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Can You Buy A License to Speed?

105 points by arnauddri 13y ago

brandonhsiao 13y ago
Wow, that's not even a rich people thing. $1,800 for a lifetime speeding license is a decent deal for anyone who regularly likes speeding.
- bagels 13y ago
  Your basic ticket comes to about $400 with all the extra fees in California. If you were to get a few, it pays for itself.
  - jffry 13y ago
    Wouldn't your insurance rate go up as well after a speeding ticket?
    - nobodysfool 13y ago
      If you're rich enough to spend $2500 on speeding ticket insurance, putting away $50,000 for an insurance deposit isn't a big deal, so no, that $50,000 deposit costs the same as it did.
      - laxatives 13y ago
        That's a pretty slippery slope. You just lumped 20x as not a big deal.
        midas007 13y ago
        Also anyone that can afford posting their own bond instead of lieu of an insurance requirement also has their own legal representation.
- baddox 13y ago
  And it should be pretty easy to forge the license plate frame for a heck of a lot less.
  - mhb 13y ago
    Sort of like it says in TFA.
bagels 13y ago
I was really hoping that they had done a study to find out if it actually works. They didn't.
- nulltype 13y ago
  I was hoping as well. It seems like you might be able to do it with a decent number of frames, a year, and some sort of OBD+GPS log to measure speeding. It seems like it would be hard to do from say, data relating to getting pulled over by cops etc, since they may not pull over someone with one of these frames. But if you could compare frame owners vs everyone else, it could be interesting.
13throwaway 13y ago
In Russia you can buy a blue light bar and they will let you speed.
- midas007 13y ago
  🚨 Hilarious 🚨. (Sorry, I could only steal them in red today.) ✋ Don't leave me hangin', bro, it's Friday after all.
fn42 13y ago
Yep, I thought this was general knowledge. Here in the northeast we have "PBA Cards" which can be given out by police to friends/family/donators that you are supposed to hand the officer with your license if you're pulled over. Although to be honest I've found that just being nice (& maybe driving a real clean volvo) has gotten me out of a speeding ticket every time I've been pulled over
sscalia 13y ago
These work. Very much discussed in SV car clubs. Many spotted in my local Audi club. This + LIDAR jammer = no tickets.
- midas007 13y ago
  In California VC Section 28150, a LIDAR jammer in of itself can result in a ticket. Best to coast and switch it off very quickly. In my experience only about 20% of patrol cars used LIDAR, the majority seem to be using K or Ka band RADAR. X band is so prone to false alarms and never had an actual alert on it that wasn't a speed sign so, disabling it is common.
  - sscalia 12y ago
    Actually, more than a ticket. They can impound your car. However, most systems have an "alert then disable after X seconds" system - giving you time to slow, then disable the jam, allowing the LEO to get a 'speed' eventually (and chalk it up to his crappy LIDAR gun) Take a look at the grilles of some exotic / fast cars. If you see devices inset that look like IR blasters -- those are LIDAR jammers.
wnevets 13y ago
I actually have a PBA card given to me by a police officer that will supposedly help me get of out a ticket. It has nothing to do with wealth.
- ryguytilidie 13y ago
  "Either be friends with a police officer or pay us $2k for a license plate frame and you can get out of tickets" both very much has something to do with wealth and is incredibly corrupt.
  - wnevets 13y ago
    do you really have to be wealthy to have access to $2k? While you can argue this is a corrupt system, you dont have to drive a high end two door sports car to have access to it. edit: two door
    - smtddr 13y ago
      >>do you really have to be wealthy to have access to $2k? 2k to spend on a license to speed instead of spending it on rent and food? Yes, you do need to have some excess wealth to be able to do that.
    - ryguytilidie 13y ago
      Seriously? This is a pretty worrisome disconnect. Having 2k to blow on something like this is almost the definition of wealth to me and is very certainly not fair or productive to society to have things like this.
      - wnevets 13y ago
        > Having 2k to blow on something like this If this is as trivial as you're making it out to be then why is this story worth reading and discussing?
chrisBob 13y ago
Things like that only work to a point. I had a good friend who liked to drive fast and had a nice BMW with a purple heart license plate. He got out of a lot of trouble with that, until an incident where they revoked his license, and he couldn't drive for a few years. Right or wrong the police give preferential treatment to people who gave money, time, or blood to a cause they support, but only to a point. Personally, I have a bronze star plate on my car, and I don't push my luck too much any more, but I also know for a fact it got me out of a ticket for an expired inspection.
mitchellh 13y ago
My grandfather is a retired police chief from a major metro. When I purchased my car (which has over 400 horsepower, so I like to... play), he told me to become part of the highway patrol or police charity organization. He told me when he was in law enforcement, any member of these organizations were treated "much more lightly" than others. For only $25 or something like that, you can get a piece of paper you can put in your wallet to show you're a member. For around $2,000, you can get a license plate frame. He said even with the piece of paper, if you're pulled over, you have a pretty good shot of being given a warning. You just need to make sure you show it to them when they pull you over. With the license plate, he said he would never pull over someone with the license plate, because law enforcement doesn't have enough money as it is and they'd rather not piss off those who have money to donate. I didn't really believe him (grandfathers and all), but I donated anyways (for a piece of paper, not the license plate). Now I see this article, and I'm starting to think he was serious.
- graeme 13y ago
  If stopped by an officer, do you pull out the paper and say "by the way, i'm a member"? Doesn't seem smooth.
  - 67726e 13y ago
    Hand them that card along with the license, registration, and proof of insurance?
    - shasta 13y ago
      With a $20, too, right?
    - deleted 13y ago
      [deleted]
  - stcredzero 13y ago
    Have a wallet where there is a permanent window for your license opposite to a permanent window for your member card.
lawncheer 13y ago
A police officer friend once told me, to put your hands out the window when you get pulled over, and leave them there, until the office tells you to stop. Then you casually say sorry and mention that an cop-friend told you to do it, to put their (the cops) minds at ease while they walk up. Anecdotal evidence on my end, suggests it works.
- chrisBob 13y ago
