How To Avoid A Traffic Ticket In Houston Metro

[bobby123]

There are some locations in town where you are more likely to be ticketed for traffic violations. For instance, in southwest Houston, around Bellaire Blvd, many of my friends had been tickted for speeding or running a light. The City of Bellaire is also a hot spot for people caught off guard violating traffice laws. My father had been ticketed twice within Spring Valley(off I-10 in west Houston) in two month period even though it is a small city with a tiny population. He was surprised to find out that Spring Valley Municiple Court is filled traffic violators--most Houston residents. There are places in Houston area where you have to be very carefully about following the traffic laws otherwise you would be extremely likely to be caught than you are driving in other places. I want other members in this forum to share their own experience about those places and tell us where you have to follow to the letter or taking a greater risk to be ticketed.

[travelguy_73]

There used to be a national website where people could list speed traps (probably something like speedtraps.org). It was very useful, but went quickly out of date when the police moved around.

Here's mine:

(1) I-10 westbound between Taylor and Shepherd exits. Radar and laser from the police who sit in the left breakdown lane.

(2) I-10 eastbound Studemont access road. They radar and laser from under the bridge at Studemont.

Edited February 23, 2006 by travelguy_73

[TJones]

I have found an absolutely fool proof plan for not getting a ticket, you better get a pen and write this down.........are you ready ? ok, write this................don't break the traffic laws ! It is soooooooooooooo easy, and it doesn't cost you a dime.

Edited February 23, 2006 by TJones

[RedScare]

I have found an absolutely fool proof plan for not getting a ticket, you better get a pen and write this down.........are you ready ? ok, write this................don't break the traffic laws ! It is soooooooooooooo easy, and it doesn't cost you a dime.

Boooooring!

[TJones]

Boooooring!

Boring you say, how dare you ! Screw it, go ahead, break the law, we gotta pay for the Mayor Pro-Tem's bonus money schemes somehow.

[RedScare]

Your advice is also bad for business. So zip it!

[Jeebus]

Boooooring!

You're just mad because without law-breakers you'd be unemployed.

[BayouCityGirl]

There are some locations in town where you are more likely to be ticketed for traffic violations. For instance, in southwest Houston, around Bellaire Blvd, many of my friends had been tickted for speeding or running a light. The City of Bellaire is also a hot spot for people caught off guard violating traffice laws. My father had been ticketed twice within Spring Valley(off I-10 in west Houston) in two month period even though it is a small city with a tiny population. He was surprised to find out that Spring Valley Municiple Court is filled traffic violators--most Houston residents. There are places in Houston area where you have to be very carefully about following the traffic laws otherwise you would be extremely likely to be caught than you are driving in other places. I want other members in this forum to share their own experience about those places and tell us where you have to follow to the letter or taking a greater risk to be ticketed.

The meadows in Sugar Land/Stafford is REAAAALLY A hot spot for ticket violaters!! Go 36 mph in a 35 mph in that speed trap you are def. getting ticketed!!

[MiDTOWNeR]

I have found an absolutely fool proof plan for not getting a ticket, you better get a pen and write this down.........are you ready ? ok, write this................don't break the traffic laws ! It is soooooooooooooo easy, and it doesn't cost you a dime.

Like we didnt see this one coming. Hook line and sinker. Where would we be?

[new major on the block]

Another way to avoid the tickets is don't get caught! Maybe if everybody, not just 6 or 7 cars, goes 80 down the highway at once we would have a less chance of getting caught. You know, kind of like a school of fish avoiding a predator. So a few get snagged, so what, they served their purpose by keeping the sharks buisy, allowing the rest of us to get to work and home one time. But it looks like if the chief of police gets his way, then the cameras will be taking over. Big Brother will be watching soon. When those cameras start to take over the freeway and giving tickets, then it is time for rotating liscense plates to be installed

[travelguy_73]

I have found an absolutely fool proof plan for not getting a ticket, you better get a pen and write this down.........are you ready ? ok, write this................don't break the traffic laws ! It is soooooooooooooo easy, and it doesn't cost you a dime.

How very utopian.

For the rest of you:

http://www.speedtrap.org/

How to avoid speed traps: http://www.ehow.com/how_16963_avoid-speed-traps.html

[TheNiche]

I have found an absolutely fool proof plan for not getting a ticket, you better get a pen and write this down.........are you ready ? ok, write this................don't break the traffic laws ! It is soooooooooooooo easy, and it doesn't cost you a dime.

On the contrary, driving slowly does have a cost: my time.

