High-End Cars Pulled Over in Run to Vegas

I wonder how many tickets Roy has accumulated

 

Wow, this gave me a shiver. Are you N. Cal guys and our Reno friends reading this???
Certainly would have put a damper on the weekend, eh?
Count your lucky stars boys, and knock on wood too.

 

There doesn't seem to be a shortage of people willing to risk getting nailed on these high profile runs.

 

Speeding on I-5 is a sure way to a BIG citation. I make the drive from K Falls to Vacaville every month. Go fast between KF and Weed. then 10 to 15 over speed limit seems to be OK. Anything over will get a visit from a black & white. Nevada seems to be the place to get the cobwebs out.

 

Luckily for us our route was considerably different and the event nto nearly as well known.

--Dan

 

John, they were pulled over in Washington not Nevada. Washington and Oregon not good places to drive fast. Glad I didn't go to this event, FWIW. Mike

 

Yeah, but how many of these 'citations' are going to lead to convictions? Hmm?

We still win!

 

I've been nabbed before at a high rate. The experience was unpleasant and costly. There are serious repercussions, too. Legal expenses, insurance hassles and costs, travel to and fro for court appearances are just the beginning. Of course, as someone just put it, you must be convicted (and, usually, at this rate of speed, a court appearance is mandatory).

I've watched some of these videos of the high speed runs, and it appears that the drivers are 1) foreign, 2) have fake identification papers, or 3) get nailed BIG time but we don't hear about it.

I'd really like to know what comes of these citations. My own citation was just slightly over triple digit on an empty road at 11:30pm at night. I was not under the influence, there was no racing involved, and the officer let me drive home. In other words, he didn't take me to jail on the spot (which is at their discretion, btw). I was facing significant jail time, though (in the state in which the ticket occured, jail time was up to 1 year (!), and the judge made a statement that anyone convicted of speeding over 90mph would spend two nights in jail for every mph over 90). You do the math. Anyway, this seemed like a draconian punishment to me, at least. My plea agreement was less harsh, and I took it, but needless to say, I still maintain there are places, times and occasions when a high rate of speed is not reckless in and of itself and should be permitted if the driver is qualified, the conditions are satisfactory and the road permits.

However, my question really is about these drivers and the consequences they suffer. Granted different jurisdictions have different rules and tolerances, but seeing speeds in the 100+ range (and significantly higher in many cases) makes me think that some of these drivers aren't doing much driving anymore (at least for a while, and when they can get out of jail and get their licenses back, they'll still have lasting troubles with the insurance companies).

Does anyone know how these citations have turned out? Or, better yet, how the system was "gamed" so as to permit these drivers to speed with little or no consequences? Many await this answer, I'm sure!

CW

 

If as you say they are from other countries then they can use international drivers licenses etc. They'd probably still get nailed with fines etc. but they just factor that in. There is a % that don't really consider the consequences and live for today. They are the ones that pay the price and you probably don't hear too much from them again. Other than that there may be some @ss kissing techniques that are on a case by case basis. Anyone else know for sure?

 

it's often possible to talk the cop down to a lower ticket, if it's 'safe' speeding, good weather, you show proper respect to the cop, if you exhibit the correct manner when stopped, and if necessary, just ask.

The cops are very aware that writing one up for 100+ has different consequences and clogs up court time more than a mail in ticket.
What the cops are usually after is to make sure you're not a true hazard/threat on the road, and
to slap your hand/empty your wallet cuz you done got caught. Make it easy on 'em to roll over
to option #2 and life is much easier for both parties.

I remember getting nailed for 110mph on I-5 south of San Francisco several yrs ago while in a BMW 735. Followed proper procedure, ended up with a ticket for 85, which ended up costing $130 or so...

No telling what kind of attitude the goons had when pulled over by the cops.

 

The last thing that will happen is the cops giving anyone a break, they'll tell the story for months of giving the guys in a Ferrari a fist full of tickets for doing 110+mph, it will make their week, no need for the free Starbucks or sugar donuts for the adrenalin fix for awhile.

The participants in these runs and those involved don't seem very bright either, the old runs were underground and in secret not a bunch of guys with huge stickers all over their cars weaving in and out of traffic with every mad mommy in a SUV and a cell phone calling the cops, these drivers are begging to get stopped, if you are involved and have the graphics on your car and slightly speeding you are guilty by association and face the consequences also, heavy fines, court time, and having Bubbah the tow truck driver with no teeth scrape up your car towing it then having it sit in a dingy tow yard, what fun.

 

"I still maintain there are places, times and occasions when a high rate of speed is not reckless in and of itself and should be permitted if the driver is qualified, the conditions are satisfactory and the road permits. "

Now there's an utopian statement if I ever saw one! I would contend that there is nowhere that this is possible on a public road other than possibly Germany. And that is only a possibility because since the fall of the wall, the German disciplines on the Autobahn have been severely diluted by the arrival of their inept new countrymen with high powered cars on which they have neither the experience nor the skill, even if you did. So the latter conditionr estricts all but closed roads?

