Where to Drive Defensively – States With Soaring Traffic Tickets

Driving defensively was once a term used to help protect you from other motorists on the road, but now the biggest threat to your trips are the state traffic laws and methods of enforcement. Speed traps are common knowledge these days but if you are traveling out of state, knowing the threat level can be a useful advantage.

The National Motorists Association ranked all the states in a survey on the worst states for tickets. The survey was configured using various criteria such as: the number of speed traps per capita (based on info from SpeedTrap.org indexed by population), Whether or not the state has red light cameras, Jury availability for traffic violations, legality of radar detectors, authorization of roadblocks, along with many other law related categories that either work for or against the states rank. Leading the list at the number one spot for the worst state for tickets is New Jersey, followed closely by Ohio and Maryland. According to New Jersey Newsroom, Mahwah, Mahwah is the where the worst speed trap is in New Jersey. New Jersey wasn´t the top of the list for speed traps, raking at seventh, but the states traffic laws are what ensured its number one spot on this list. Oddly enough, California ranked in at 14th, headed even by Louisiana.

The state was docked for using roadblocks, capping the speed limits at 65mph, and denying jury trials to speed offenders. Although the densely populated states tend to be stricter on speed limits, more than half of the states have max limits of 70mph. The U.S. rivals to New Jersey for population density are Massachusetts and Rhode Island; they also limit the highways at 65mph. More information about New Jersey traffic violations and tickets, see this DMV site.

The dispute that comes out of information from these types of surveys is whose interest the dollar is being collected in. You probably jump to thinking right away that the states are looking to sit the treasury on a higher perch, and you´re probably right. During holiday seasons it´s a known fact that the streets will be crowded with the black and whites no matter what state you live in. The question of morality is whether or not this is an attempt to keep the roads safer or to merely generate higher revenues without regards for you, the driver. Another factor for contemplation is how much of an impact the state´s current finances have to do with "how safe" the roads end up.

All in all it´s good practice to tread lightly when driving through New Jersey or the other higher ranked states. It never hurts to get some defensive driving experience under your belt and to brush up on driving skills with a DMV practice test. Despite where you live or drive keep in mind that driving "safe" will be easier on your pockets no matter what. Also be aware of where speed traps are often set up. When you´re entering or leaving any small town, pay close attention to the posted speed limits. They may frequently change with no obvious reason as to why. This is one of the most common areas for getting caught in speed traps.