  I have heard to just keep you hands on the top of the wheel, and when they ask for license and registration I say "Ok, my license is in my back pocket, and the registration is in the center console. I am getting the license out first." Then I move my hands off the steering wheel.
  - arjie 13y ago
    The trick with the other guy's thing is that he gets a reason to mention a cop friend. It's a conversation trick. Situation 1: Cop walks up. You mention your cop friend. Trouble will ensue because you're obviously trying to say "I'm friends with policemen." Situation 2: Cop walks up. Asks why you're doing obviously bizarre thing. Say it's because your cop friend asked you to so that police can know you're empty handed. You've now responded to a question and managed to mention that you're a friend with the police. He can't hold that against you because he's the one that asked.
    - midas007 13y ago
      Huh? Not sure if speeding counts as bizarre.
      - lawncheer 12y ago
        The "bizarre" thing, he was referring to is holding your hands out the window. Not everyone does that typically; and one of the most important things you can do is to keep your hands where the officer can see them as they approach. It's like a "social cue" that tells them you are clued in. They might be a little more willing to let you go.
jaysonelliot 13y ago
If a 11-99 license plate frame were an effective protection against speeding tickets, the obvious question would be "why not counterfeit one?" The cost of making even one frame would be far less than $2,500. Even better, why not make a batch of them and sell them illicitly? The economics don't seem to add up.
- tonyarkles 13y ago
  Did you read the whole article? People are doing exactly what you're saying.
  - jaysonelliot 13y ago
    Yes, that's why I said the economics didn't make sense.
    - ryguytilidie 13y ago
      It's a charity organization. It's not about the economics making sense. It's intended to be a gift for donating money, not a +EV speeding ticket helper.
- john_b 13y ago
  If you are rich enough to drive a 9-11 around you are probably less price sensitive than the people buying the counterfit ones. For these people, the points on their license and the hassle caused by the ticket would probably be the main concern. Under those assumptions, the risk of being caught using a counterfit one would be hard to justify.
flycaliguy 13y ago
I would be interested in theories as to how many additional accidents and deaths this leniency has caused. The thought of a police force increasing the death rate on their roads in order financially support their coworkers is depressing to say the least.
GrinningFool 13y ago
People go to such amazing lengths to avoid getting a ticket, but it's very easy to speed and not get pulled over. 1) Don't drive stupid. It's perfectly possible to drive very fast without driving badly. If you're swerving a lot, accelerating then stomping on your brakes, jerking from lane to lane... it's an indication that you're not planning ahead and are therefore driving badly. You deserve to get pulled over. And for heaven's sake, don't race unless you're willing to get pulled. Be a little grown up. 2) Go as fast as you want - but don't be the fastest car on the road. Always let a cop-catcher run about a 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile ahead (don't tailgate them, that'll get you pulled over for speeding and being an ass). 3) Don't use a detector. They give you a false sense of security and will guarantee that if you do get pulled, you get a ticket. Not only that, 90% of the time no officer is going to leave the radar "wide open" on all passing cars - which means your detector won't go off until after you've been tagged. 4) Don't speed in residential areas. There's just no gain. Bonus tips: 1) As much as possible, stay out of the left hand lane. That's just easy pickings right there. edit: that doesn't mean it's okay to zip around people on the right. Just don't sit there with the pedal on the floor. be there when you need to be - but don't be there when you don't . 2) When in an area that you can't see possible hiding spaces get adept at feathering your speed down a bit and letting a car (ok) suv (better) , van or truck (best) on the left side shield you from that spot. Edit: again to clarify this doesn't mean zip around on the right. You're actually going to be gong slower or matching these cars, preferably from two lanes away. If you don't have two lanes, don't do this. 3) At night it's especially easy. I don't know if it's the same in all staets ,but every one I've driven through cops have their headlights on while they wait. If you look far enough ahead - and you should be anyway otherwise you're driving poorly and deserve a ticket - you can see a copy waiting a half mile off or more. 4) If you think you've been tagged, don't slam your brakes. In addition to being a hazard, the cop has already tagged you - and the sudden flare of brakelights is a surefire giveaway to the fact that you know you were speeding. (This one is the hardest for most people...) In the 1980s "A Speeder's Guide to Avoiding Tickets" came out, written by a state patrol officer. I think most of what I do up there is a variation on what's in that book. If you speed a lot but are willing to do so intelligently and safely, you should get it. It's excellent and still as valid. Anyway - that got long-winded. TL;DR: speed smart and safe, don't be an idiot, and pay attention and you don't need to spend money on a fancy license plate frame. (Or a FOP sticker in other states...) - Speeding ticket free (and driving fast and smart in muscle cars) for more years than I can recall.
syncerr 13y ago
A forum discussing plates like these: http://forums.officer.com/t124675/ http://forums.officer.com/t124675/ > Those are just as useless, they actually make me want to stop the car to see what the person is trying to hide...
- diydsp 13y ago
  I once read a book by a retired police officer about how to avoid tickets. (Protip: a new one comes out every few years) His take was that organizations within the police department are just like fraternities on a college campus: You have people who are with them and people who vehemently dislike them. So you're taking a gamble. Still, it seems like it's worth it if you're a speeder.
  - midas007 13y ago
    Yup. One play might be to not display any affiliations or bumper stickers at all. If you have to advertise X, it seems like you're "trying too hard." Just as a non-cop, seeing NRA stickers is going to make me immediately assume irritable, gun-toting jerk.
danfolkes 13y ago
$20 dollars and make your own: http://www.autoplates.com/store/custom_apps_a_FrameStandardBAK.html http://www.autoplates.com/store/custom_apps_a_FrameStandardB...
jds375 13y ago
