speed limit, which just moves everybody's number up and doesn't address the main issue.

Proposal: Change the way speed limits are posted. How about a speed limit sign that says 55 +/-10 MPH, for instance? Encourage 55, tolerate 65, ticket 66.
posted by MtDewd at 8:31 AM on July 25, 2007

I was having this weird feeling of deja vu when i remembered that speeding drivers have small penises. orig link in fpp cited with "deja vu"
posted by spitbull at 8:32 AM on July 25, 2007

When the citizens here in VA started complaining about this harsh law, lawmakers thought they understood why people were upset and told the people of VA that they'd improve the law by making sure that it applied to out of state drivers as well!
posted by PHINC at 8:35 AM on July 25, 2007

When I'm speeding, I need a massive fine to match my monster cock.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:37 AM on July 25, 2007

Does anyone else get seriously freaked out by those 'Speed limit enforced by aircraft' signs all over VA?

I was joking to myself about that one time when I was driving by Andrews Air Force Base, and an F-16 popped over the trees flying low. It was alarming.
posted by kirkaracha at 8:44 AM on July 25, 2007

When I'm speeding, I need a massive fine to match my monster cock.

Isn't that backwards? I believe scientific studies have been done that concluded the higher the speed, the smaller the dick. Or was that the larger the vehicle, the smaller the dick?...I forget.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 8:51 AM on July 25, 2007

These fines will ruin more lives than they will save.
posted by dgaicun at 8:53 AM on July 25, 2007

why not increase the speed limit?

Because gas is still a scarce commodity and 55 is still the most efficient speed to travel at?
posted by drezdn at 8:56 AM on July 25, 2007

Unfortunately it's going to penalize some innocent people and pretty much destroy some innocent peoples' financial stability.

How so? Why would an "innocent" person be affected by this?
posted by Doohickie at 9:00 AM on July 25, 2007

boo, I wonder if the reason that the extra taxes aren't thrown at out-of-staters is jurisdictional; they may not be able to keep charging out of state drivers.
posted by craven_morhead at 9:17 AM on July 25, 2007

I think these will disproportionately affect poor people. Someone who is delinquent in their child support payments or lets their insurance lapse at all or registers their car without insurance can all their drivers license suspended. If they get caught driving, then they will face these enormous fines.
posted by bperk at 9:24 AM on July 25, 2007

If the fine was just the $1050 for the speeding, I'd be perfectly happy with it. The part that pisses me off is the additional responsible driving taxes. The speeding fine applies to all speeders. The taxes are a bonus for the Virginia drivers.

As for the speed monitoring by aircraft, I regularly see the police plane flying low over 7100.

Doohickie, the innocent people affected are the spouses and children of the speeders who are caught.

Caddis: You're right. My apologies for editorializing in my post.
posted by onhazier at 9:32 AM on July 25, 2007

LOLCIVILREMEDIALFEE.
posted by Sailormom at 9:35 AM on July 25, 2007

As a technical resident of Virginia (live in the District but I am keeping my VA license for a number of reasons) I am all in favor of this law, but it ought to apply to everyone. If you do not like it then obey the speed limit.

Also seconding the MD drivers being crap.
posted by BobbyDigital at 9:42 AM on July 25, 2007

The taxes are a bonus for the Virginia drivers.

You know what might work, instead? Some sort of annual tax levied upon drivers based on the worth of their car. That would be cool.
posted by deanc at 9:45 AM on July 25, 2007

Because gas is still a scarce commodity and 55 is still the most efficient speed to travel at?

If that were the reasoning, they should raise the fees on everyone not driving a hybrid car. (or biodiesel or whatever.)

Of course, driving around Northern Virginia, I fail to see when this will come into play. Mostly I see people in congested traffic going 35 mph.
posted by stevis23 at 9:51 AM on July 25, 2007

I'd be happy to go back to paying the full amount of car tax. It is not like it is gone. The state is just "paying" a portion of the tax due on my car. They could stop doing that.
posted by onhazier at 9:52 AM on July 25, 2007

See, the sensible thing would be to increase yellow light wait time on intersections with a lot of collision. But that doesn't get anyone any money. Sure, making money off red-light running will create an incentive to make yellow light shorter, so that you get more red-light runners and more accidents, but I don't see how that could possibly be a problem.

