It's all about money anyway.. Don't tell me they care about safety.. They want money and see this as an easy legal way to get it...

another group will start next week in place of the columbus m/c unit! so the sweep will last another week!

Highway robbery, pure and simple. Instead of making the roads safer, these yahoos in trooper uniforms violate all kinds of speed limits and U-turn prohibitions in order to make their kill. Beyond this routine theft, they routinely arrest anyone they suspect of DUI, haul them to a trooper post, read them the riot act, have them take a breath test and when they discover the arrested and accused driver was clearly under the limit, they simply say sorry and go after their next victim. The police are supposed to protect us, not rob and harass us. Who protects us from them?

I wish they would get this nit picky about inner city gang violence and crime. Cops really like to exercise their power. This reader thinks they should get their exercise popping some of these TERRORISTS that are TERRORIZING city dwellers.

Stricland needs money. However I did see them working on Rt 8 north bound near Buchtel which is a high accident area or used to be. However Akron has it's own traffic department. They can do the job here and OSP and get out into the rural interstates and make them safe.

Akron could save money by getting rid of Phil Young the highway patrolman that thinks he can investgate officers behaviors in Akron because he was a meter made in OSP.

Marco Sommerville can lie and say anybody he wants is qualified can't he?

By the way Young has no powers and is just skimming money out of Akron. His position is worthless and does nothing to benefit the citizens of Akron ors thr police department.

If there was needed a police auditor this man does not have the qualifications to fill the job.

Thanks Marco for skimming money out of the city to pay your friends to do nothing. What a Joke you are Marco

This is nothing but a money grab under the guise of public safety. If our wonderful government was so worried about safety on rt8, they wouldn't allow signs that constantly change messages to draw your attention off the road and they would have used current PROVEN methods used in CA to regulate on ramp traffic during rush hours.

I will not miss Ohio very soon...

Join me in voting with your feet.

The law is the law. You can't pick and choose which laws to break because you think no one will get hurt. When you are exceeding the speed limit, you are breaking the law. I am glad because there are too many crazy and aggressive drivers on the road. Especially in the construction zones. The speed limit is 40 MPH just past 303 because of construction. These idiots drive 60 and 70 MPH. I hope you don't have any loved one's who work construction because someone is going to be killed.

lie detector, your obviously a cop, which means you are biased.

Go to bed

"Would you rather be driving next to someone who is passing you at 70 mph or someone who is jamming on his brakes and veering into your lane because he has spotted four state troopers on the inside berm?"

Those are NOT the only choices. I would rather that people stay within 10 miles of the speed limit. Then this would be a non-issue.

Another article where Bob Dyer knows all. You would think he would have more than one day to post his informative articles. But ABJ only gives him fridays. One ABJ employee conveniently views an almost collision, and apparently ABJ subscribers must call Mr. Dyer when they witness almost collisions. Mr. Dyer use your one day a week more resourcefully.

I agree this is ridiculous it's all about money. The fact that they are claiming it's to make the roads safer is a load. At the end of the day you know whatever money they get is going to go towards that unneccasary stadium they are building in downtown Akron for Akron U. I drive that way everyday to go home to Cuyahoga Falls and I'm scared to death that one of those cops are going to make a wrong move on their bikes and get splattered. We have enough stress and things to worry about let's not add another thing to it.

''it has become a custom up there that the normal flow of traffic is well in excess of the posted speed limit, hence the safety reason of why we need to be up there and make a visible presence to try to change their driving behaviors.''

Probably without realizing it, Lt. Sheppard himself is telling us how unnecessary his program is. If the customary flow of traffic is to be well in excess of the posted speed limit and accidents are not on the rise wouldn't common sense dictate that the "normal flow of traffic" is the safest flow of traffic?

Why attempt to artificially slow traffic if accidents are not an issue on this stretch of road? And what is the point of doing it temporarily? In my experience habitual speeders who receive tickets rarely alter their driving habits as a result. If anything, they may slow down on that particular stretch of road for a few weeks, but odds are they won't get caught again for sometime to come.

If the state patrol is truly concerned about safety, why not better police accident prone areas, such as intersections, railroad crossings, and school zones? I know their coverage area only extends to state roads, but there are several state routes in our area that contain all of the above mentioned hazards.

I applaud most police work, but I have a hard time getting behind something I can't rationalize myself.

I don't care if someone drives 85 mph, as long as they pull over and let me pass.

wait until an officer gets hurt. they might stop then

At least they aren't tasering them, we would have a bunch of people around the city with vampire bite marks.....

Better than driving 45 in the LEFT lane.

Lets raised the speed limit to 65 mph! Cars are a lot faster and better since the 80's. Ohioians need to start a partition to increase the speed limit just like California and Montana did in 1992.

People in Akron do not know how to drive with the flow of traffic. If traffic is moving along @ 75mph there is always idiots that have to pass you and cut in front of you and hit their brakes. This is what OHP is targeting. Reckless Driving and I am for it.

@spd3333 - lol, you must travel route 21 (aka West Virginia turnpike) WV's known to hog the left lane under the speed limit.

The average driver commits over 500 violations a year and recieve an average of 1 ticket every 2 years. Thats 1 ticket for every 1000 violations. Just imagine if people thought they could drive how they want because there where no police writing tickets. Driving is not a right, it is a privelage. yes, it is safer when everyone is all moving at 70mph. And even safer than that is everyone moving AT THE SPEED LIMIT, 55MPH.

Does the city split some of the money with the state for these "special" enforcement actions? Follow the money.

The law is the law...prosecute to the fullest extent.

Typical liberal mentality. No accountability for your own action, blame the police because YOU sped! Since gas has increased from $1.49/gallon when Obamination took office to $2.25/gal today (up 66%), slow down and you will get better gas mileage.

come up here to Akron and catch all the Home invaders we have been assaulted by lately.uh oh no that takes REAL police work(@@)

We saw them just before the Perkins Exit Northbound Thursday about 10 AM.

I drive I-76 to I-77 North three to four days a week around 4 p.m. It's a drag strip. The more cops out there the better.

These guys need to sit up on Route 8 and catch those crotch rockets that pop their wheelies and drive like idiots.

The state just figured out they were WAY short of money. Look for more of this in more communities. As the government get squeezed, it will find ways to legally squeeze you. If you think the falla had a rep before, wait until they need cash.

"at least one Beacon Journal reader was ticketed for going 70 mph in a zone that clearly should be 65."

i wonder if this was mendenhall's wife and if so, when will we see the recall action against strickland?

