How to Avoid Speeding Tickets on a Road Trip

Nothing can ruin a family vacation or road trip more than getting one of those unwanted speeding tickets. It could happen to anyone. You reach a long stretch of road, the car is a bit quiet because all the other passengers are asleep, you look at your spouse in the passenger seat and think, “I just want to get there.” That’s when you push a little more on the accelerator and pick up some speed. Sometimes, you get caught and if you do, you’ll never hear the end of it. Plus, that speeding ticket may end up costing you a whole lot more than you expected if you add in the potential increase of your auto insurance premiums.

It isn’t just state troopers waiting at the bottom of a hill to catch speeders these days, but there are now those police camera cars that take a photo of you. Trust me, those work. I recently opened my mail to see a picture of RedBugg with yours truly behind the wheel. Apparently one of those cameras was hidden in someone’s yard on a little road in my town because I was awarded (like it was a prize) a ticket for doing 29mph in a 25mph zone. Also, on our spring break family road trip through Missouri, we made all the way through the entire trip without any incident – that is, until we crossed in to our home state of Louisiana. In the little town of Waterproof, there were no speed signs, yet my husband was given an Easter Sunday gift of a $135 moving violation.

Here are some tips on how to avoid those unwanted speeding tickets on a holiday road trip.

1. Don’t speed.

2. Get your hands on a GPS Angel which detects those hidden speed cameras. It is simple to use, has frequent updates on new cameras located, and it’s LEGAL. There is no installation required and it doesn’t take up much space at around 2.5 inches. What’s also great about this gadget is the fact that you can set your own updates so that you can be reminded of places that you KNOW a police officer monitors regularly.

3. Don’t speed.

4. Be aware of changes in speed zones. Many small towns have a law enforcement unit laying in wait for unsuspecting travelers to speed through town unaware that the speed limit changed from 55mph to 25mph on a 5 ft stretch of road.

5. Don’t speed.

6. Check out the National Motorists Association who has been helping drivers fight their traffic tickets for over 25 years.

7. Don’t speed.

I’m sure there are other ways to avoid a speeding ticket, but the bottom line is, if you don’t speed, then you are keeping your family safe on your road trip. The National Motorists Association has put together a list of states where you are most likely to get a ticket. After crunching the numbers, the National Motorists Association found that the state most likely to hand out a traffic ticket is Florida, followed closely by Georgia and Nevada. The state where drivers are least likely to get a traffic ticket is Montana. The full list of state rankings and further information on how they were calculated can be found at Motorists.org/Ticket-Trends.

Use this information wisely, do your best to obey all posted speed zones, and most of all drive safely on your road trip or holiday travel.