A disclaimer to start (courtesy of my mother’s voice that refuses to vacate my head): Driving excessively fast is not safe. This hub should not be taken as advocating dangerous behavior.

That said, there are speed traps that are arguably unfair. By my house there’s a point on a four lane road where the speed limit inexplicably drops from 45mph to 20mph. Of course, the cops hang out with their radar gun at the very start of the slower speed zone. Every driver who lives in our neighborhood has received at least one speeding ticket there (except for yours truly, a source for bragging rights at neighborhood cocktail parties).

Also, there are many instances when nearly everyone on the highway is exceeding the speed limit by roughly the same amount. Yet of all those speeding cars the cops choose one in particular to pull over for a citation. The driver of that car doesn’t really get the ticket for speeding but for getting noticed speeding.

So what to do? Some tips:

In the U.S. radar detectors are legal in every state except Virginia (and the District of Columbia). If you live in one of the other 49 states, get some sort of radar detector!

The most common way police catch speeders is with a radar gun or a speed detecting laser. A radar detector is a device that senses the presence of either on the road ahead of you and warns the driver with an alarm noise and/or flashing lights. Sometimes the authorities will put a radar emitting device at the start of road construction or on a wide load vehicle, so having a radar detector can also help warn you of other obstacles you should be slowing down for. The best radar detector for the money is the Escort Passport 8500. For an overview of what to look for when buying a radar detector, along with recomendations for the best detectors in four different price categories, see my hub: What's The Best Radar Detector? The Best In Each of Four Price Categories Revealed.

In urban and suburban areas speeding tickets are increasingly being issued by cameras set up at fixed points on a road. There are three main ways to combat these cameras:

1. Look for the lines on the road that traffic cameras use to measure a car’s speed.
2. Coat your license plate with a (legal!) special spray that makes it difficult for traffic cameras to identify your car.
3. Know where the traffic cameras are installed.

For steps #2 and #3, Phantom Alert is a must-visit website. They not only sell the license plate spray but also a database of all the traffic cameras around the U.S. Their coolest product might be an electronic database of traffic cameras that syncs up with popular GPS units. With this database installed your GPS will warn you when you are coming up on a traffic camera!

Your chances of getting a speeding ticket depends a lot on how you drive, not only how fast. Some methods for stealthy driving:

• On the interstate cars tend to travel in bunches. Find a pack driving your desired speed and position yourself as the second to last car in the group. It is rare for police to pull over a whole group of speeding autos. In a pack of speeders, the lead car is by far the most likely to be pulled over. The last car is the second most likely.
• If you can’t find a pack to travel with find a single car. Drive at least ten seconds behind your chosen leader and keep a proactive eye on that car’s brake lights, slowing down the instant you see them shine red.
• Police usually target their radar guns on the left most lane. Avoid the left-most lane except to pass.
• Don’t change lanes excessively, drive aggressively or tailgate. Such driving is bad for obvious reasons and will get the attention of patrolling cops.
• Keep your car looking respectable. If a police officer is undecided about whether to pull you over or not, driving a car that has a malfunctioning taillight or a crack in the windshield or that is excessively dirty can make the difference between getting a ticket or not.
• Don’t drive a flashy car with such things as big shiney exhaust pipes or prominent racing strips. All things equal, red cars are statistically the most likely to be issued speeding tickets, followed by yellow and black. Light blue cars are the least likely.
• Look for places for police cars to hide along a highway. You are at a greater risk being surprised by a speed trap in a tree-filled hilly area than you are in a barren and flat one.
• Have a sense where the speed traps might be. On routes you regularly drive, make a mental note of the cops favorite hiding places. For other routes, check out one of the free websites that list frequent speed traps. The Speed Trap Exchange and the map-based Njection are two good sites to check out.

. . . the number one rule is not to admit guilt. If the cop asks if you know why you’ve been pulled over “Because I was speeding” is the absolute worst answer to give. At the same time, be polite and respectful. The officer is simply doing his job and arguing can only make matters worse.

There are ways to fight a speeding ticket once you get one. The details depend on your exact circumstances and the state in which the citation is issued. Damon Dallah’s Beat The System has all the details.

Also, if you are a member of the National Motorists Association and are not able to get your speeding ticket overturned the Association will pay your speeding ticket for you. See their website for more.

Have another tip for avoiding speeding tickets? (Besides not speeding in the first place). Please share in the comments, below.