Pretty simple to me...don't speed, don't get a ticket

I'm sorry Dr. Dyer, but I'm goin' to have to disagree with y'all. I know I know, y'all are an award winnin' traffic reporter and recently revealed doctor, but the idea that it's OK to break the law, even though ever-buddy disagrees with the low posted speed limit, is a bit of an anarchist approach to solvin' the problem.

Now y'all can cite the stats, which I believe bowskiboy has bored ever-buddy endlessly with in the past, but the bottom line is, that the speed limit is 55. Do 55.

Or y'all can continue to subscribe to the moron metality, that thinks as long as no-buddy's watchin' I can do what I want.

Personally, I think y'all got tagged, and are whinin'.

Hey... at least they were saving gas.. Saw one just jump out into the fast lane and wave some poor lead-foot to the center. Dude, in front of me stood on his brakes, slowed to 30, and almost got me rear-ended. Looked like robocops, dressed in leathers and unafraid of for themselves... and the rewt of us on the road.

I think Dyer is right on this one. The flow of traffic is actually the safest way to travel. People who drive 65 when the flow is 75 should consider themselves a traffic hazard and people have to try and get around them, no different than an obstacle in the road that must be dealt with. This is why trucks need to be able to run 65 instead of 55, they impede the flow of traffic.

the writer of this story needs to travel I-75 between Cincinnati and Atlanta where the speed limit is 70mph for cars and trucks. i travel this twice a year to visit relatives in Atlanta. i set my cruise on 70-71 mph and every car truck bus motorcycle pass me like i am setting on cinder blocks in my front yard. if they set the limit to 65 on that leg, people will just drive faster anyway.

@niteowl26 - I don't travel 21 too often, but mainly that was poking fun at Route 8 and I-77

@Cool Breeze - You know how I solved that problem with the crotch rockets? I had one moron get behind me popping wheelies rather close to my car. I tapped the brakes a bit and that moron put that bike down! FAST!

@spirit of 76, the sweeps may be excessive. It is not illegal for a police offer to speed or make u-turns as you suggest.

Until they raise the limits in that stretch, they need to enforce some level of control. As long as it is only posted 55 some people are still only driving 55 or less, which means the people going 70 are in conflict.

@bass43player, if it was only about money everyone going a couple mph over would be ticketed. They are only targeting the extremes.

I saw one moron ride a wheelie for over 200 yards on 77 North the other day. Wish the cops would have seen that one.

@damsel187, you are clueless if you thinking speeding ticket money is going to a college football stadium being paid for by private sponsorships and donations.

@aaryee2001, petition for 65? Do you live or drive in Ohio? The maximum is already 65. There are places that restrictions are issued and this stretch until recently was limited due to that restriction. It is the politicians we are waiting on now so it will be raised in this small stretch.

Just slow down, then you don't have to worry

What everybody should do that receives a ticket is plead not-guilty. That way both the arresting officer and the officer who observed the violation have to come back up here from Columbus or wherever and appear in court. If even one of them can't make it, the ticket is overturned.

If everybody works together, this little ticketing project would bring our courts to a stantstill.

This is for all those people saying "prosecute to the fullest extent." Naturally you all support a fair trial, right?

Sorry, "standstill."

Damsel187, it's a little early to be smoking that stuff, isn't it? No WAY is traffic ticket money going to the new UA stadium. It would be nice, but there's no way that could happen. You do understand that, right?

HANG UP THE PHONE! It would be a lot safer if people were not allowed to use their cell phones to talk or text while driving. God lord, what can be so important!

I wish they would crack down more on the morons who text while driving and who go way under the speed limit in the passing lane. Nine times out of ten, when I finally pass someone going that slow, they are blabbing away on their freaking phones, oblivious to the traffic around them!

I've seen the troopers on the left and thought it was very dangerous as well. Seems to me that they would/should be more careful. On a brighter note, I've not heard the speeding street bikes wizzing by- so that's nice. I'm sure they will start again soon since they've posted an 'end' date!

GO BLUE KNIGHTS!

I know I feel safer living Akron now. I may even have a pizza delivered later.

If you see the motorcycle SWAT on 77 again, please tell them to come up to 422 between 4 - 6 p.m. I'm sick of people sucking up my tailpipe at 80 MPH. With only two lanes, both gridlocked, driving 80 MPH you're gonna die if you're NOT speeding. I am 100% for slowing traffic down. And throw in a couple of morons on cell phones, teens texting while driving, wearing their iPod earbuds....get...them...off...our...roads.

Pulled over in the Falls with the "Pace of Traffic", the young man that pulled me over (I think just to look at my truck) gave me a ticket while the rest of Route 8 was flying by at 70 plus. He endangered me, himself, and others by doing so (I had nowhere to pull over except the side of the highway). Needless to say, the Falls does not benefit in any way from my thousands of dollars in entertainment funds annually. Haven't been in the Falls since. I believe there is actually a law the police break everytime they are stopped on the side of a highway, since giving a ticket is definately not an "emergency". Then, when one of them steps into traffic and gets themselves killed, they ruin another (probably innocent) life because they were hanging around a highway (70 mph cars and walking police officers don't mix well). These types of actions should be illegal or automated like Europe.

Just drive the posted speed limit whether you agree with it or not. It is the posted limit. You can't pick and choose which law to follow. I disagree with the price of gas at the pump, should I go into the station and inform them that I will only pay $1.50 per gallon. I think that would go over real well!

Dyer is all wet. He loves to bash the conservative drive. He wants 'driving a steady 55mph' to be a crime. Put the non-speeders in jail . . . . . . get 'em off the road.

rmk akron

Well Vader-I live in the Falls and do not have a problem with the police busting people speeding through my city.

Driving is a privilege not a right. People need to stop being in a big hurry to get somewhere. Leave a little earlier then you won't have to drive like a bat out of you know where to get to where you want to go. People need to stop thinking they are more important then the rest of us out on the roads. When you drive like a maniac then wreck your car-you make the rest of us late.

Bob did we get a ticket??? If the speed limit is changed to 65 then there will be people that will still travel at 20mph over the limit now the flow of traffic is 85 and Bob would still think thats safe. It has to stop somewhere. My family would be traviling with all the Bob Dyer's of the world on the highway at over 85mph I dont think so!! Im glad there doing it and I hope everyone doing 56 gets a ticket. Scarry

I was driving in that stretch when these morons were jumping in traffic telling people to pull over so they could write tickets.

Never seen such bull in my life in regard to writing tickets.