I find it very likely that when the foundation issued these license plates they knew people would donate to get them in order to avoid some speeding tickets. This probably resulted in a lot more funds raised than if they gave away jackets, hats, or something like that. Thus, it was clearly in 11-99's best interest to do this.... And I don't even think it's a bad decision. Sure, some more people get off on speeding tickets, but the additional money raised allows 11-99 to better support the families of officers in times of crisis. At the end of the day, more of the latter seems a lot better to me than less of the former.
Pxtl 13y ago
Let's just take a step back and note something: This is about human lives. Once you eliminate birth-defects, car accidents are the leading cause of death for people under 35. Particularly for young kids, who obviously aren't driving. Car accidents kill 34,000 Americans per-year. That's like if 9/11 happened once a month every year. And speed matters. Stopping distance and kinetic energy go up with the square of velocity. A pedestrian hit by a car going 20 mph will almost certainly live. A person hit by a car going 40 mph will almost certainly die.
- GrinningFool 13y ago
  Driving like an idiot while speeding causes accidents. Speeding itself does not cause accidents. Speeding does mean that in the event of an accident, the outcome is likely to be worse for all involved. And there's no excuse for speeding in a residential area, or anywhere you might see pedestrians (or expect them and be unable to see them). This qualifies as "driving like an idiot".
  - mikeash 13y ago
    I'd like to clarify a bit on "speeding itself does not cause accidents". You're mostly right, but it's not strictly true. There are realistic cases where speeding itself will cause a crash, such as poor visibility where you're driving too fast to stop within the distance you can see, driving fast enough to lose control on poor surfaces, being too fast to take a curve, and such. I don't know how significant it is, I just want to say this because people shouldn't think that they can go as fast as they want as long as they drive well. Sometimes you simply have to slow down. (I got reminded of this last year when I wrecked my car by hydroplaning on the highway. Technically I was within the posted speed limit, but clearly I was going too fast for conditions. Speed definitely caused the accident unless you want to blame the highway department for poor drainage or mother nature for the weather. Which, of course, I do, but I still should have gone slower.)
    - GrinningFool 13y ago
      > to stop within the distance you can see, driving fast enough to lose control on poor surfaces, being too fast to take a curve, and such. Agreed, but I classify that as "driving like an idiot" - driving too fast for conditions is in a category beyond speeding. Part of driving well is knowing - outside of concerns for a ticket - when it's possible to speed safely (and by how much), and when it's not.
optimusclimb 13y ago
I don't understand why reporters/investigators in articles like these bother asking such loaded questions to officials as, "Do officers give leniency to license frame bearers?" I feel like, if you're in that person's shoes, even if you know damned well they do, saying "yes" would be equivalent to answering "yes" to, "Would you like to lose your job or at least be put on leave within the next week?"
TamDenholm 13y ago
I've always wondered if it would be worth the government actually creating a "license to speed". The same as you can get a license to drive a lorry or a motorcycle, why isnt there a license with a proper test that trains you specifically on driving fast. Then when you're on the motorway only you can go up to 100mph instead of 70mph (UK), if the camera's get you, it first does a check on your plate to see if you have a proper license and then decides on that if you get a ticket. Cars are the safest they've ever been and are only going to get safer, unfortunately i think that driving ability is getting worse because of technology that keeps us safe in cars but i think an actual test to demonstrate you are a good driver would help. Hell, even make it only valid for 1 year and you have to sit the test again, and the test costs £5,000. You'll STILL get plenty takers and hopefully make the road safer for the people that are going to speed regardless anyway.
- kylec 13y ago
  I would be willing to take a stricter driving test and have my vehicle subjected to higher inspection standards if I could be permitted to drive faster than the speed limit. Sure, some people and some cars can't safely do it, but why not allow those that can to do so?
  - optimusclimb 13y ago
    Probably lack of incentive to change the laws. Getting anything done in the government is tough and time consuming - Who's going to champion the cause of letting certain people with faster cars be able to drive another 10-20 mph faster versus other issues their constituents may have?
- nisse72 13y ago
  I believe the biggest danger with speeding is related to the speed difference between various vehicles on the road, than the actual speed itself. So what you're suggesting would make it more dangerous, not less, with different groups of vehicles moving at significantly different speeds than others they're sharing the road with. edited to add: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_curve http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_curve
mrbill 13y ago
Grew up with both parents in law enforcement. The one time I risked name-dropping my mother in another county about an hour away, I lucked out and the guy knew her and gave me a warning - and I was in a vehicle with out-of-state plates (had come up to visit). Friend of mine is a county cop near Houston. He told me, "The bigger the stack of 'I Donated to the 100 Club' stickers or whatever on their back window, the bigger the chance they're going to be a dick and they'll get a ticket anyway." I'd say that having a Texas Mason license plate (not frame), being polite, saying "Sir" or "Ma'am" as appropriate, and handing over my CHL (as required by law) with my license/insurance - showing that I've undergone a background check already - has more of a chance of getting me out of a ticket than any stack of stickers. Unless I run into an officer that is anti-CHL - but so far, that hasn't happened. Had one ask me "Sir, do you have your weapon on you?" "No sir, I'm not allowed to have it on property at work." "Well, you never know when you might need it."
- raldi 13y ago
  > CHL Please don't use cryptic acronyms. Not everybody's from Texas.
  - liuhenry 13y ago
    CHL is the Texas concealed carry license.
    - midas007 13y ago
      My grandfather had at least two pistols on him on any trip out of town. I'm guessing that's the license he had considering he was 82nd (later 101st) Airborne and then head of an AP (Air Force MP) outfit.
      - mrbill 13y ago