delmoi: In Florida, on state roads, there is a minimum amount of yellow time that can be set. It depends upon whether or not the yellow is for a turn lane or for thru traffic, but the range is between 3.5 and 4.5 seconds. So, there can be no monkeying around on that side of things. Counties generally follow the state's lead on their own roads as far as this standard goes. Also in my experience, the typical practice is to extend the amount of yellow time and perhaps make an all-red interval for tough intersections where running the light is a problem. For what it's worth, the police on the roads don't get to decide what those intervals are -- they just ticket the violators and collect the fines. After that, it's all up to enforcement. Quite honestly the cops would rather lie in wait for speeders with a radar gun than nab a red light runner unless it happens right under their nose - they are always crying for the ability to enforce this stuff by camera so they can eat their donuts in peace. kableh is correct - red light running is a bizarre epidemic here, and I see it all the time too.
posted by contessa at 9:54 AM on July 25, 2007

Doohickie, the innocent people affected are the spouses and children of the speeders who are caught.

Those people are no more or less innocent than the family members of people caught breaking other laws.
posted by aaronetc at 10:21 AM on July 25, 2007

I'd be happy to go back to paying the full amount of car tax.

Sounds like a plan. Now run for political office on that platform.

Do you hear that sound? It's me playing the world's smallest violin in sympathy for the poor, put-upon Virginians who've spent the last 30 years trying to avoid paying for transportation infrastructure.
posted by deanc at 10:41 AM on July 25, 2007

So, yeah, this law is poorly written, but on my outrageometer it barely registers. Driving is not a civil right. Speeding is definitely not a civil right. Cars being the #1 cause of accidental death and injury in the US by a long shot is worth getting mad about. If you really care about poverty and it's not juts a convenient crutch for the arguments here, there are lots of struggling organizations you can help out.

prostyle: "Camping in the passing lane"? Hi? Hello There. Driving is not the same as playing Quake. You might find driving much more pleasant (and safer, and cheaper) if you change that mindset. K. Thanks.
posted by Skwirl at 10:52 AM on July 25, 2007

delmoi, it's not always that simple working with people. They're boundary-seeking, and if given more slack will adapt by taking advantage of it. One example is the eye-level third braking light introduced in the 1990s. Reduced rear-end collisions for a few years, after which collisions returned to their previous level. The proposed explanation is that people compensated for the improved reaction time granted by the eye-level brake light by driving faster and tailgating more.

At the same time, people have learned habits. If yellow lights last three seconds, they'll get used to judging their driving distances based on three seconds. If you have a bunch of intersections with four seconds of yellow, they'll get used to four seconds, and could be expected to treat 3-second yellow lights the same way and run *more* reds.
posted by anthill at 10:57 AM on July 25, 2007

I live in Virginia. Virginia sucks. They'd make everything a hangin' offense if they could figure out how to make it pay.

Spineless fuckin' politicians treat taxes like a third rail, but they think fees will fool everybody. Oh well, we're just one day closer to the poor- and middle-class revolts.

(As to the "driving is a privilege, not a right" argument - uh, not so much, anymore. Driving is close enough to being a necessity in this day and age that calling it a privilege is fairly ignorant and biased against the less financially secure.)
posted by Benny Andajetz at 11:01 AM on July 25, 2007

I never saw truly terrible driving until I moved to VA, and half those people are driving enormous fucking shitboxes that -- if they can't cough up a grand for driving like a jackass -- they shouldn't be able to afford, period. So on that level, I'm for this. Make the fine proportionate to the individual driver's ability to pay and I see no problem here at all.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 11:02 AM on July 25, 2007

I have always hated the system where speeding tickets are used to fund police forces, because then it's being done for reasons other than enforcing the law. This is particularly egregious in any area where the cops are given quotas and have to give a certain number of tickets in a month.

I've always said that a better way of dealing with this would be to take the money raised by speeding tickets, and give it to the local schools. That way the cops are making sure that people are driving safe, and the money is still being used for good in the community.
posted by quin at 11:30 AM on July 25, 2007

deanc: There was a referendum in 2002 on instutiting regional sales taxes in Northern Virginia and Tidewater to fund transportation bonds, but they were defeated. So don't be mad at the politicians, be mad at the citizens.
posted by armage at 11:35 AM on July 25, 2007

I'd like to see some of this money go to better driving training, and some of this legislative effort go to higher barrier of entry on getting/keeping a license.

I feel that forcing people to a higher level of driver competence before they can get behind the wheel (or stay there) will, overall, increase safety the most.