The speed limit is higher in West Virginia because they have nicer roads, I know, imagine that. Our roads suck and 55-65 is about all they can safely handle.
I feel that if you are going 9 above the posted speed limit then you get what you get. SLOW DOWN.
As for motorcycles, in general I feel they are nothing more than DEATHCYCLES,

First off if you drive the Columbus area at all you see this on a daily basis. These Troopers are professional and as long as you are doing what you are suppose to on our highways you have nothing to worry about. If you are travelling 20 mph or more over the posted speed limit you are violating a law - period. Ask yourself a question - if you were forced to get into an accident, would you prefer to be struck by someone going 70mph or 55mph? And it is not as if these Troopers get bonuses for their ticket writing - these men and woman are out doing what we pay them to do - slow down and your worries are behind you.

This reporter is always sensitive to the man trying to tell him what to do.

I applaud any effort to keep these idiots from zooming past everyone and weaving in and out of traffic.

Go the allowed 5-8 mph over the speed limit and forget about it.

If the state troopers want to make the roads safer, then instead of targeting speeders, they should be pulling over distracted drivers. Experts state that the major causes of car accidents are driver distractions. Cell phones, laptops, electric razors, eating, applying make-up, etc. all cause drivers to take their eyes off the road for seconds at a time with the potential to cause a serious, if not deadly, accident.

Quite simply, distracted drivers cause more accidents than do speeders. If you want to speed, then buy a radar/laser detector and be smart about it.

Wow, what a divided, commenting community we are = and, Dyer, as much as I enjoy your typical babble, you missed the boat on this one. No matter how sweet, for now, that singular strip of I-77 might seem, it's still very congested and relatively dangerous. I, for one, applaud the SHP for doing an occasional "reality check" sweep.

Safety - there is no argument. Slower expressway speeds, especially in high-traffic areas, lead to lower frequency of accidents, lesser severity, njuries and damages from those accidents that do occur, and a lower likelihood that other accidents will happen because of the gawker, rubber-neck effect.

Efficiency - most modern cars have a "sweet spot" for efficient travel in the 43-50 mph range (there are exceptions, such as hybrids and motorcycles), and every reasoned resource will remind you that as speed increases, efficiency drops dramatically. In a typical passenger sedan, going 70 mph burns through as much as 30% more fuel per mile than going 55 mph.

Driving skills have greatly diminished as our schools have stripped driving and driving safety programs from curricula. While schools typically did an admirable job of making driver education an academic subject, with text learning, films, and simulators before a young-would-be-driver ever stepped foot onto a real gas pedal, other than the rare exception, private driving schools simply want to meet the bare state minimum standards before loosing yet another inadequately schooled driver onto Ohio's roads. While a stepped-up program, like Drive Team, might work young drivers pretty hard, the same can't be said for the rest of them. With so many poorly-trained and minimally-skilled drivers on the road, the last thing we all need to do is raise the speed limits.

'nuf said. And, Dyer, SLOW DOWN!

The bottom line good or bad is do the limit and quit whining about it.Its been they way for years and i doubt it changing so just do the limit pure and simple 55 saves lives remember that logo?

I hear that if you tell the cop that you played football for a Private School they'll let you go. Especially if you beat Copley.

From the amount of comments, one thing's for certain about Bobble. He sure knows how to stir the kettle.

Drive safely this weekend, and cut a little slack to the little old ladies. Mother's Day, you know. I thing most of you have or had one who actually loved you.

First, not all bikers pop wheelies and act like idiots.
Second, I saw all the police motorcycles on 77 in Copley the other day, and it created a big problem because they were in the left side of the freeway. Things slowed down so much I assumed there was an accident, but no. They had a bike and a car pulled to the left sticking out into the fast lane. That is a hazard.
I'm ok with pulling people over for excessive speeding, but risking everyone's safety for a $100 ticket is outrageous.

Goodness...it may kill us...there were some almosts and some close calls. Regardless who likes it and who doesn't, the speed limit is posted for all to see. If you're contributing to the so-called greed, it's because you didn't comply or didn't read.

EnvE: If you're keeping an assured, clear distance between you and the car ahead of you, you can respond appropriately to car and bike receiving a speeding ticket. Newsflash for speeders: the faster you go, the faster the accident YOU create occurs. Slow your self-important butts down. Good book out called TRAFFIC - the psychology of WHY we feel so almighty selfish and important in our cars, bullying everyone else down the road. Good reading.

What can you do,, when the gang wears blue?
This is just "Legal" robbery.

Sounds like someone at the cop hating ABJ got a ticket. I never seen a paper so determined and revolved around hating police and loving its criminals. Once again an article all for breaking the law and against the people who protect them. But not to worry because the cops will keep doing what they always do and people will keep getting tickets like morons always do. And then cry about.

My sister almost hit one of these cops yesterday. She was on route 8 south and in the central interchange got on the ramp to go 76 east. As she came around the curve there was a cop sitting on his motorcyle on the left, almost in the lane, shooting radar. She almost hit him, couldn't see him until she was almost on top of him. Now why would he be shooting radar on a ramp, in a blind spot? That's just dumb.

Ummm. I have to go with ODOT here. It's one thing to drive with traffic, its another to just freely drive 75 which is what a lot of drivers in that stretch do each day.

YouCantHide - the only people who will read that book are the people who are the ones who believe that laws exist for a reason. The self-important, narcissistic, jerks who put the rest of our lives in danger don't read literature such as that.

Perhaps copies could be given out with tickets along with a mandatory take-home test.

Send it to Dyer. I suspect someone used to tell him what to do all the time - an older sibling?

@spe3333,
you should be careful brake testing motorcycles
that Moron just may have a new trick for you.

@Vader, I hope you hire a lawyer anytime you appear in court because your understanding of the law is fuzzy at best.

All this talk about how dangerous it is to pull someone over. Wow, people will only recognize how dangerous a cops job is when trying to justify there speeding. And no one believes the numbers on how many deaths and accidents speeding causes. Just like no one believes the the number of a certian group of people who make up 15% of the population in the US which commit the majority of crime.

So you get a ticket, BIG DEAL! YOU were breaking the law. Pay your ticket and be on your way. Not the end of the world people.

We've had stuff like this in California for years.

Those are nice bikes!

I have traveled to various states and found that alot of them have 70 mph speed limits, even Michigan who has worse road than Ohio have 70 mph speed limits on their expressways. Ohio needs to reconsider their speed limits.

Dont worry as you write the check for the ticket your phone will ring and it will be a caller from one of the many police agencies asking for donations.

Ohio = cop state.

Run them over.

Wait till the FOP calls wanting a donation.

Can we get the OSP to ticket these baggy pants wearing, slow shuffling, underwear showing,going nowhere mopes walking in the street and taking 20 minutes to cross the road. At least make it legal to "bump" them out of the way.

If you ain't breakin' the law, you got nuthin' to worry about. . .

