Remember the story we brought you a while back about the tiny town of Waldo - a notorious speed trap? The town's entire police department was disbanded after five fed up officers fessed up to the city council that their boss had long imposed a "strict ticket quota" on staff. Turns out Waldo isn't the only town known for putting the kibosh on drivers with lead feet.
According to the National Motorists Association, serving up speeding tickets has proven a bit of a racket. The group collects information on stretches of road that combine unusually low speed limits with heavy traffic enforcement. They say it's often far less about safety than it is about filling the municipal coffers. In fact, they run a website that details known or suspected speed traps and recently release their latest list of the top five states where even the lightest lead foot is likely to land you a speeding ticket.
- Hawaii - 4.74 speed traps for every 1,000 lane miles.
- New Jersey - 4.70 speed traps for every 1,000 lane miles
- Rhode Island - 4.00 speed traps for every 1,000 lane miles.
- Massachusetts - 3.79 speed traps for every 1,000 lane miles.
- Maryland - 3.5 speed traps for every 1,000 lane miles.
But these states have a bit of competition. The fastest growing states for speed traps are:
- Texas
- Ohio
- Florida
- California
- Georgia
Of course, speeding is a wise choice only on the race track - never on the roadways. We here at E3 Spark Plugs urge you to drive carefully and follow posted road rules. But if you’re planning a trip into unfamiliar territory, a check of the NMA's National Speed Trap Exchange is a smart move.