        You don't need a CHL to have a firearm with you while traveling in Texas. Wikipedia explains it well: "Gov. Perry also signed H.B. 1815 after passage by the 2007 Legislature, a bill that allows any Texas resident to carry a concealed handgun in the resident's motor vehicle without a CHL or other permit. The bill revised Chapter 46, Section 2 of the Penal Code to state that it is in fact not "Unlawful Carry of a Weapon", as defined by the statute, for a person to carry a handgun while in a motor vehicle they own or control, or to carry while heading directly from the person's home to that car. However, lawful carry while in a vehicle requires these three critical qualifiers: (1) the weapon must not be in plain sight (in Texas law, "plain sight" and "concealed" are mutually exclusive opposing terms); (2) the carrier cannot be involved in criminal activities, other than Class C traffic misdemeanors; and (3) the carrier cannot be a member of a criminal gang."
briancaw2 13y ago
Anyone who is proud of speeding should come hang out and I'll throw punches near your head just out of range. It's cool I have it under control; it will bring me some pleasure and you will only be at risk if you get in my way or if someone dumber than me follows my example doesn't have as much control.
- sukuriant 13y ago
  You do know that's a common practice in martial arts, right? Instead of face, it's your stomach, generally, but the point is still the same.
  - briancaw2 13y ago
    OK well when people need to do martial arts to get to work then we can talk. And btw in that world, speeders would be the people who swing unsafely fast while practicing with common folk.
    - sukuriant 13y ago
      No, speeders would be the people with /insufficient relevant training/ doing that. If everyone were trained, it wouldn't be so bad... which leads me back to better driver's ed at high speeds, like in non US countries.
batbomb 13y ago
You'll almost never get pulled over for doing exactly 11 over on any street with a speed limit of 50 or higher. Thanks to the law of cosines, a cop is likely to read you going 10 or less or less, and cops generally don't even bother with people doing 9 or less over, especially highway patrol.
eurleif 13y ago
I watched a friend get out of a ticket in California not by having a special license plate, but by being dressed in a suit, and being friendly. He was blatantly going 90+, and the cop seemed annoyed when he first approached the car. Then, I think "this is a rich kid!" clicked in his brain, and they had a nice chat.
GFK_of_xmaspast 13y ago
The kind of drivers who would buy a license to speed are generally the kind of drivers who should have their license to drive revoked.
aresant 13y ago
Speaking from experience the 11-99 is as much a badge of bullshit honor amongst "serious" car enthusiasts. Like I not only have a Porsche I have $2500 and I am a serious racer. If pricenomics had presented one piece of actual data vs conjecture this would be compelling but barring that this is just linkbait and probably good marketing for more stupid vanity license plates just like the la times article they reference
wavesounds 13y ago
Can you copyright a license plate frame? I'd love to make a bunch of these things and go hand them out to low income minorities, those people deserve a break from the cops for once.
johnatwork 13y ago
Quebec used to have these stickers to place on your plate for registration (not anymore). And some police families were giving out plate stickers with VIP written on them, which as it was found out gave them leniency, as well as parking ticket immunity. Investigations happened, and as a result, no one has these anymore, at least as far as the general public know.
grecy 13y ago
I think everyone is missing the real point: > The CHP 11-99 Foundation has donated over $21 million in emergency assistance to the families of police officers, particularly officers killed in duty Why do Police officers (and families) need donations to care for them? Shouldn't their job/benefits do that?
bbarn 13y ago
I can recall a marketing call where I was asked to donate to one association or another and told I'd get a window decal or something to that effect, and while it wouldn't give me a free pass, it would certainly show officers on the road I appreciate them. I've got the exact verbage wrong, but that was the sentiment (this was several years ago). It was quite a hard sell from the solicitor, and I didn't go for it. I was frankly a little disgusted by the call. That said, I've been driving for 20 years, and pulled over one time. That one time, an out of state cop (in my home town) pulled me over because the license plate frame (from the dealership I bought the car at) partially obscured the state name and he couldn't tell what it was. I suppose it could have been another state that ended in -nois, like lilinois, iiiinois, or something else, but more than likely, it was 5AM in a small town in Maine and I was circling around one-way streets looking lost or suspicious (I hadn't been back there in many years). The cop gave me directions to the street my grandfather lived on, and told me to enjoy my trip. The secret here is surprisingly simple, and applies to most everything else in life. Don't be a dick. Drive around the same speed as other cars, and if you're the only one on the road, don't do more than 5-6 mph over the limit on the highway. It won't cost you that much time, and if you're the only one on the road it's probably dark and/or rural anyway so you SHOULD be more cautious, and in the end, you win either way, at the great expense of.. a few minutes time. Another tip I've learned, is do as others do - especially on highways. Think about it, when you're driving across country, how many other cars around you are undertaking that length of a trip? It's far more likely most of them live in the area, and know what's appropriate - both for safety, and for cop-avoidance.
abruzzi 13y ago
Since a lot of the discussion has moved towards the relative safety of speeding, I'd be curious to see a break down of accidents and fatalities, by absolute speed, by in-excess speed, and by roadway type. If I had to guess (having been in a number of accidents caused by other people) is that accidents are more common at lower speeds (because they are at intersections and other conflicting right of ways where you are more likely to be going slow) but fatalities are more likely at higher speeds where the safety systems fail to protect those involved. However high speed accidents are not automatic death sentences as some posters have implied. I was in a head on collision on a small two lane residential street with no other traffic. Both vehicles were going 35mph, so effective collision speed was ~70mph. I was on a motorcycle and the oncoming truck was on a cell phone. He veered into my lane, and I tried to move left but parked cars limited my ability to avoid him. After the collision, I flew for a distance, and on landing my head hit the point of the curb. The two things that saved my life was (obviously) my helmet--without it, by brain would have been on the street--and I had crash bars that were severely deformed after the accident, but they kept my left leg from getting pinned between the bike and the truck. So relatively high speed accidents can be survivable, especially with modern technology. The only injury I had was a badly sprained hip.