CalmNSense: You're so right. Sadly.

What kind of an idiot test brakes a motorcycle?!?!? Seriously. As a "crotch rocket" rider, I definetly do not appreciate that comment. By doing so you can cause even a bigger accident, possibly death. Yes, there are a lot of people out there riding too fast, but believe me it is mostly to avoid getting hit by the drivers out there that are not paying attention.

'crotch rocket' riders are just trying to get out of the way of all the idiots not paying attention to the road and what is around them.

vettegirl584: What kind of an idiot test brakes a motorcycle?!?!?

I also ride and I TEACH people to ride. One of the key instruction points in the State sponsored training is for a biker to tap the breaks for a tailgater to get their attention and to slow down to encourage the dangerous driver to pass. Tailgating is never an option. Few of us possess ESP to know what the person in front is about to do next.

I find most drivers are so distracted with all their in-car "toys" they don't even REALIZE they are tailgating. Perhaps the poster meant 'tapping' the breaks to wake the crotch rocket rider up and not JUMPING the breaks.

vettegirl584: What kind of an idiot test brakes a motorcycle?!?!?

And unfortunately, all motorcycle riders bear the reputation of a few reckless, death-defying imbeciles. If we all do our part by obeying the law, popping a wheelie in a 70 MPH 'parking lot' on Rte 77 should be the furthest thing from anyone's mind.

Cagers: When you tailgate me in my car, I end up with a dented bumper and a stiff neck. Tailgate me on my motorcycle? I die.

i almost got killed yesterday because of one of those morons on a motorcycle. They pulled out right in front of me and i had to swerve onto the exit ramp to avoid contact. Apparently my red Pontiac Trans Am isn't noticeable enough for these idiots.

"The law is the law" is not always the right response, guys. Sometimes the laws are wrong and need to be changed. It requires people to speak up, and that's what Mr. Dyer is doing here.

We've changed many laws in this country - usually through the actions of individuals like all of us. Problems don't fix themselves and I believe this is a useful and thoughtful article.

@spd3333 - "Brake Testing" someone is also illegal!

You do not have to pull immediately over when you are flashed by the lights - you are to make the officer aware that you see him/her and then find a safe place to pull over - you are NEVER supposed to pull over on the left side closest to the median EVER!

I was hoping some of these idiots would get their bike wheels stuck in pot holes and flip them. No more tickets that day

Same thing happened to someone I work with yesterday in Akron. A moto cop pulled right out in front of him while on the expressway. He had to swerve into the other lane to avoid hitting him. He was upset becasue he could have killed the guy! Judging from the comments above, something should be done. Ya, quit crying about getting a ticket. Don't speed, yada, yada. But, to endanger us by the OSP's stupidity is just .... well....stupid. Sit on the ramp and do your speed traps there and pull people over on the right. Geeze! Is it so difficult to understand?

And then today, the same friend that almost hit the cop saw a guy playing a trumpet while driving. No kidding! I just read an article about a motorcylist being killed because the girl driving the car was PAINTING HER NAILS.

Has anyone considered, aside from the safety concerns, what a collosal waste of money this was. There had to have been a more necessary activity than this.

And the waste will continue; if the officers have come up from Columbus for a trial on one of these tickets, they get OT! This whole fiasco was nothing more than a gross waste of resources. Whoever is responsible for it should be fired!

That state is crying about how gloomy the budget shortfall is yet this type of spending is allowed. Maybe the entire OSP should be eliminated and it's funding distributed to more cost effective and efficient local resources. That would protect the citizens from their stupidity and stop the waste of limited funds.

When I saw the 1st motorcycle cop I thought he had a gun aimed at the cars and then I saw the 2nd motorcycle cop I realized what they were doing. It still didn't look safe for them to be there and I was just a passenger in a car. Shouldn't they be on the right side of the road?

I thought he was just a guy with a gun.

Why don't motorcyclists wear seat belts? They need the protection more than we do..........give him a ticket

@Akron MBA - First off it is bike tire, not bike wheel since you are riding on your tires. Second, if you wish upon something like that to happen then you are asking for a tragedy to happen upon yourself.

Money grab plain and simple
All this safety talk is plain BS
Stepping out in the fast lane of the expressway has got to be one of the most unsafe actions one could make. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Wow, Bob, you sure stirred up a hornet's nest!! I haven't driven I-70 through Indiana, but I have taken the turnpike. Granted, it is a toll road, but going from Ohio to Indiana, we saw more cops in the last 10 miles before the border than in all of Indiana. I think I might have seen one in Indiana, and there were about 6 in the last few miles of the Ohio border. The 70-mph speed limit is wonderful in Indiana, and I had no traffic issues. Everything moved along. I think going from NY to Chicago, Ohio is one big speed trap. It's a wonder everyone avoids it if possible. It is also the only state from NY to Chicago that doesn't have easy-pass, the congestion at the toll gates is time consuming and pollution inducing.

When I saw this on TV, they said they were only ticketing people who were "way over the speed limit" and I thought "YAY" then they said they ticketed someone who was doing 70 in a 55 and I knew exactly where that was. 70 is not a bad speed, if it was 65-mph section, they wouldn't have even been pulled over. The difference is you they get $150 for 15 mph over. The only thing I wonder is why Copley police are letting the state get all that money. I think that section of I-77 in Copley that is 55 is a speed trap. There is no reason for it to be 55. Everyone packs together and if you are trying to merge on, there is no space. If everyone went faster, they would spread out and you could find a spot.

You all are such a crying shame. You can't see one single thing as a benefit. You just *itch, moan and complain. They are just doing their job. Peace man. QA...glad you are leaving. God bless you.

Hey Dyer, get a radar gun and sit on a bridge and run the speeds for 8 hours and then count the number of vehicles going 15 mph over the posted limit. Then do a survey on what cars were hurring off to work and what cars were hurring to spend their welfare, unemployment, disability, pension, and money from their meth lab down at the casino in West by God.

I wish the police would be used for something other than revenue generation for the state & local govt's. Eventually everyone is going to get fed up with these "taxes" the the govt pushes off on us that we have no say on whatsoever.

If the govt is truly concerned about "safety", please redesign these roads to accomodate more traffic. They were designed for traffic volumes from 40 YEARS AGO!

lots of valid points on both sides. but the bottom line is if you are endangering other drivers under the auspice of saving lives than you bordering on being a loon. my question where are they when you need them, when you are being tailgated when someone is cutting everyone off driving 90? never around, you go 10 miles over the speed limit and they light you up like a christmas tree.

