Once you get that important piece of rectangular plastic - your driver's license - you'll want to be on the road constantly. There is nothing more exciting, and nothing can dampen that excitement more than getting one or more speeding tickets. Now, the only way to completely avoid speeding tickets is to follow all speed and traffic laws to perfection. Since no one is perfect, why not try the following tips in an effort to "stay off the police's radar":
Before you get on the road
• Your car should look as good as possible! - Good looking cars are presumed by the police to be owned by responsible people. When choosing between two speeding cars, a policeman would probably pull over the car with broken tail-lights, the tarp over the missing back window and the missing side mirrors. No one can keep their car looking as if it should be in a showroom, but you can take some time so that it looks like it has been given a reasonable amount of attention. If the police don't have a reason to look at your car, it blends into the flow of traffic.
• Keep all of your lights in good repair! - The cheapest items on your vehicle are your lights. There is no reason not to keep them working. Take a short walk around your car at night to make sure each light is in working order. Get that turn signal lens fixed instead of covering the bulb with colored tape! This small amount of money you use to keep the lights in good repair may save you from paying traffic tickets in the future.
• Clean your car occasionally. - Take all the garbage, like fast food wrappers, soda cans, water bottles, stray papers and various other junk and throw it away. Wash your car and vacuum it. No police officer would be impressed by excessive amounts of garbage on your floors.
• Stay away from bumper stickers. - Although some are completely harmless, others stating things like "Insured by Smith & Wesson" will not endear you to a policeman.
Once you are on the road
• Don't make yourself stand out. - Moving faster than the other traffic, cutting across busy lanes, weaving and other sporadic behavior will make you an easy target. Driving to make yourself stand out can make you a candidate for ticketing.
• Stay in the right lane as much as possible. - Since the left lane is nicknamed the "Fast Lane", staying in the right give the illusion of slower travel. You may be given speeding tickets more often if you are traveling in the left lane, instead of in the right.
• Use your eyes as much as possible. - Scan the road ahead as far as you can see. Watch for other cars hitting their breaks ahead of you or flashing their lights at oncoming vehicles. Look for cars parked in the median and on the ramps. This practice will not only help you avoid speeding tickets, it can also help you avoid accidents!
• Use the car's mirrors to your advantage. - Take a good look at vehicles approaching quickly, as they might be "unmarked" law enforcement vehicles.
• Watch the behavior of the trucks in your area. - The drivers may be informed of something you have not been, so following their lead can help you avoid speeding tickets.
• Keep an eye on the weather. - If it is nice out, a police officer would be more likely to pull you over and give you a speeding ticket. If it is 3 degrees below zero, the officer would probably rather stay in his nice, warm patrol car.
The above tips are not a definitive way to avoid speeding tickets. It is still possible to get speeding tickets when you are following the above tips. Following these tips should never replace safe driving.