105 points by arnauddri 13y ago

Wow, that's not even a rich people thing. $1,800 for a lifetime speeding license is a decent deal for anyone who regularly likes speeding.

bagels 13y ago
Your basic ticket comes to about $400 with all the extra fees in California. If you were to get a few, it pays for itself.
- jffry 13y ago
  Wouldn't your insurance rate go up as well after a speeding ticket?
  - nobodysfool 13y ago
    If you're rich enough to spend $2500 on speeding ticket insurance, putting away $50,000 for an insurance deposit isn't a big deal, so no, that $50,000 deposit costs the same as it did.
    - laxatives 13y ago
      That's a pretty slippery slope. You just lumped 20x as not a big deal.
      - midas007 13y ago
        Also anyone that can afford posting their own bond instead of lieu of an insurance requirement also has their own legal representation.
baddox 13y ago
And it should be pretty easy to forge the license plate frame for a heck of a lot less.
- mhb 13y ago
  Sort of like it says in TFA.

bagels 13y ago

I was really hoping that they had done a study to find out if it actually works. They didn't.

nulltype 13y ago
I was hoping as well. It seems like you might be able to do it with a decent number of frames, a year, and some sort of OBD+GPS log to measure speeding. It seems like it would be hard to do from say, data relating to getting pulled over by cops etc, since they may not pull over someone with one of these frames. But if you could compare frame owners vs everyone else, it could be interesting.

13throwaway 13y ago

In Russia you can buy a blue light bar and they will let you speed.

midas007 13y ago
🚨 Hilarious 🚨. (Sorry, I could only steal them in red today.) ✋ Don't leave me hangin', bro, it's Friday after all.

fn42 13y ago

Yep, I thought this was general knowledge. Here in the northeast we have "PBA Cards" which can be given out by police to friends/family/donators that you are supposed to hand the officer with your license if you're pulled over. Although to be honest I've found that just being nice (& maybe driving a real clean volvo) has gotten me out of a speeding ticket every time I've been pulled over

sscalia 13y ago

These work. Very much discussed in SV car clubs. Many spotted in my local Audi club. This + LIDAR jammer = no tickets.

midas007 13y ago
In California VC Section 28150, a LIDAR jammer in of itself can result in a ticket. Best to coast and switch it off very quickly. In my experience only about 20% of patrol cars used LIDAR, the majority seem to be using K or Ka band RADAR. X band is so prone to false alarms and never had an actual alert on it that wasn't a speed sign so, disabling it is common.
- sscalia 12y ago
  Actually, more than a ticket. They can impound your car. However, most systems have an "alert then disable after X seconds" system - giving you time to slow, then disable the jam, allowing the LEO to get a 'speed' eventually (and chalk it up to his crappy LIDAR gun) Take a look at the grilles of some exotic / fast cars. If you see devices inset that look like IR blasters -- those are LIDAR jammers.

wnevets 13y ago

I actually have a PBA card given to me by a police officer that will supposedly help me get of out a ticket. It has nothing to do with wealth.

ryguytilidie 13y ago
"Either be friends with a police officer or pay us $2k for a license plate frame and you can get out of tickets" both very much has something to do with wealth and is incredibly corrupt.
- wnevets 13y ago
  do you really have to be wealthy to have access to $2k? While you can argue this is a corrupt system, you dont have to drive a high end two door sports car to have access to it. edit: two door
  - smtddr 13y ago
    >>do you really have to be wealthy to have access to $2k? 2k to spend on a license to speed instead of spending it on rent and food? Yes, you do need to have some excess wealth to be able to do that.
  - ryguytilidie 13y ago
    Seriously? This is a pretty worrisome disconnect. Having 2k to blow on something like this is almost the definition of wealth to me and is very certainly not fair or productive to society to have things like this.
    - wnevets 13y ago
      > Having 2k to blow on something like this If this is as trivial as you're making it out to be then why is this story worth reading and discussing?

chrisBob 13y ago

Things like that only work to a point. I had a good friend who liked to drive fast and had a nice BMW with a purple heart license plate. He got out of a lot of trouble with that, until an incident where they revoked his license, and he couldn't drive for a few years. Right or wrong the police give preferential treatment to people who gave money, time, or blood to a cause they support, but only to a point. Personally, I have a bronze star plate on my car, and I don't push my luck too much any more, but I also know for a fact it got me out of a ticket for an expired inspection.

mitchellh 13y ago

My grandfather is a retired police chief from a major metro. When I purchased my car (which has over 400 horsepower, so I like to... play), he told me to become part of the highway patrol or police charity organization. He told me when he was in law enforcement, any member of these organizations were treated "much more lightly" than others. For only $25 or something like that, you can get a piece of paper you can put in your wallet to show you're a member. For around $2,000, you can get a license plate frame. He said even with the piece of paper, if you're pulled over, you have a pretty good shot of being given a warning. You just need to make sure you show it to them when they pull you over. With the license plate, he said he would never pull over someone with the license plate, because law enforcement doesn't have enough money as it is and they'd rather not piss off those who have money to donate. I didn't really believe him (grandfathers and all), but I donated anyways (for a piece of paper, not the license plate). Now I see this article, and I'm starting to think he was serious.

graeme 13y ago
If stopped by an officer, do you pull out the paper and say "by the way, i'm a member"? Doesn't seem smooth.
- 67726e 13y ago
  Hand them that card along with the license, registration, and proof of insurance?
  - shasta 13y ago
    With a $20, too, right?
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
- stcredzero 13y ago
  Have a wallet where there is a permanent window for your license opposite to a permanent window for your member card.