Operation clean sweep will probably go on as long as the cavs are playing. they see a lot of Lebron fans from Akron driving up to Cleveland, here's a chance to make some money!! they'll be so glad not to get a DUI that they will gladly pay for the speeding ticket

@Hmm....
Its never too early!

Jon and Ponch didn't do it for the money? WHere are CHiPS when you need them!

And . . . national statistics show that slower conservative drivers are the cause for most interstate accidents - FACTS. It is not the speeders or drivers going with the flow of traffic - it's the people that couldn't make a split second decision if their lives or their family's lives depended on it.

I agree that there has to be control on speed but the gauntlet I saw yesterday will cause accidents and the OSP WILL be responsible.

The whole thing was just a cash generator for the Ohio State patrol. If they were as interested in the safety and well being of motorists they could have just as easily and more safely used those vehicles to drive up and down those stretches of highways. If a police vehicle is traveling in the left lane of a highway at the posted speed limit or what would be considered a relatively safe speed of up to 5 mph over the posted speed limit then traffic who generally wont pass a police officer legally; i.e. in the center or right lane, then they could effectivel control the speed of traffic without endangering themselves of other motorists. I was taught as a child the the police motto was"To Protect and Serve" not "entrap and fine" So in my mind the OSP and this sting is just like one giant pervasive bake sale. Does it taste good Akron?

@Noodles Jefferson

Ditto!I agree with you 100%.

If you don't have the reflexes, concentration, competence, etc to handle traffic moving at 65 , maybe you shouldn't be on the highway in the first place.


A look at national speed limits:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_the_United_States

@ Gerald

You need to post a link to where you are getting those stats.

While I believe its possible, or JUST ABOUT as possible to get into a serious accident while driving the 'speed limit' or just under, you have to be joking if you think that driving 75 plus in a 55 zone is somehow statistically more safe.

I mean seriously, lets see the stats.

It's more safe if that's what everyone else is doing. Everyone has seen it - the one person going 10-15 mph slower than everyone else. you see the brake lights up ahead, traffic bunches up and then as soon as everyone passes, they all speed back up again. It also happens, BTW, when there's a cop sitting on the median. That's why they started putting decoys and then the REAL cop is waiting at the next on-ramp to pull you over.

@spd3333. YOU ARE A BLUNDERING DUMB @$$. Even if the idiot behind you was pulling a wheelie what were you thinking. You could have killed that person or worse yet casued someone else to kill that person. Write down their license plate number and call the cops. No all bikers pull wheelies and act like that. So before you try to kill someone else be smart.

@areyee said:"Cars are a lot faster and better since the 80's."

Problem is too many drivers are now in their 80's.

And drive in the left lane in the biggest sled still made - the Ford Crown Vic.

BTW - I've lived all over the country. Ohio's State Highway Patrol is one of the best-trained and most professional organizations in the country.

Don't dis them - dis the trolls that gave them the mission. They're just Troopers.

Firestone Park: I will look for the links where I got the information on speeding and slower drivers. It was based on a five year survey and it included some of the most treacherous interstates in the US. Mind you - the top cause is driver distractions (cell phones, texting, etc.), the distraction part also caused drivers to slow on flowing traffic patterns.

Here is just one link until I find my main source:
http://www.motorists.org/speedlimits/

Here was one of the relevant questions:
Q. Isn't slower always safer?
A. No, federal and state studies have consistently shown that the drivers most likely to get into accidents in traffic are those traveling significantly below the average speed. According to an Institute of Transportation Engineers Study, those driving 10 mph slower than the prevailing speed are six times as likely to be involved in an accident. That means that if the average speed on an interstate is 70 mph, the person traveling at 60 mph is far more likely to be involved in an accident than someone going 70 or even 80 mph.

Most of the posted limits in the Akron area are ridiculous (except all school zones or residential areas). If the flow of traffic is going 70 mph - and someone who is not comfortable driving that fast is jamming up traffic in the passing lanes, there is a great chance of that slower car causing an accident. 55 mph in that area on a three lane highway is almost a joke

@accessdenied...that has to be the dumbest comment I ever read on this web site. The reason people don't wear seatbelts on motorcycles is it is safer for the person during a crash to seperate from the 500 pound piece of metal that is rolling down the highway. WOW

I don't think there is much else to say except they should change the name from clean sweep to green sweep.

I guess it's more profitable to pull over drivers going to and from work than to catch thugs breaking into homes in Akron. After all there's no money to be made capturing the sludge of Akron. Way to go Operation Clean Sweep!!

@stuckincrackron...speed traps are not entrapment. Another person making a comment without knowing what they are talking about. No one twisted your arm to go 75mph in a 55mph. You did it on your own free will. All these babies crying about there speeding tickets. SHUT UP AND PAY YOUR FINE! AND YOU WILL! AND YOU WILL GET ANOTHER TICKET! AND YOU WILL CRY AGAIN! AND YOU WILL PAY IT AGAIN!LOL

I heard the OSP is giving out a free box of tissues with each ticket.

Cops lie.
FTP.

Stupid. glad I stay off the highways.

@UseCommonSense:

The State Patrol isn't responsible for policing Akron.

Well, I'm glad my semester at Stark State is over so I don't have to travel that stretch of freeway anymore!

What is with all this nonsense with 55 and 65mph speed limits. Prior to 1974 (pre-55), Ohio had 70mph speed limits on the freeways and a 75 limit on the Turnpike. Why haven't speed limits returned to pre-55 levels? Revenue Generation !!!

If you think the speed limit is too slow, then follow the proper channels to change it. Until, then...the law is the law. If you decide to break it, you'll have to deal with the ticket. The cops may be idiots for standing on the left side of the highway, but don't be a bigger idiot and pull over on the left.

BTW--Just a warning to all the geniuses out there that think brake-checks are a good way to teach someone a lesson...if you get rear-ended, there is an excellent chance that their insurance and possibly your own will tell you to take a hike when you make a claim. They call it "jake brake" and they won't cover it. Besides...it's a stupid, dangerous thing to do anyway...especially to a motorcycle.

Do the speed limit and you will have nothing to worry about.

another way to rob you without a gun

Buy a radar detector and a CB radio.

I agree. There are definitely a few stretches of highway in Summit county that could use the speed limit upgraded from 55 to 65. The new stretch on 77 is a good example now that the lanes are super wide and traffic moves relatively better now.

Ohio allows 65 for trucks on the Turnpike but not on the Interstates. Talk about politics.....and silliness.

@ZippyM: They call it "jake brake" and they won't cover it. Besides...it's a stupid, dangerous thing to do anyway...especially to a motorcycle.

Dude, that's not what a 'jake brake' is....A jake brake is an engine brake used to slow semi-truck speed using their engine. What everyone is referring to is a BRAKE TEST. And it's hard to prove.