Which is why I probably shouldn't run for office on that platform, because here in the USA any attempt to make getting/keeping a driver's license harder would mobilize the youth and senior citizen voting blocs to keep me out of office (because they care more about personal freedom than safety.)
posted by davejay at 11:39 AM on July 25, 2007

Thank god I moved out of that fucking shithole state.

And yes, VA drivers suck balls.
At least Las Vegas drivers have an excuse. They're usually drunk.
(That's only half a joke, btw).
posted by daq at 12:04 PM on July 25, 2007

A large part of the problem is a lack of roads to handle traffic in a very populated area. Driving I95 or I81 at 20mph is frustrating at best. When you get a break in traffic the tendency is to drive as fast as you can to avoid it slowing down again. I95 through NY City is a lot better than driving DC to Quantico on 95. The rush hour traffic in Northern VA is 24/7
posted by Rancid Badger at 12:43 PM on July 25, 2007

There was a referendum in 2002 on instutiting regional sales taxes in Northern Virginia and Tidewater to fund transportation bonds, but they were defeated. So don't be mad at the politicians, be mad at the citizens.

Funny, we didn't get a referendum on the fine increases.The spineless politicians pawned the tough choice off on the people - what do you think the result would be? They also made the proposed tax increases regional (Hampton Roads and NoVa) when those roads are used by all. That made people in those areas feel even more put upon, rightly or wrongly.

A gas tax increase has been proposed many times, but rejected by the lawmakers. At least a gas tax would be paid by all (including passers-through), and paid in proportion to actual use of the roads.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 1:45 PM on July 25, 2007

echoes of prostyle : I can't imagine that speeding on Interstates, in the absence of impairment, would be any kind of major problem if American drivers actually followed any fucking sort of lane discipline. It's when some asshole is stubbornly going 1 mph over the limit in the leftmost lane, or when there are three lanes of traffic side by side all going the exact same speed, or when someone changes lanes directly into the path of someone going much faster, that impatient fast drivers start tailgating and weaving in and out of traffic. If people could just speed in a straight line, unimpeded, where would accidents come from? Bridgestone? Spontaneous combustion?

Imagine a world where you could ALWAYS pass someone -- just move to the left! And then move back to the right when you're done! Maybe if you were already in the leftmost lane and you were overtaking someone, they'd move out of your way! What a fucking novelty!

I always laugh when people talk about what bad drivers Italians are, when they manage to actually respect lane discipline, drive manual transmission cars, pass on exceedingly narrow roads, and a bunch of other tasks that are clearly beyond the mental abilities of the troglodytes on the road around here
posted by cobra_high_tigers at 2:49 PM on July 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

Word up, c_h_t. The first time I was on the motorways in Italy I was amazed at the incredible lane discipline. People would invariably get out of the left lane immediately if a faster vehicle approached. My cab driver started fuming when it took someone more than about fifteen seconds to clear the lane, though the driver did not try and pass on the left. That was the longest I ever saw anyone linger in the passing lane, after a total of about 3 hours on the highways with lots of traffic volume.
posted by exogenous at 3:54 PM on July 25, 2007

For those who get freaked out by the 'speeding monitored by aircraft signs.'
posted by sperose at 6:13 PM on July 25, 2007

It's not just $1050 for going 20 over, remember. It's $900 for going 1 over. Or $900 for changing lanes without signalling. Or $900 for travelling "unreasonably fast" given conditions, or following "unreasonably close" to another car, with no definition offered of reasonable.

And I drive the beltway on a pretty regular basis. The limit is 55, but at any given time it's either going 25, 75, or it's the middle of the night. It's not possible to safely drive the limit during the day.
posted by kafziel at 6:37 PM on July 25, 2007

Get the fuck out of the left-hand lane. Repeat after me. Get. The fuck. OUT. Of. the. LEFT. LANE. That's it. It's simple. If you drive in the left-hand lane for longer than absolutely necessary, or are passed by someone in a lane to your right, you should lose your license. The first time. Second infraction, you should lose your life. Seriously. Get off my roads. If you do not love to drive, I don't care what you do. I don't care where you go. I don't care if you live or die. Just do not get behind the wheel of a car.

I would support a subscription-fee set of highways without speed limits, but where lane courtesy was the absolute law. Yes, I would pay huge money for a highway from Boston to NY with no exits, two (maybe three) pitstops, and no speed limits. I could drive it in about 2 hours in my piece-of-shit truck, nevermind if I got a decent car. I would never pay airfare again; I'd gladly pay all the money I'd spend on plane tickets in a year on such a road.

