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Speeding tolerances in the Midwest

dmdom said:
Over the next 4 weeks, I will be driving close to 5100 miles not counting daily 40 mile commute and misc. miles. From Ames/Ankeny areas to Tulsa OK, Burlington IA, Estes Park CO, Madison WI, Minneapolis MN, & Overland Park KS. Mostly interstate miles. How many miles over the posted speed limit in IA, MO, KS, OK, NE, CO, WI & MN is generally safe to drive without getting a ticket? Every extra mph I can average will cut my driving time 1.5-2hrs roughly.
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So, I'd look at my math on that.

(5100miles/80miles/hour)-(5100miles/70miles/hour)=9.1 hours. This assumes the entire trip is at highway speeds. So, you are talking 9 hours over 4 weeks. Depending on how you value your time, one speeding ticket can wipe out all your savings. I'd stick to 5 over and be happy with the 4.5 total hours you'll save.

Obviously this doesn't count your daily commute, but I'd imagine you already have your max figured out for that.
 
I live at 9 over everywhere (except in 25 MPH zones). I drive 50/50 on highway (55 MPH) and interstate (70 MPH). I don't put a ton of miles in but probably put 15,000 miles on a year and I have not gotten a ticket for over 8 years. I put my cruise on 9 over and I never slow down even if I see a patrol car on the side of the road doing radar checks. I've actually gotten cavalier about it. I used to slow down if I saw a patrol car, but not anymore. I actually justify this in my small-brain head sometimes as the following formula:
15,000 miles/year divided by 71.5 MPH = 209.79 hours of my life in that year were spent driving
versus
15,000 miles/year divided by 70.5 MPH = 212.8 hours of my life in that year were spent driving
[for those who question the 71.5 or 70.5 value and like simple math here is my formulas:
((55+9)+(70+9))/2=71.5 and ((55+8)+(70+8))/2=70.5 ]

So, in one year I save 3 hours of MY time. I have assigned a $-value to MY time and I am going to call it $30/hour. So in one year I have saved myself $90. Over 8 years of no tickets I have saved myself $720. So I do not know what the ticket price is for 9 over, but I'm estimating it at $100. So I am currently sitting well in the black. It is going to take me a lot of tickets in the next year or two to get into the red, so I'll leave it on 9 over until then.

I consider speeding tickets to be the price of driving a vehicle. If you aren't crazy or dangerous, they are just another expense to figure into the cost of car ownership.
 
algonacy said:
I live at 9 over everywhere (except in 25 MPH zones). I drive 50/50 on highway (55 MPH) and interstate (70 MPH). I don't put a ton of miles in but probably put 15,000 miles on a year and I have not gotten a ticket for over 8 years. I put my cruise on 9 over and I never slow down even if I see a patrol car on the side of the road doing radar checks. I've actually gotten cavalier about it. I used to slow down if I saw a patrol car, but not anymore. I actually justify this in my small-brain head sometimes as the following formula:
15,000 miles/year divided by 71.5 MPH = 209.79 hours of my life in that year were spent driving
versus
15,000 miles/year divided by 70.5 MPH = 212.8 hours of my life in that year were spent driving
[for those who question the 71.5 or 70.5 value and like simple math here is my formulas:
((55+9)+(70+9))/2=71.5 and ((55+8)+(70+8))/2=70.5 ]

So, in one year I save 3 hours of MY time. I have assigned a $-value to MY time and I am going to call it $30/hour. So in one year I have saved myself $90. Over 8 years of no tickets I have saved myself $720. So I do not know what the ticket price is for 9 over, but I'm estimating it at $100. So I am currently sitting well in the black. It is going to take me a lot of tickets in the next year or two to get into the red, so I'll leave it on 9 over until then.

I consider speeding tickets to be the price of driving a vehicle. If you aren't crazy or dangerous, they are just another expense to figure into the cost of car ownership.
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Yeah it will probably be much closer to $200 when all fees are done.
 
djkent01 said:
My brother used to install the electronics for the Iowa state patrol and they told him they allow 7, stop at 8. Unless they see a radar detector then they stop at 3. My cousin was a Polk County Deputy. He said they never stop for less than 10 because if the driver challenges and they have to go to court, the deputy doesn't get paid unless the ticket is for 10 mph over or more.