I have to admit that speed enforcement, when compared to the other states in which I've lived, is a tad aggressive in Ohio.

Texas posts 65 MPH on all the loops around Dallas but no one gets a dirty look under 75 and they probably won't actually pull you over under 80 unless you're doing something else that's dangerous. The most rural interstates are posted at 70 MPH but you can do 80 easily if you're not switching lanes or tailgating. There are certain counties in the extreme west of the state that are actually posted at 80 and I'm sure you can do 90 there if no one's around. I doubt if they even patrol it on a regular basis.

A word to the wise: NEVER speed in a school zone in Texas. They're very protective of children there. It's a big deal.

California is different yet again. Top posted speed in the state is 70 but most of the traffic is a lot faster...including the cops. The cops pass me at 75-80 going to Sacramento.

This is about revenue generation and (once again) stiff and staid, inflexible old-people friendly government. It's another one of the things Ohio must change about its culture if it expects to ever grow and provide jobs again.

Why doesn't someone file written complaints against the OSP for reckless endangerment of the public?

Bob

Do you like any police officers?

Is the ABJ hurting that bad for money that they have to slam law enforcement all the time?

Quit crying you big effin babies. Of course it's about money but, then again, if you're not doing anything wrong, you won't get a ticket. Cry somewhere else, babies.

Really..I guess you can't post your thoughts. If this board doesn't agree with you.

At least we're number one in SOMETHING in Ohio. I was starting to get a complex, like maybe our state sucked.

Give the cops a break about how they merge, they are doing the best they can. The Hardly Davidsons the state has them on are among the most underpowered and unsafe motorcycles in the market today.

@ spe3333

you deserve to die for brakechecking "crotchrocket" riders. You're lucky he didnt kick a dent in the side of your POS car. I would have.

and for those complaining about the cops, if you speed stop being cheap and buy a nice radar detector. Mine was going off wayyy before i even saw them.

is it too late to buy Krispy Kream stock?

Mr no more excuses. For your personal knowledge I never drive in excess of 5 mph over the speed limit and will happilty pay the minro fine that comes along with it. The point of my post was; that our police force which is designed to help keep us safe can find better way to do that than to set up speed traps. These types of sweeps are nothing more than profit generators. Those police could actually be responding to calls instead of shooting radar. Also that by pacing the highways by traveling them would be a more effective way of slowing everyone down. So save your self serving comments for someone else. BOOOYAH!!!

See this is kind of funny to me. People are complaining about them ticketing people, the solution is simple. Don't speed.

And for those complaining about the inner city crime, since when is that the responsibility of the Ohio Highway patrol?

Raise the speed limit and I won't be speeding.

Thank goodness for the tickets they handed out. I drive 77 north every morning, I do the speed limit, and people pass me like I am standing still. Whether you like the speed limits or not, they are there, and if you speed, you are breaking the law. Slow down!!!!!

Welcome to the Jungle:

That's great that you drive the speed limit and at least stay in the right lanes so people can pass. Who are you to judge anyone who decides to drive faster than the posted limits?

Pat yourself on the back and know that statistically, you are more prone to cause an accident than faster drivers.

The Troopers have a job, and they are very GOOD at their job...SPEED KILLS... and the posted speed is the LAW... The Troopers from Columbus and Cincinnati are in the area to do their job... DEAL WITH IT.... Maybe the life they save by slowing the agressive driver down will be yours or someone you love.

If speed killed, everyone in California and Texas would be dead.

We drive 75-80 MPH every day. When I lived in Texas, we drove even faster.

BetaSUX...write a better article.

Speed does not kill. US roads had their lowest fatality rate since 1961, even lower than during the 55 speed limit years. Ever notice how many cop cars "speed"? Quite a few.

Speed does kill... drivers loose control at higher speeds... its proven...troopers. and most law enforcement officers have special training in driving at high speeds...You can make statistics say whatever you want... we have safety equipment in cars now..you know air bags.
I have worked as an EMT for many years and have picked up the results of MANY high speed crashes...
Before you curse the trooper...you should see what he/she has to see.... you may think twice about going the 10 or 15 miles over the limit that you are going. Thank you to all Law Enforcement... especially The Ohio State Patrol... Ohio's FINEST!

@bassplayer who said:

"It's all about money anyway.. Don't tell me they care about safety.. They want money and see this as an easy legal way to get it..."

These types of comments are hilarious because it shows how stupid you people are. It's because of morons like you who let them make money. Moron.

@yankeescot who spewed:

"I wish the police would be used for something other than revenue generation for the state & local govt's. Eventually everyone is going to get fed up with these "taxes" the the govt pushes off on us that we have no say on whatsoever."

That's a pretty stupid and uneducated comment. These are not "taxes". These are fines because morons like you insist on going 20 over the speed limit. You don't speed = you don't get fined.

Pretty simple. Even a caveman knows that. But clearly you're dumber than a caveman.

@Jef who said:

"Why doesn't someone file written complaints against the OSP for reckless endangerment of the public?"

Well why don't you. Then have fun proving your case. Idiot.

@rootvg

I've grown up in California and we always drive 80mph. The cops don't even look at you unless you go faster than that.

It used to be illegal and dangerous to drive faster than 55. This shows speed limits have nothing to do with safety.

Speed doesn't kill, it's the sudden stop.

state poopers wear stupid hats

the money is split 50-50 between akron and the state

speed limits have nothing to do with safety.
it wouldnt matter if i got hit with something going 60 mph or 75 mph- IM DEAD!!

@Gerard, that is not what the studies show. The studies show that the traffic deviating the farthest from the average (slow AND fast) cause the most accidents. It is NOT just the slow drivers.

make these morons prove their case. drive up on your motorcycle and show up for court. more taxpayer dollars. what a joke

IM NOT EVEN A SPEEDER. never had a ticket.

i detest the state revenue agents with the d-bag attitude and goofy hats

Gerard, you cited a biased organization and on top if it what you posted has no reference to a specific study or actual statistics.

solve some real crime- oh thats right, you wouldnt have a clue how to do that. pull out the laser or the accident measuring tape. thats all your good for.

i feel better now.

Traffic flow =
I be standing on a bridge wid 10 other folks.
Nine of dem jump. I should just go with the flow and jump too? Hmmmmmmmm....
I think that dude on the cycle looks kind of hot!
vroommmmm!

@Jef, the truck limit has already been increased by the government and just needs time to be enacted.