lawncheer 13y ago

A police officer friend once told me, to put your hands out the window when you get pulled over, and leave them there, until the office tells you to stop. Then you casually say sorry and mention that an cop-friend told you to do it, to put their (the cops) minds at ease while they walk up. Anecdotal evidence on my end, suggests it works.

chrisBob 13y ago
I have heard to just keep you hands on the top of the wheel, and when they ask for license and registration I say "Ok, my license is in my back pocket, and the registration is in the center console. I am getting the license out first." Then I move my hands off the steering wheel.
- arjie 13y ago
  The trick with the other guy's thing is that he gets a reason to mention a cop friend. It's a conversation trick. Situation 1: Cop walks up. You mention your cop friend. Trouble will ensue because you're obviously trying to say "I'm friends with policemen." Situation 2: Cop walks up. Asks why you're doing obviously bizarre thing. Say it's because your cop friend asked you to so that police can know you're empty handed. You've now responded to a question and managed to mention that you're a friend with the police. He can't hold that against you because he's the one that asked.
  - midas007 13y ago
    Huh? Not sure if speeding counts as bizarre.
    - lawncheer 12y ago
      The "bizarre" thing, he was referring to is holding your hands out the window. Not everyone does that typically; and one of the most important things you can do is to keep your hands where the officer can see them as they approach. It's like a "social cue" that tells them you are clued in. They might be a little more willing to let you go.

jaysonelliot 13y ago

If a 11-99 license plate frame were an effective protection against speeding tickets, the obvious question would be "why not counterfeit one?" The cost of making even one frame would be far less than $2,500. Even better, why not make a batch of them and sell them illicitly? The economics don't seem to add up.

tonyarkles 13y ago
Did you read the whole article? People are doing exactly what you're saying.
- jaysonelliot 13y ago
  Yes, that's why I said the economics didn't make sense.
  - ryguytilidie 13y ago
    It's a charity organization. It's not about the economics making sense. It's intended to be a gift for donating money, not a +EV speeding ticket helper.
john_b 13y ago
If you are rich enough to drive a 9-11 around you are probably less price sensitive than the people buying the counterfit ones. For these people, the points on their license and the hassle caused by the ticket would probably be the main concern. Under those assumptions, the risk of being caught using a counterfit one would be hard to justify.

flycaliguy 13y ago

I would be interested in theories as to how many additional accidents and deaths this leniency has caused. The thought of a police force increasing the death rate on their roads in order financially support their coworkers is depressing to say the least.

GrinningFool 13y ago

People go to such amazing lengths to avoid getting a ticket, but it's very easy to speed and not get pulled over. 1) Don't drive stupid. It's perfectly possible to drive very fast without driving badly. If you're swerving a lot, accelerating then stomping on your brakes, jerking from lane to lane... it's an indication that you're not planning ahead and are therefore driving badly. You deserve to get pulled over. And for heaven's sake, don't race unless you're willing to get pulled. Be a little grown up. 2) Go as fast as you want - but don't be the fastest car on the road. Always let a cop-catcher run about a 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile ahead (don't tailgate them, that'll get you pulled over for speeding and being an ass). 3) Don't use a detector. They give you a false sense of security and will guarantee that if you do get pulled, you get a ticket. Not only that, 90% of the time no officer is going to leave the radar "wide open" on all passing cars - which means your detector won't go off until after you've been tagged. 4) Don't speed in residential areas. There's just no gain. Bonus tips: 1) As much as possible, stay out of the left hand lane. That's just easy pickings right there. edit: that doesn't mean it's okay to zip around people on the right. Just don't sit there with the pedal on the floor. be there when you need to be - but don't be there when you don't . 2) When in an area that you can't see possible hiding spaces get adept at feathering your speed down a bit and letting a car (ok) suv (better) , van or truck (best) on the left side shield you from that spot. Edit: again to clarify this doesn't mean zip around on the right. You're actually going to be gong slower or matching these cars, preferably from two lanes away. If you don't have two lanes, don't do this. 3) At night it's especially easy. I don't know if it's the same in all staets ,but every one I've driven through cops have their headlights on while they wait. If you look far enough ahead - and you should be anyway otherwise you're driving poorly and deserve a ticket - you can see a copy waiting a half mile off or more. 4) If you think you've been tagged, don't slam your brakes. In addition to being a hazard, the cop has already tagged you - and the sudden flare of brakelights is a surefire giveaway to the fact that you know you were speeding. (This one is the hardest for most people...) In the 1980s "A Speeder's Guide to Avoiding Tickets" came out, written by a state patrol officer. I think most of what I do up there is a variation on what's in that book. If you speed a lot but are willing to do so intelligently and safely, you should get it. It's excellent and still as valid. Anyway - that got long-winded. TL;DR: speed smart and safe, don't be an idiot, and pay attention and you don't need to spend money on a fancy license plate frame. (Or a FOP sticker in other states...) - Speeding ticket free (and driving fast and smart in muscle cars) for more years than I can recall.

syncerr 13y ago

A forum discussing plates like these: http://forums.officer.com/t124675/ http://forums.officer.com/t124675/ > Those are just as useless, they actually make me want to stop the car to see what the person is trying to hide...

diydsp 13y ago
I once read a book by a retired police officer about how to avoid tickets. (Protip: a new one comes out every few years) His take was that organizations within the police department are just like fraternities on a college campus: You have people who are with them and people who vehemently dislike them. So you're taking a gamble. Still, it seems like it's worth it if you're a speeder.
- midas007 13y ago
  Yup. One play might be to not display any affiliations or bumper stickers at all. If you have to advertise X, it seems like you're "trying too hard." Just as a non-cop, seeing NRA stickers is going to make me immediately assume irritable, gun-toting jerk.

danfolkes 13y ago

$20 dollars and make your own: http://www.autoplates.com/store/custom_apps_a_FrameStandardBAK.html http://www.autoplates.com/store/custom_apps_a_FrameStandardB...

jds375 13y ago

I find it very likely that when the foundation issued these license plates they knew people would donate to get them in order to avoid some speeding tickets. This probably resulted in a lot more funds raised than if they gave away jackets, hats, or something like that. Thus, it was clearly in 11-99's best interest to do this.... And I don't even think it's a bad decision. Sure, some more people get off on speeding tickets, but the additional money raised allows 11-99 to better support the families of officers in times of crisis. At the end of the day, more of the latter seems a lot better to me than less of the former.

