The last time I was “awarded” a speeding ticket was 10 years ago. Jonathan, his mom, and I were headed to College Station, Texas to celebrate Jordan’s birthday. I turned off I-45 in Madisonville when a local police official pulled behind me, switched on his lights, and pulled me over for speeding. I was, tried to talk my way out of it (I wasn’t paying attention, etc.) but it didn’t work; I still ended up with a speeding ticket.
What happened next made matters even worse. After receiving my ticket, I crept through Madisonville, strictly adhering to the posted speed limit, and then jumped the gas when we hit the city limits. Much to my dismay, I almost immediately passed a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper coming in the opposite direction. I noticed him conduct an excellent U-turn after we’d passed each other, and I was pulled over – again, for speeding. Total elapsed time between the two speeding tickets was about 7 minutes. No one wisely said anything when I returned to the car and drove the rest of the way to College Station at the posted limits.
No one likes getting a speeding ticket! It’s expensive when you consider the cost of the ticket and the ensuing increase in your car insurance premium. I had to pay it then and I see it every day when I quote someone’s car insurance. Any kind of ticket, whether for speeding, improper lane change, failure to yield, etc. can cause your car insurance rate to take a healthy increase in premium at the next renewal.
If you live or work in or around Dallas or Keller, Texas, there is good news for anyone wanting to avoid a speeding ticket. Both the Dallas and Keller Police Departments are now on Twitter and they’re tweeting their radar enforcement sites to anyone who’s interested. No, it’s not a joke! Both police departments chose to do this for the same reason; to make the streets safer for all drivers. The Dallas Police Department would rather exchange tickets for safer streets. Keller’s Police Department noted they’d experienced a 27% increase in car accidents in 2013 even while issuing more tickets. Both departments state there are no ticket quotas and that ticket revenue won’t float the budget boat for either city or department.
Dallas Police spokesman, Lt. Max Geron, who’s responsible for the department’s social media got the idea from a new twitter follower who suggested it in a tweet. Geron thought the idea was worth merit as it would encourage people to slow down. If you’ve driven recently on LBJ, George Bush, 121, Central Expressway, or any of the other highways and major streets around Dallas / Fort Worth, you’ve probably noticed how fast people are driving. It’s almost like a NASCAR event out there. I’m hoping this helps people slow down and catches on with the departments throughout the Metroplex. The Flower Mound police department think the idea is interesting!
If you’re not on Twitter, this should be one excellent reason to get on it! To follow one or both police departments, here are their usernames:
- Dallas Police Department @TrafficLTDPD
- Keller Police Department @kellerpolice
What do you think? Should the area police departments do this or not? Do you think it will help people slow down? Share your thoughts, suggestions, and questions in the comments section of our blog or on our Facebook and Google + pages. If you’re not following me on twitter, you can find me @WiseInsGroup! I’d love to hear from you!