I am a happily married father of a beautiful 7 month old baby girl. I was nearly killed by some idiot speeding & not paying attention in my construction zone. He clipped the corner of my trailer (which I was standing in... 3 feet away from the point of impact.) I had a sufficient zone set up with proper signs and cones, with 2 miles of visibility. Yet he still managed to plow into my trailer. They make these laws not only to protect the drivers, but the people working on those roads, and/or utilities. They would not have established a speed limit in the first place if they did not have a justifiable reason. SO enforcing said laws are not only protecting you from yourselves, but they're protecting my daughter from losing her father, or my wife from losing her husband. There is a lot more at stake than you being 5 minutes late. If you're that worried about it, leave 5 minutes earlier. Simple as that.

its all about stats and the State Highway Patrol needs the stats to justify the cost of a motorcycle unit..... Akron didnt have a high accident rate in the areas that were being targeted.. its just a easy place to write a ticket and get a stat... trust me when i tell you...

Stopping on a freeway is illegal. Ohio has a 40mph MINIMUM freeway speed limit.

The truck speed limit was 70 (75 on the Turnpike)before 1974.

JoNuff- Agree
@ listen2u - I drive that stretch everyday and the idiots on the roadway need to be stopped.
Iffen that includes you so be it!
Sign says you gotta have a membership card to get inside! So obey the sign!

Toxic Nut takes enjoyment in the death of police officers. Better keep an eye on this one.

Spe333 said he "tapped" the breaks.....that's not a break check. A break check is when you push the break for a second or 2. Good for you spe333....if these people on crotch rockets are dumb enough to drive the way SOME of them do...then they are dumb enough to suffer the consequences! I would do the same thing.

the governor, if we had one, should fire every trooper who wrote a ticket here on that stretch of road, because not doing so proves clearly we as humans are not what is important to our governing elected officials, our wallets are...

and then if he doesn't, we shopuld retire every elected official in the state who doesn't speak out against it


this is a true and uniquely American disgrace

and a strange new form of dishonesty by cops and troopers, who are already fairly qualified as liars and abusers of the job priviledge (none see it as such)

Just take the bus. It all ready goes everywhere you want to go.

how about we have the speeders in excess of say 20 mph clean those highways of the trash.

Please don't brake check motorcycles. I dont want to be the one that runs them over when they fall off their motorcycle, it might damge my car, then I would be mad! Don't get me wrong I don't mind motorcycles, I just hate the reckless ones.

@swami squeegee, I have never seen such a more ridiculous post. The cops had the legal right to pull people over and do not deserve to be fired. The fact they were only target people 20 overs shows they were using discretion.

The only crime I see here is Dyer not being canned by the ABJ last year or so when the paper downsized everything but the price!

Don't you just like the way they use the word ..URBAN....What word do they use for the white areas....Concrete Hillbillies

On our way to a casino in WVa. yesterday , we seen at least five of them troopers of which two were writing tickets. We drive the limit and use cruise control, np. We also seen aprox. 1000 orange barrels. Oh, and we helped out the WVa. economy, sorry Ohio, you dont want it.

it is ridiculous! i've seen them step out in front of cars, ON THE HIGHWAY! i know all the cities and states are strapped for cash at the moment... but where should we draw the line!? i wate hate to somebody get hurt for an $80 speeding ticket!

if you break the law.......pay the price.

my biggest beef is the teenagers driving at a high rate of speed,with their seats reclined to a sleeping position. I thought a car was driving itself yesterday, then they speed and make lane changes at will .
no way can they see whats behind or next to them ,heck they cant place their hat on their head correctly,or wear pants that fit, I know if I was to walk around in my underwear I would be arrested!

Raise the speed limits

vettegirl584 - I have no problem with the motorcycles, just don't be popping wheelies and doing stunts up behind my rear end. You WILL get the brakes. Enough said!

I was traveling on I-76 West near the Kenmore leg and noticed a trooper run across 3 lanes of traffic to his motorcycle which was against the concrete wall and almost was hit. Everyone had to come to a complete stop and Thank the Lord there wasn't a major accident or the trooper wasn't killed.

Here's an idea -----slow down....

hey puttentane, was it a nice big 18 wheeler?

if that state pooper would of been hit, they would have found all sorts of ridiculous tickets to write the driver-

Traffic cops, in general, are more toll/tax collectors than either safety or crime-prevention officials. Their primary roll is to collect enough revenue to 1) justify their numbers and equipment, and 2) contribute revenue to the general coffers of the political entity that pays their salaries, as well as those of their colleagues who do the actual police work.
Any value added for the citizenry is purely unintentional.

One can infer from reading this story that
a. Bob got a ticket
b. someone in Bob's family got a ticket
c. an editor at the Beacon got a ticket
d. other Beacon employees got tickets
e. all of the above

@kenyon-younailed that wh%re.

With the state govt. having a big budget shortfall it's just an easy way for them to amass some money for the yokels in Columbus. It would be a lot easier and safer to just cut some employees off the roles of all state departments. Start with a 10 percent reduction and go from there. Maybe another 10 percent after that. They would save millions of dollars right away. No need to try and squeeze it out of the people!

It would take a major increase in the annual number of tickets for a positive increase from past years to occur for the state government. Only 45% goes to the treasure of Ohio from each ticket as 50% stays local and 5% goes to a special fund for emergency medical services.

OSP are a bunch of idiots. PLEASE dont confuse these guys with the APD.

never give the cops permission to search your vehicle.they are looking for anything to take back to their chief to show how valuable they are to the safety of the citizens.COPS LIE!

Common Sense: Please use some. If the flow of traffic is 75 and the speed limit is 65, let's see. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. It would appear that all of the idiots who are driving 75 are breaking the law. But that's right. It's ok to break the law when y'all think it's ok. You pick and choose which laws to break.

The highways were designed for the speed of 70. The stroke of a pen we were all criminals. They lowered the speed for saving gas. Part of the sham of oil conservation. Now they say it is safety. To drive 2 different speeds on a highway is dangerous. But the have 2 speed limits, one for trucks and one for cars.

This is talking out both sides of mouth at its best.

Fight the tickets using 14th Amendment Due Process which requires law to be reasonable. This speed limit is not reasonable. Let's see if the judges of Summit County support this policy.

Why would the hometown paper write complaining about ticketing in town? Support highway safety! The interstate and rt 8 thru Akron is crazy, if not flying they don't now how to drive it. The ABJ is the most turd stirring paper and never supports the LAW.

@Spd3333

you know what? youre an A**hole. Youre probly the guy/girl that did that to my friend last summer causing him to lay his bike down on the highway. People like you shouldnt be in society. you could have killed someone. yeah you may not like people doing wheelies and whatever, thats fine. but why do someth8ing that puts their life in danger? moron.