Time is too valuable to be wasted in traffic or its respective courts, so I have a solution too: break the law intelligently! Know your speed traps, get behind people driving 90mph or more and tail them at about 1/4 of a mile's distance. They'll be stopped before you're even seen, but you're also going too fast to be caught up with by roaming cops (who usually drive about 80-85mph looking for someone driving 75-80mph). Above all else, be alert...good advice in the first place.

I have absolutely nothing against safe driving...I just have everything against wasting valuable seconds of my life.

[sevfiv]

well, no matter where you are, hurling down any road at 90 mph in a piece of metal increases your (and others) risk for major problems because of extremely decreased amount of reaction time and instability.

[Subdude]

I think the best known local ticketing site is Buffalo Speedtrap in West U.

[roym]

The stretch of Jones Road between Cypresswood and Louetta.

Speed limit there is 30mph so the constables like to pick on that stretch of road.

[Spencer Street]

They used to be agressive on catching traffic violators on Allan pkwy between dwntwn and taft. but i think they know people figured...

[Ashikaga]

There used to be a national website where people could list speed traps (probably something like speedtraps.org). It was very useful, but went quickly out of date when the police moved around.

Here's mine:

(1) I-10 westbound between Taylor and Shepherd exits. Radar and laser from the police who sit in the left breakdown lane.

(2) I-10 eastbound Studemont access road. They radar and laser from under the bridge at Studemont.

Sell your vehicle and walk everywhere. Then there won't be anymore traffic tickets, gasoline, insurance, etc. to have to pay for.

[TheNiche]

Sell your vehicle and walk everywhere. Then there won't be anymore traffic tickets, gasoline, insurance, etc. to have to pay for.

No.

[TheNiche]

well, no matter where you are, hurling down any road at 90 mph in a piece of metal increases your (and others) risk for major problems because of extremely decreased amount of reaction time and instability.

Again, you as an INDIVIDUAL capable of making your very own decisions can judge what speed is safe for you. And it is certainly in your best interests to ensure the safety of your fellow driver because failing to do so will almost certainly have consequences for YOU.

I drive a year-old Mazda 6 with 17' wheels, aftermarket sport tires, anti-lock brakes, and some gizmo that ensures continued stability if one tire loses grip on the road surface. Therefore, assuming similar road conditions, I need not worry about losing control in the same way that someone driving a beat up decade-old Kia Rio might.

Yes, I recognize that my viewpoint is probably asinine to many people...but so are many other of my opinions, and that's never stopped me from posting before.

[west20th]

I drive a year-old Mazda 6 with 17' wheels, aftermarket sport tires, anti-lock brakes, and some gizmo that ensures continued stability if one tire loses grip on the road surface.

So you can drive as irresponsibly as you want? And since you are betting your life on "some gizmo" don't you think you should learn more about it? I just hope you aren't the lead story on the news some night.

Oooh scary. I re-read that post and could have sworn my father wrote it. But seriously, hope you don't hurt yourself or someone else.

Edited March 14, 2006 by west20th

[sevfiv]

Again, you as an INDIVIDUAL capable of making your very own decisions can judge what speed is safe for you. And it is certainly in your best interests to ensure the safety of your fellow driver because failing to do so will almost certainly have consequences for YOU.

I drive a year-old Mazda 6 with 17' wheels, aftermarket sport tires, anti-lock brakes, and some gizmo that ensures continued stability if one tire loses grip on the road surface. Therefore, assuming similar road conditions, I need not worry about losing control in the same way that someone driving a beat up decade-old Kia Rio might.

i was referring to reaction time to other people's driving decisions (and especially not having anything to do with what kind of car one drives )

Edited March 14, 2006 by sevfiv

[TheNiche]

So you can drive as irresponsibly as you want?

No, I will drive at the velocity that circumstances dictate is prudent.

I'm relatively young, do not even own a cell phone, have no record of moving violations, but pay high enough insurance rates as it is--I have a big incentive to drive safely and be alert for cops and just about everything else. For that reason, I will speed. It is my judgement that I'm in a better situation than many other people with whom I am sharing the road. I'd rather that many of them not speed (i.e. the elderly or cell-phone-addicts). Therefore, what is prudent for me may not be prudent for someone else.