In any case, I've driven a LOT of highway miles and I set my cruise control at 7mph over regardless of the limit. I've blown through at least a hundred speed traps and never been stopped.
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I call BS on the not getting paid part.
 
dmdom said:
Over the next 4 weeks, I will be driving close to 5100 miles not counting daily 40 mile commute and misc. miles. From Ames/Ankeny areas to Tulsa OK, Burlington IA, Estes Park CO, Madison WI, Minneapolis MN, & Overland Park KS. Mostly interstate miles. How many miles over the posted speed limit in IA, MO, KS, OK, NE, CO, WI & MN is generally safe to drive without getting a ticket? Every extra mph I can average will cut my driving time 1.5-2hrs roughly.
Click to expand...

Be a little careful going east in western Nebraska cause they think people are bringing marijuana into their pristine state.
 
So, we have heard from everyone who has NOT gotten a ticket. What about you guys who have been ticketed? How fast were you driving?

I usually use a 10% over the limit threshold. Seems okay and like others said I've driven through highway speed traps. Have gotten yellow lights flashed at me and others but they haven't pulled out to flag us down.
 
I drive between Minneapolis and Ames on 35 a lot, and I always go 80. I've never been pulled over, but I am a pretty alert driver, so if I see a cop ahead I will cancel the cruise and lower it down to 76-77 until I'm past.
 
I set the cruise on 62 on rural 2 lanes and generally around 75 on the interstate.

Been driving since 1971 and have had 2 speeding tickets in 45 years. One coming into a town where I was merging from two lanes into one and there was a much slower car in the other lane so I sped up just as I was coming in and got caught in a speed trap.

The other was coming out of a city and the speed limit was still 55 and I sped up prematurely to 65 before the limit changed.
 
djkent01 said:
My brother used to install the electronics for the Iowa state patrol and they told him they allow 7, stop at 8. Unless they see a radar detector then they stop at 3. My cousin was a Polk County Deputy. He said they never stop for less than 10 because if the driver challenges and they have to go to court, the deputy doesn't get paid unless the ticket is for 10 mph over or more.

In any case, I've driven a LOT of highway miles and I set my cruise control at 7mph over regardless of the limit. I've blown through at least a hundred speed traps and never been stopped.
Click to expand...

This makes sense. Speedometers must only be accurate to +/- 5 mph at 50 mph. So they'll give you some latitude because of that.
 
The speed limit was 80 in one of the Dakotas, South I think. Not much speeding when that's the limit.
 
algonacy said:
I live at 9 over everywhere (except in 25 MPH zones). I drive 50/50 on highway (55 MPH) and interstate (70 MPH). I don't put a ton of miles in but probably put 15,000 miles on a year and I have not gotten a ticket for over 8 years. I put my cruise on 9 over and I never slow down even if I see a patrol car on the side of the road doing radar checks. I've actually gotten cavalier about it. I used to slow down if I saw a patrol car, but not anymore. I actually justify this in my small-brain head sometimes as the following formula:
15,000 miles/year divided by 71.5 MPH = 209.79 hours of my life in that year were spent driving
versus
15,000 miles/year divided by 70.5 MPH = 212.8 hours of my life in that year were spent driving
[for those who question the 71.5 or 70.5 value and like simple math here is my formulas:
((55+9)+(70+9))/2=71.5 and ((55+8)+(70+8))/2=70.5 ]

So, in one year I save 3 hours of MY time. I have assigned a $-value to MY time and I am going to call it $30/hour. So in one year I have saved myself $90. Over 8 years of no tickets I have saved myself $720. So I do not know what the ticket price is for 9 over, but I'm estimating it at $100. So I am currently sitting well in the black. It is going to take me a lot of tickets in the next year or two to get into the red, so I'll leave it on 9 over until then.

I consider speeding tickets to be the price of driving a vehicle. If you aren't crazy or dangerous, they are just another expense to figure into the cost of car ownership.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with your thought process, provided your insurance company doesn't rate for tickets unless they are 10+ over the limit. That's where it hurts $ wise. Based on what happened to a "friend".
 
Doc said:
Be a little careful going east in western Nebraska cause they think people are bringing marijuana into their pristine state.
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cheech-chong-o.gif



nfrine said:
Go as fast as you want.

Signed

I. Will B. Watching
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