That or vehicular-mounted sidewinder missiles.
posted by Eideteker at 7:30 PM on July 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

Here's an idea!!!!

DO NOT SPEED.
posted by C17H19NO3 at 8:00 PM on July 25, 2007

Here's an idea: Get the fuck off my roads. Seriously, the speed limits serve no one but the politicians. Different cars are capable of different levels of safety at various speeds. You cannot determine how fast I should go, nor should you.
posted by Eideteker at 8:05 PM on July 25, 2007

Eideteker : I would support a subscription-fee set of highways without speed limits,

...there had been bitter disputes, the intersection closed by sporadic sniper fire. Finally, a big developer bought the entire intersection and turned it into a drive-through mall. Now the roads just feed into a parking system -- not a lot, not a ramp, but a system -- and lose their identity. Getting through the intersection involves tracing paths through the parking system, many braided filaments of direction like the Ho Chi Minh trail. CSV-5 has better throughput, but Cal.12 has better pavement. That is typical -- Fairlanes roads emphasize getting you there, for Type A drivers, and Cruiseways emphasize the enjoyment of the ride, for Type B drivers.

- Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash

Here's an idea!!!!

DO NOT SPEED.

The Deliverator is a Type A driver with rabies. So am I.
posted by quin at 8:57 PM on July 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

DO NOT SPEED
posted by C17H19NO3

Eponysterical
posted by exogenous at 9:06 PM on July 25, 2007

I always laugh when people talk about what bad drivers Italians are...

You can count me in on that, too. Not only for the reasons stated, but because they drive on narrow, crowded roads that look like they were designed for chariots, they have to actually be aware of their surroundings instead of driving around in a perpetual fog like so many Americans.
posted by TedW at 5:22 AM on July 26, 2007

candyland:"Everyone knows that the worst drivers in North Virginia have Maryland plates."

Everyone in DC knows that the worst drivers have MD & VA plates. All the VA drivers think they own our streets, while the MD drivers take stupid-crazy chances.
posted by vhsiv at 5:56 AM on July 26, 2007

posted "Be sure to vote too."

For some reason my voting doesn't seem to effect the direction of Virginia laws.

three blind mice writes "But it ain't about road safety. These fines are nothing more than new taxes. When Democrats raise taxes, they're called tax increases. When Republicans raise taxes they call them 'civil remedial fees'."

And:

False Jesii Inc. writes "Virginia traffic courts are beyond weird. If they actually wanted revenue, you'd think they'd just increase the fines for speeding tickets. People just pay those by mail"

From the article: In fact, Virginia added a fee rather than increase fines because it wanted the money to improve its roads, and revenue from fines must go to public schools. The fees are expected to raise $200 million a year.

This is also the reason it doesn't impact out of staters, Virginia doesn't have the ability to enforce the fee on them.

quin writes "I've always said that a better way of dealing with this would be to take the money raised by speeding tickets, and give it to the local schools. That way the cops are making sure that people are driving safe, and the money is still being used for good in the community."

This is the law in Virginia now which is why they are charging a fee, that way the proceeds can go into general revenue/transportation funding.

sperose writes "or those who get freaked out by the 'speeding monitored by aircraft signs.'"

Version that hasn't been compressed to hell and back

PS: False Jesii Inc. we don't use the "@" convention here, a userID is enough
posted by Mitheral at 5:26 PM on July 29, 2007

Get the fuck out of the left-hand lane. Repeat after me. Get. The fuck. OUT. Of. the. LEFT. LANE. That's it. It's simple. If you drive in the left-hand lane for longer than absolutely necessary, or are passed by someone in a lane to your right, you should lose your license. The first time. Second infraction, you should lose your life. Seriously. Get off my roads. If you do not love to drive, I don't care what you do. I don't care where you go. I don't care if you live or die. Just do not get behind the wheel of a car.

Jeeez. We need to take your license away grandpa Eideteker. You are certifiable. I am driving the whole way to work tomorrow in the left hand lane at 10 mph under the posted limit in your honor (well, if I could actually go that fast it would be a lovely commute).
posted by caddis at 5:57 PM on July 29, 2007

I think you missed the point. We need to take everyone else's license away.
posted by Eideteker at 7:28 AM on July 30, 2007