Police want your $$

[neh]

Denver has been out on the 20th street bridge clocking I-25 with as many as 11 cars by my count one morning. They were up there 3 days in a row last week and atleast one afternoon.

Watch your speeds out there

NB I-25 one afternoon this week.

$155 ticket for following too close, and he only asked for my driver license, no proof of ins or registration. I can send in the money and only be assessed 2 points. Do they reduce the fine if I show up and take the plea?

[FZRguy]

In most cases, yes. I had a $150 4pt ticket in Jeffco a while back and got out of there with 2pts and $73. Always go to the court date.

[FZRguy]

And yes, it's absolutely about revenue generation. Felt like I was in a casino at the cashier area.

[Aphrodite]

Only thing I wonder about is........what were they doing before the money crunch???

[CaneZach]

Only thing I wonder about is........what were they doing before the money crunch???

Eating dougnuts, drinking coffee, beating people for no good reason. You know, the usual cop stuff.

[CaneZach]

Difficult to find current data. As of 2003, there were 2,975,337 registered drivers ( http://www.statemaster.com/graph/trn...s-total-number) when the population was 4,548,339 (same population source linked above).

So at that time, 65.4% of the population were registered drivers. Assuming the same=

% of tickets issued based on registered drivers in 2008 = .0812

% of tickets issued based on registered drivers in 2008 = .0847

In numbers that might be easier to relate to; I extrapolate that the number of drivers in the state probably increased by 55,781.

Registered drivers increased by about 2% while tickets issued based 2008-'09 increased by nearly 5%

calculations:
extrapolated drivers 2008 based on assumed 65.4% of population divided by the same for 2009 = .9830

Tickets issued 2008 divided by 2009 = .9420 (data from KDVR)

How is .0035 percentage points "nearly 5%"? Also, don't forget to add an additional 250,000 to your driver totals to account for unlicensed drivers in this State who also receive citations.

Let's take a look at the numbers, using the 2003 figures as a baseline:

In 2003, the population was 4,548,339. Licensed drivers 2,975,337, or .65415 (65.4% is close enough)

Fast forward to 2008, when the population was 5,010,395. Licensed drivers, assuming 65.4%, total 3,276,798, to which we add 250,000 to account for unlicensed drivers, which brings the total up to 3,526,798 drivers. In 2008, the CSP issued 26,224 tickts for speeding between 1 MPH to 24 MPH over. That means .0074 of the total drivers in Colorado received a citation for speeding.

In 2009, the population climbed to 5,109,700, or just under a 2% increase from the previous year. Licensed drivers account for, we assume, 65.4%, or 3,341,743. Add 250k and we get 3,591,743. In 2009, the CSP issued 27,838 tickets for speeding, which means .0077 of the motoring public received a citation.

Overall, less than 1% of the motorists in Colorado will receive a citation, and that doesn't account for out-of-state drivers who got a ticket, since we're just assuming Colorado drivers only. Between 2008 and 2009, that number jumped a whopping THREE-HUNDREDTHS of one percent. I would hardly call it some sort of ticket-writing explosion.

[Aphrodite]

I got pulled over last night because they didn't see my temp tag, so he conveniently got to check all my paperwork in the process, I was clean, so off I went losing 5 minutes, I was shaken' just knowing he was going to write me up for something :-(

That's just wrong fearing the police, regardless of the statistic or their causes.

[TinkerinWstuff]

an increase BY 5%, not TO 5%.

Add the increase in issued tickets along with the increase in $$/ticket.

Highway robbery

[Reyven]

I'd also be curious to see how many "first time" offenders got tickets versus repeat offenders. I'd say that a "first time" offender would be someone who hasn't had a moving violation in the past 3 or 5 years, whichever one it is that a ticket's points drop off of your license. It would be interesting to see how much more likely a "repeat" offender is to A. offend again and B. receive a ticket for being a repeat.

Got my first ticket ever in June. Got pulled over about 2 weeks ago the bike riding with a friend. We both got stopped, I got another ticket and he got a warning. His record is clean. IDK if my june ticket was a deciding factor or not, but it was the only difference between the two of us.

[CaneZach]

an increase BY 5%, not TO 5%.

Add the increase in issued tickets along with the increase in $$/ticket.

Highway robbery

Even with an increase in citations, the total number of people who drive in Colorado who received a speeding ticket is less than ONE PERCENT. Calling it "highway robbery" is pure hyperbole.

Here's a novel idea: Familiarize yourself with Colorado Revised Statute, pay attention to what you're doing and your chances of getting a ticket are slim and none. Let's think of driving as a game. The law will be the rules of the game and the police are the refs/umpires. If you play by the rules, the referee won't throw the flag.

For all this talk of quotas and "speed traps", which I wholeheartedly disagree with (quotas and speed traps, not the discussion of), I think people tend to forget if you're doing the speed limit, you don't get pulled over! It's hard for a "speed trap" (by the way, what you're seeing is speed enforcement, not a true speed trap, which I'll explain later) to be effective if PEOPLE AREN'T SPEEDING! Everyone who has ridden with me knows I have a pretty heavy hand on my throttle, but if I get stopped and they issue a citation, I realize it's MY fault I got the ticket. I'm not blaming the cop for stopping me when I gave him a reason to in the first place. No, I wouldn't enjoy getting a ticket, but if I did I only have ONE person to blame and it isn't the officer.

For the record, a speed trap is a sharp decrease in the speed limit, say dropping the speed from 55 to 30 with no stepdown speed zones (55 to 45 to 35 to 30) and an officer enforcing the new speed before you've had a chance to slow down. Yes, technically you're supposed to be at 30 the moment you pass the sign, but most officers give you a slow down zone. Speed traps are notorious in certain states, but not so much here in Colorado. What you're seeing is the same speed limit for miles and officers enforcing that speed limit.