Pxtl 13y ago

Let's just take a step back and note something: This is about human lives. Once you eliminate birth-defects, car accidents are the leading cause of death for people under 35. Particularly for young kids, who obviously aren't driving. Car accidents kill 34,000 Americans per-year. That's like if 9/11 happened once a month every year. And speed matters. Stopping distance and kinetic energy go up with the square of velocity. A pedestrian hit by a car going 20 mph will almost certainly live. A person hit by a car going 40 mph will almost certainly die.

GrinningFool 13y ago
Driving like an idiot while speeding causes accidents. Speeding itself does not cause accidents. Speeding does mean that in the event of an accident, the outcome is likely to be worse for all involved. And there's no excuse for speeding in a residential area, or anywhere you might see pedestrians (or expect them and be unable to see them). This qualifies as "driving like an idiot".
- mikeash 13y ago
  I'd like to clarify a bit on "speeding itself does not cause accidents". You're mostly right, but it's not strictly true. There are realistic cases where speeding itself will cause a crash, such as poor visibility where you're driving too fast to stop within the distance you can see, driving fast enough to lose control on poor surfaces, being too fast to take a curve, and such. I don't know how significant it is, I just want to say this because people shouldn't think that they can go as fast as they want as long as they drive well. Sometimes you simply have to slow down. (I got reminded of this last year when I wrecked my car by hydroplaning on the highway. Technically I was within the posted speed limit, but clearly I was going too fast for conditions. Speed definitely caused the accident unless you want to blame the highway department for poor drainage or mother nature for the weather. Which, of course, I do, but I still should have gone slower.)
  - GrinningFool 13y ago
    > to stop within the distance you can see, driving fast enough to lose control on poor surfaces, being too fast to take a curve, and such. Agreed, but I classify that as "driving like an idiot" - driving too fast for conditions is in a category beyond speeding. Part of driving well is knowing - outside of concerns for a ticket - when it's possible to speed safely (and by how much), and when it's not.

optimusclimb 13y ago

I don't understand why reporters/investigators in articles like these bother asking such loaded questions to officials as, "Do officers give leniency to license frame bearers?" I feel like, if you're in that person's shoes, even if you know damned well they do, saying "yes" would be equivalent to answering "yes" to, "Would you like to lose your job or at least be put on leave within the next week?"

TamDenholm 13y ago

I've always wondered if it would be worth the government actually creating a "license to speed". The same as you can get a license to drive a lorry or a motorcycle, why isnt there a license with a proper test that trains you specifically on driving fast. Then when you're on the motorway only you can go up to 100mph instead of 70mph (UK), if the camera's get you, it first does a check on your plate to see if you have a proper license and then decides on that if you get a ticket. Cars are the safest they've ever been and are only going to get safer, unfortunately i think that driving ability is getting worse because of technology that keeps us safe in cars but i think an actual test to demonstrate you are a good driver would help. Hell, even make it only valid for 1 year and you have to sit the test again, and the test costs £5,000. You'll STILL get plenty takers and hopefully make the road safer for the people that are going to speed regardless anyway.

kylec 13y ago
I would be willing to take a stricter driving test and have my vehicle subjected to higher inspection standards if I could be permitted to drive faster than the speed limit. Sure, some people and some cars can't safely do it, but why not allow those that can to do so?
- optimusclimb 13y ago
  Probably lack of incentive to change the laws. Getting anything done in the government is tough and time consuming - Who's going to champion the cause of letting certain people with faster cars be able to drive another 10-20 mph faster versus other issues their constituents may have?
nisse72 13y ago
I believe the biggest danger with speeding is related to the speed difference between various vehicles on the road, than the actual speed itself. So what you're suggesting would make it more dangerous, not less, with different groups of vehicles moving at significantly different speeds than others they're sharing the road with. edited to add: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_curve http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_curve

mrbill 13y ago

Grew up with both parents in law enforcement. The one time I risked name-dropping my mother in another county about an hour away, I lucked out and the guy knew her and gave me a warning - and I was in a vehicle with out-of-state plates (had come up to visit). Friend of mine is a county cop near Houston. He told me, "The bigger the stack of 'I Donated to the 100 Club' stickers or whatever on their back window, the bigger the chance they're going to be a dick and they'll get a ticket anyway." I'd say that having a Texas Mason license plate (not frame), being polite, saying "Sir" or "Ma'am" as appropriate, and handing over my CHL (as required by law) with my license/insurance - showing that I've undergone a background check already - has more of a chance of getting me out of a ticket than any stack of stickers. Unless I run into an officer that is anti-CHL - but so far, that hasn't happened. Had one ask me "Sir, do you have your weapon on you?" "No sir, I'm not allowed to have it on property at work." "Well, you never know when you might need it."