@daddysgirl.

we arent all law-abiding perfect people like you. so just shut up, nobody cares about your stuck up un-informed opinion.

The American Interstate highways were designed for 90mph, not 70. Drive in other states where the speed limit is 75 or 80 and you can actually enjoy driving without fear of receiving a ticket.

Never admit guilt when stopped by police. Never give more information than your name and address. If the cops ask for more, keep your mouth shut.

If people would go the speed limit and keep their noses clean, there wouldn't be any excuses for a cop to pull anyone over. For those that whine because they were pulled over knowing full well what they are doing, i have some cyber tissues for you.

Hmmm, See Toxic Nut's post. It's a good thing that your sister didn't hit this cop. If she would have, God Forbid, it would have been her fault and they would have prosecuted her to the fullest. Look at what they did to that man that accidently hit the Boston Heights cop. It was an accident and they are fighting him.
El Toro: I love your avatar, is that your dog? Cute.

Krystal Renee - Spd333 isn't putting their life in danger by break checking, the person popping wheelies has already put their own life in danger. I'm sorry about your friend, but if they had to lay their bike down, then they were following way to close.

I find it funny that people will use any excuse to drive faster than the speed limits and justify it to such an extent that they can sleep at night knowing it's 'normal' in their minds.

I find it funny the police and politicians use "safety" to justify illegally underposted speed limits. It's even funnier to see how many cops and politicians speed. If it was ok to drive 70mph on a freeway in Ohio in 1973, it should be ok today.

@Momma J:
You said, "Speed does kill... drivers loose control at higher speeds... its proven... You can make statistics say whatever you want... you may think twice about going the 10 or 15 miles over the limit that you are going."

Per the article ODOT has been trying to overturn the glitch in the law and get the speed limit raised in that stretch from 55 to 65mph. Given today's superior automobile, tire, and highway construction technologies, apparently they don't agree.

If speed kills going an illegal 10 over 65 now, what will you say when it IS the legal limit? The same thing? My guess is yes, because to you it's not the safety, it's the excessive illegal speed. But then, "You can make statistics say whatever you want..."

@ Jef

I agree the limits need moved up, pretty much across the board for Ohio's highways, but its just not going to happen due to the amount of money that can be made by keeping them the current way. Therefore, the best thing to do is just accept it for what it is, and drive the limits or a little over.

Otherwise your license pays the price eventually.

they say its for our safety,and if it does make a difference good for us,but in my opinion the average excessive speeding ticket is $125 and they handed out 600 plus tickets on Thursday,it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out!$75,000???in one day.

If we just accepted underposted speed limits, we would still be stuck with the even more ridiculous 55mph speed limit. The only reason 55 was abolished was the fact 99.9% of drivers were driving faster than 55.

@Scotty boy
It has been proven that people loose control easier at higher speeds.... TRUE tires today are better ...etc.... BUT THE POSTED SPEED is the law... and responsible people follow the law... like it or not.... IT is NOT the Troopers fault that you get tagged for excessive speed...It is their JOB to enforce the law... and given the fact that the OHP Motor Patrol Units have been brought into the area for target enforcement shows that someone from the Akron area saw the need to get the excessive speed under control.

@scotty boy

Continued ... The accidents that occur at high speed do tend to be deadly...Do I think that 55 is the speed we should travel... NO I travel the interstates a lot... The posted speed is the posted speed and is set do to the conditions of the area....But you do need to have EVERYONE in the same speed zone.... if 55 is posted, 55 it is...

Speed limits are supposed to be set at 85th percentile speeds. If they are not, then the speed limits are illegal. 55mph is not even close to the actual 85th% freeway speeds.

@Jef

NOT the Troopers Fault! They were brought in to do target enforcement.... That is what they are doing.... until the speed limit is posted otherwise...55 is the law. Get your ODOT people on it...

I got my radar detector, CB radio, and mobile police scanner on it. Try and catch me now !!!

@MommaJ:

"Do I think that 55 is the speed we should travel... NO I travel the interstates a lot" "if 55 is posted, 55 it is..."

OK, which is it?

"The posted speed is the posted speed and is set (due) to the conditions of the area".

Tens of millions of dollars spent on this stretch of roadway. Three-wide lanes, the smoothest pavement in the area, brand new lighting fixtures, extra wide shoulders, longer exit/entrance ramps. How have the conditions (and safety) not markedly improved? No doubt 55 is the limit but that limit remains after construction only because of paperwork.

If ODOT thinks the speed's too low obviously safety isn't an issue. Your argument appears to be disingenuous. I think you simply dislike anyone driving over the speed limit and that safety at higher speeds is a cop out.

55 on a federal interstate system designed for 70 is slow. My point is, given today's better quality everything, how is 65 more dangerous now than 70 back in 1960?

Scotty Boy

Why is it that because I agree that the posted speed is what should be.... until it is increased that's the way it is... WHAT I don't like is all the whining about it being the Ohio State Patrols fault that so many tickets are being written!...

Put the blame where it belongs! on the driver... until the area is posted differently... Slow Down, or pay up and Shut up!

The Patrol blithely forgets the 1992 study "EFFECTS OF THE 65-MPH SPEED LIMIT ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN OHIO", which found "fatal accident rates on rural Interstate highways posted at 65 mph ...had not significantly changed after the implementation of the 65-mph speed limit."

Or to mention that interstates account for 25% of motor traffic, but just 10% of traffic deaths.

How curious that the Patrol spends its time where it is least needed, but most visible.

http://pubsindex.trb.org/document/view/default.asp?lbid=371649

oppose speed traps. TAKE ALL THESE TO COURT

If you’re caught in a speed trap, you need to challenge your speeding ticket in court. Just paying the ticket to avoid the hassle will only perpetuate the system by giving the municipality exactly what it wants and expects: your money. Challenge your ticket in court with the full knowledge that you may have to appeal your conviction to a higher, more legitimate court. This accomplishes a variety of objectives:

1. You force the operators of the speed trap to take their time and money to prosecute you.
2. If you are well prepared, a competent judge may decide to formally chastise the speed trap operators, especially if they have violated an existing state law.
3. Finally, as a reward for your hard work, there’s a good chance the charges against you will be dismissed.

This article was adapted from information on the NMA’s speed trap registry website, www.speedtrap.org

These kinds of MASS enforcements ONLY work if you all pay your tickets by mail. 600 people schedule court hearings and you have judicial gridlock!, the officers have to travel, you get a couple of postponements, changes of dates [easy to do] and you are off FREE when the LEO fails to show - dismissed and you have cost the courts and your city MONEY. They will learn their lesson quickly when their "Operation Sweep" cost a few hundred thousand dollars in court time.