Also, I completely agree with Dirk. For certain counties and cities, this has nothing to do with safety. This is all about using the police or sheriff's department as a revenue generating agency when they should allow the police to patrol. Let the cops go out and patrol their cities, not demand they write a certain number of tickets a day.

[csmith]

There aren't just mythological creatures coming from the sky, making these rules then disappearing into the sunset. They're elected politicians. Period. Don't like them and their laws? Quit picking them. That being said, to complain about the actions police officers take as it pertains to speed enforcement is rediculous. These are people no different than anyone else doing a job. As CaneZach said, if you don't want a ticket don't speed. It's that simple.

[Ghettodsm]

There aren't just mythological creatures coming from the sky, making these rules then disappearing into the sunset. They're elected politicians. Period. Don't like them and their laws? Quit picking them. That being said, to complain about the actions police officers take as it pertains to speed enforcement is rediculous. These are people no different than anyone else doing a job. As CaneZach said, if you don't want a ticket don't speed. It's that simple.

yep, i noticed my friends kept getting tickets while I didn't, reason being I STOPPED SPEEDING/DRIVING LIKE AN IDIOT. There is a time and place for everything. If you don't like it, get a radar detector be super paranoid like me and only speed on the track where you are legal and not endangering anyone and your lives!

[Sarge]

There aren't just mythological creatures coming from the sky, making these rules then disappearing into the sunset. They're elected politicians. Period. Don't like them and their laws? Quit picking them. That being said, to complain about the actions police officers take as it pertains to speed enforcement is rediculous. These are people no different than anyone else doing a job. As CaneZach said, if you don't want a ticket don't speed. It's that simple.

It's understandable, don't speed, don't get a ticket. That's fine, the problem is the discrimination. Everybody speeds. But just read up a few posts and you see "I got stopped because the cop 'couldn't see my temp tag.'" It's stuff like that that people are complaining about.

[Aphrodite]

Yup and it wasn't one of those tinted windows either just decided it wasn't "visible" enough for him at that moment. But he did let me go with no warnings or tickets, so go figure.

[Bueller]

. They're elected politicians. Period. Don't like them and their laws? Quit picking them.

I am sorry but this is a ridiculous statement, you are going to elect your local representation on their stand on traffic enforcement? Pressure from their constituency would be the only way to deal with this but that would take a lot more work and perseverance than sitting here bitching about it on the internet.

[CaneZach]

It's understandable, don't speed, don't get a ticket. That's fine, the problem is the discrimination. Everybody speeds. But just read up a few posts and you see "I got stopped because the cop 'couldn't see my temp tag.'" It's stuff like that that people are complaining about.

How is that "discrimination"? If the officer can't see your temp tag, you're going to get stopped! This is why I said, "Get a copy of Colorado Revised Statutes and know the law." There are about 300 traffic laws in the State of Colorado and the average motorist knows about 5 of them. Then when they break one of the other 295 they don't know about, nor do they care to know, they think the officer is making up a law or it's "discrimination".

[SOCAL4LIFE!!]

How is that "discrimination"? If the officer can't see your temp tag, you're going to get stopped! This is why I said, "Get a copy of Colorado Revised Statutes and know the law." There are about 300 traffic laws in the State of Colorado and the average motorist knows about 5 of them. Then when they break one of the other 295 they don't know about, nor do they care to know, they think the officer is making up a law or it's "discrimination".

You got a link to these? I would be interesed in knowing them. I will look them up if you dont. But its always easier to ask first and then look later.

[CaneZach]

You got a link to these? I would be interesed in knowing them. I will look them up if you dont. But its always easier to ask first and then look later.

Ask and you shall receive...

http://www.michie.com/colorado/lpext...=main-h.htm&cp=

Title 42 is all about traffic.

[Aphrodite]

How is that "discrimination"? If the officer can't see your temp tag, you're going to get stopped! This is why I said, "Get a copy of Colorado Revised Statutes and know the law." There are about 300 traffic laws in the State of Colorado and the average motorist knows about 5 of them. Then when they break one of the other 295 they don't know about, nor do they care to know, they think the officer is making up a law or it's "discrimination".

In my case it was dead in the middle of an un-tinted window he just missed it.

[D Berns R6]

In my case it was dead in the middle of an un-tinted window he just missed it.

Doesn't matter how clear you think it's visible, it has to be visible at 100 ft. and if it's not then you will get stopped...BTW if it really was the dead middle of the back window (i think that's a little exaggeration though) it would be another violation (obstructing your view). Either violation will get you stopped.

[Bueller]

BTW if it really was the dead middle of the back window (i think that's a little exaggeration though) it would be another violation (obstructing your view). Either violation will get you stopped.

So I can't drive anything that I can't see out my rear view mirror? Seriously?

You stop someone for that and you are one of the dip shit cops people can't stand.

[D Berns R6]

So I can't drive anything that I can't see out my rear view mirror? Seriously?

You stop someone for that and you are one of the dip shit cops people can't stand.

Nope, and just letting it be known that it is a petty violation not something that a cop makes up.

[D Berns R6]

On another note, you would be surprised what kind of people, drugs, and weapons are taken off the street (recently) for a license plate lamp out.

[TFOGGuys]

Doesn't matter how clear you think it's visible, it has to be visible at 100 ft. and if it's not then you will get stopped...BTW if it really was the dead middle of the back window (i think that's a little exaggeration though) it would be another violation (obstructing your view). Either violation will get you stopped.

No violation in having a rear window obstructed. You don't ever have to HAVE a rear window, as long as you have a right side rear view mirror. MOST commercial vehicles do not have a rear window (think box truck).