raldi 13y ago
> CHL Please don't use cryptic acronyms. Not everybody's from Texas.
- liuhenry 13y ago
  CHL is the Texas concealed carry license.
  - midas007 13y ago
    My grandfather had at least two pistols on him on any trip out of town. I'm guessing that's the license he had considering he was 82nd (later 101st) Airborne and then head of an AP (Air Force MP) outfit.
    - mrbill 13y ago
      You don't need a CHL to have a firearm with you while traveling in Texas. Wikipedia explains it well: "Gov. Perry also signed H.B. 1815 after passage by the 2007 Legislature, a bill that allows any Texas resident to carry a concealed handgun in the resident's motor vehicle without a CHL or other permit. The bill revised Chapter 46, Section 2 of the Penal Code to state that it is in fact not "Unlawful Carry of a Weapon", as defined by the statute, for a person to carry a handgun while in a motor vehicle they own or control, or to carry while heading directly from the person's home to that car. However, lawful carry while in a vehicle requires these three critical qualifiers: (1) the weapon must not be in plain sight (in Texas law, "plain sight" and "concealed" are mutually exclusive opposing terms); (2) the carrier cannot be involved in criminal activities, other than Class C traffic misdemeanors; and (3) the carrier cannot be a member of a criminal gang."

briancaw2 13y ago

Anyone who is proud of speeding should come hang out and I'll throw punches near your head just out of range. It's cool I have it under control; it will bring me some pleasure and you will only be at risk if you get in my way or if someone dumber than me follows my example doesn't have as much control.

sukuriant 13y ago
You do know that's a common practice in martial arts, right? Instead of face, it's your stomach, generally, but the point is still the same.
- briancaw2 13y ago
  OK well when people need to do martial arts to get to work then we can talk. And btw in that world, speeders would be the people who swing unsafely fast while practicing with common folk.
  - sukuriant 13y ago
    No, speeders would be the people with /insufficient relevant training/ doing that. If everyone were trained, it wouldn't be so bad... which leads me back to better driver's ed at high speeds, like in non US countries.

batbomb 13y ago

You'll almost never get pulled over for doing exactly 11 over on any street with a speed limit of 50 or higher. Thanks to the law of cosines, a cop is likely to read you going 10 or less or less, and cops generally don't even bother with people doing 9 or less over, especially highway patrol.

eurleif 13y ago

I watched a friend get out of a ticket in California not by having a special license plate, but by being dressed in a suit, and being friendly. He was blatantly going 90+, and the cop seemed annoyed when he first approached the car. Then, I think "this is a rich kid!" clicked in his brain, and they had a nice chat.

GFK_of_xmaspast 13y ago

The kind of drivers who would buy a license to speed are generally the kind of drivers who should have their license to drive revoked.

aresant 13y ago

Speaking from experience the 11-99 is as much a badge of bullshit honor amongst "serious" car enthusiasts. Like I not only have a Porsche I have $2500 and I am a serious racer. If pricenomics had presented one piece of actual data vs conjecture this would be compelling but barring that this is just linkbait and probably good marketing for more stupid vanity license plates just like the la times article they reference

wavesounds 13y ago

Can you copyright a license plate frame? I'd love to make a bunch of these things and go hand them out to low income minorities, those people deserve a break from the cops for once.

johnatwork 13y ago

Quebec used to have these stickers to place on your plate for registration (not anymore). And some police families were giving out plate stickers with VIP written on them, which as it was found out gave them leniency, as well as parking ticket immunity. Investigations happened, and as a result, no one has these anymore, at least as far as the general public know.

grecy 13y ago

I think everyone is missing the real point: > The CHP 11-99 Foundation has donated over $21 million in emergency assistance to the families of police officers, particularly officers killed in duty Why do Police officers (and families) need donations to care for them? Shouldn't their job/benefits do that?

bbarn 13y ago

I can recall a marketing call where I was asked to donate to one association or another and told I'd get a window decal or something to that effect, and while it wouldn't give me a free pass, it would certainly show officers on the road I appreciate them. I've got the exact verbage wrong, but that was the sentiment (this was several years ago). It was quite a hard sell from the solicitor, and I didn't go for it. I was frankly a little disgusted by the call. That said, I've been driving for 20 years, and pulled over one time. That one time, an out of state cop (in my home town) pulled me over because the license plate frame (from the dealership I bought the car at) partially obscured the state name and he couldn't tell what it was. I suppose it could have been another state that ended in -nois, like lilinois, iiiinois, or something else, but more than likely, it was 5AM in a small town in Maine and I was circling around one-way streets looking lost or suspicious (I hadn't been back there in many years). The cop gave me directions to the street my grandfather lived on, and told me to enjoy my trip. The secret here is surprisingly simple, and applies to most everything else in life. Don't be a dick. Drive around the same speed as other cars, and if you're the only one on the road, don't do more than 5-6 mph over the limit on the highway. It won't cost you that much time, and if you're the only one on the road it's probably dark and/or rural anyway so you SHOULD be more cautious, and in the end, you win either way, at the great expense of.. a few minutes time. Another tip I've learned, is do as others do - especially on highways. Think about it, when you're driving across country, how many other cars around you are undertaking that length of a trip? It's far more likely most of them live in the area, and know what's appropriate - both for safety, and for cop-avoidance.

abruzzi 13y ago

Since a lot of the discussion has moved towards the relative safety of speeding, I'd be curious to see a break down of accidents and fatalities, by absolute speed, by in-excess speed, and by roadway type. If I had to guess (having been in a number of accidents caused by other people) is that accidents are more common at lower speeds (because they are at intersections and other conflicting right of ways where you are more likely to be going slow) but fatalities are more likely at higher speeds where the safety systems fail to protect those involved. However high speed accidents are not automatic death sentences as some posters have implied. I was in a head on collision on a small two lane residential street with no other traffic. Both vehicles were going 35mph, so effective collision speed was ~70mph. I was on a motorcycle and the oncoming truck was on a cell phone. He veered into my lane, and I tried to move left but parked cars limited my ability to avoid him. After the collision, I flew for a distance, and on landing my head hit the point of the curb. The two things that saved my life was (obviously) my helmet--without it, by brain would have been on the street--and I had crash bars that were severely deformed after the accident, but they kept my left leg from getting pinned between the bike and the truck. So relatively high speed accidents can be survivable, especially with modern technology. The only injury I had was a badly sprained hip.