I also happen to own a car with "Traction Control". There, I looked up the designated name for it. Are you happy? I know how it works because there is a button on my dash that turns it on and off. I've tested it under normal circumstances before and noticed the difference on cornering. I've also had it kick in where one wheel started to hydroplane, as well as on dirt roads where the gravel is too large in spots and prevents me from getting good traction.

i was referring to reaction time to other people's driving decisions (and especially not having anything to do with what kind of car one drives )

Yes, and I'd consider my reaction time (to any peril) to be above average, insofar as there are elderly folks and cell-phone-addicts on our roads. For that reason, and because my vehicle can match my response without losing traction, I can drive at an above average velocity and theoretically maintain the same risk profile.

I'm not saying that driving at higher speeds isn't risky. My point has always been that at least in my case, the marginal increase in risk fails to outweigh the marginal benefit of time saved. That conclusion does not apply to all people and I do not recognize

[Spencer Street]

traction control is for accelaration, by the way. i think you are talking about stability control. you regain control when you are about to spin out of control by, in most civilian cars, reducing speed. it's telling you to drive slowly.

[Subdude]

They used to be agressive on catching traffic violators on Allan pkwy between dwntwn and taft. but i think they know people figured...

Maybe not. They were out in force there yesterday afternoon.

[Furious Jam]

You could buy a radar detector. If you get a really nice one, learn how to properly use it, and pay attention to it, you'll never get a speeding ticket. I speak from experience.

BTW: If everyone drove the speed limit everywhere all of the time, traffic would grind to a halt. Putting the law aside, common sense tells you to exceed the limit on most occasions.

[travelguy_73]

You could buy a radar detector. If you get a really nice one, learn how to properly use it, and pay attention to it, you'll never get a speeding ticket. I speak from experience.

Do you use your radar detector in the city? I don't because it falses too much (I have a valentine 1 hard-wired into the car). On the highway it is great, but I keep my speed down enough in the city, or am surrounded by traffic most of the time to keep me out of trouble.

[RedScare]

BTW: If everyone drove the speed limit everywhere all of the time, traffic would grind to a halt. Putting the law aside, common sense tells you to exceed the limit on most occasions.

Actually, it is the exact opposite. Studies show traffic jams occur when a car slows suddenly, forcing a chain reaction of sudden slowing or stopping. If all vehicles travelled the same speed, traffic would move at that speed, up until the point that the freeway reached it's capacity. The capacity of a 5 lane freeway 20 miles long, assuming 60 feet per vehicle is 5 x (5280/60) x 20 = 8800 vehicles at one point in time. At 60 mph, each car would complete the trip in 20 minutes, or 440 every minute. Over the course of a 3 hour rush hour, 79,200 cars could travel every freeway at 60 mph. On Houston's 7 major freeways, that's over 550,000 cars.

For comparison, Downtown employment is roughly 250,000, and 40% of them take mass transit.

[sevfiv]

interesting, although not your average traffic pattern

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5...2067462745475&q

[Spencer Street]

heavy traffic, but at least moving...

[Furious Jam]

Do you use your radar detector in the city? I don't because it falses too much (I have a valentine 1 hard-wired into the car). On the highway it is great, but I keep my speed down enough in the city, or am surrounded by traffic most of the time to keep me out of trouble.

A good radar detector, like my Escort Passport, can be programed to eliminate about 95% of false signals. I have virtually no problems with false signals unless I pull into a grocery store parking lot or some other place with automatic doors - the motion detector always causes my unit to scream. See if your unit has a "No X Band" mode - it really helps and X band radar is almost never used by cops anymore.

Actually, it is the exact opposite. Studies show traffic jams occur when a car slows suddenly, forcing a chain reaction of sudden slowing or stopping. If all vehicles travelled the same speed, traffic would move at that speed, up until the point that the freeway reached it's capacity. The capacity of a 5 lane freeway 20 miles long, assuming 60 feet per vehicle is 5 x (5280/60) x 20 = 8800 vehicles at one point in time. At 60 mph, each car would complete the trip in 20 minutes, or 440 every minute. Over the course of a 3 hour rush hour, 79,200 cars could travel every freeway at 60 mph. On Houston's 7 major freeways, that's over 550,000 cars.

For comparison, Downtown employment is roughly 250,000, and 40% of them take mass transit.

Yeah, that works in a perfect world where everyone can just glide along without stop lights, construction, wrecks, emergency vehicles, etc. Also, there are lots of people (usually old people) who seem to be afraid to drive up to the limit. The point is that it is impossible for your scenario to work even if everyone stuck to the limit - doing so would just lower everyone's average speed and therefore make jams even worse. Any argument where people slow down, and therefore requires more cars to spend more time on the freeway, is counter-intuitive to reducing congestion.