 

I heard these guys were escorted out of Seattle by the WSP for the first 40 miles after which they opened up.
They were chased down by other WSP further down the line but the "players" would not stop until even more WSP down the line brought ALL traffic to a stop on I-5 with a rolling road block to corral the group.

Didn't anybody look up? They were tracked the entire time by the eyes in the sky.

I read this in the newspaper Sunday.

 

If I'm not mistaken the "ticket me" stickers are mandatory. All this "highlarity" for close to $10K

 

Colin,

Yes, I dream of a utopian world without red lights, SUVs and speed limits. Unfortunately, I'm usually brought back to reality within seconds of leaving my garage!

And, please don't misunderstand my comment. I do not condone some of the driving of these "spirited" individuals. I don't believe it is appropriate to be weaving in and out of traffic. I don't believe it is appropriate to drive recklessly. Period. However, just because someone is driving fast does not make them reckless, by default. The law may consider it so, but I wish we could change that. There's no reason that driving very fast on an empty road can't be safe. Of course, your margin for error gets narrower, but that is something the driver must factor in. What's safe for the conditions? The road itself? The car? The driver? They're all factors. What's important is training driver's properly. We've basically neglected this important task.

The first thing i was taught in driver's ed was that the driver is the best person to determine what's safe in any given situation. Unfortunately, we've got traffic engineers sitting in some office hundreds of miles away from the road, or politicians in State Capitols (or worse, Washington, DC) deciding what's safe. I fully understand that we have to maintain some order on the roads, but ticketing someone doing 80 in a 55 (or something equivalent) on an empty interstate seems part ridiculous and part revenue-minded.

And, I've gone on record before saying that the 55mph speed limit was a hold-over from the gas crunch of the early '70s. Even upping it to 65mph isn't far enough. Nearly 30 years of automotive developments (tires, brakes, suspension, engine, safety cells/bags/etc., and road design) has been ignored by the traffic engineers.

I'm a big believer in a dual-licensing system: if you qualify for a "super license", you get a different colored license plate. If you're on an appropriate road in an appropriate car, then the speed limit is raised for you and you alone. BUT, you bear the burden of driving safely and not recklessly. This doesn't mean that you can go barrelling though a urban center at 100mph. It does mean that if the road is open, the weather conditions good, the traffic light, your car in tip-top shape (and capable of sustained high speeds) you ought to be able to determine what's reasonable under the circumstances. That said, I don't envision minivans going 100mph. I don't envision Toyota Corollas and Honda Civics going 100mph, either. Someone, somewhere will have to establish a list of Federally-approved high-speed vehicles.

I've thought that this list of approved vehicles should be based upon %age of use. By this, I mean that each vehicle is rated by power, tires, brakes, safety devices, and so on on a scale of 100%. If the car is above a certain %age score, it is an approved vehicle. That means that not every car would quality. Not every car has to cost $100K to score highly, but it's pretty safe to assume that cars like Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and so on would score pretty well. After all, they are designed with high-speed usage in mind.

It's worked in Germany as long as it has probably because of the Teutonic, Germanic culture. They rigidly adhere to the rules (no passing on the right, slower traffic must move right, etc.). I'm not sure we have the discipline here. Or, maybe the tolerance for the consequences of accidents at those speeds. We need drivers that will put their cellphones down, turn the radio off, and concentrate on driving. Get rid of cupholders, I say.

I realize that this is unrealistic here in the US. This is too political, too radical and too libertarian. It's fraught with problems, I'm sure. It likely will never happen, but I can dream can't I? And, if the Government represents the People, why can't we band together and change the rules we don't like? It may take time, but grassroots efforts can get some legs and run.

CW

 

I realize that this is unrealistic here in the US. This is too political, too radical and too libertarian. It's fraught with problems, I'm sure. It likely will never happen, but I can dream can't I? And, if the Government represents the People, why can't we band together and change the rules we don't like? It may take time, but grassroots efforts can get some legs and run.

CW[/QUOTE]

VIVA LA RESISTANCE!!!!!

 

I can't believe that anybody would condone or entertain the possibilities of such high speed road racing activities. We saw just last week on this board what can happen on a regulated race track with only 2 cars on the track. ONE brief moment of indecision or unclear directions and 2 people end up dead. The variables that would be involved on a public highway are infinate and the consequences even more deadly. Just let one of those Mario Wannabes go out of control and kill a dozen or so people and the repercussions will echo all the way to Washington. Your "exotic" will then have a special class of insurance that will require a mandatory driving school and insurance premiums through the roof.

 

Horsefly,

My comments are in no way meant to diminish the recent tragedy or cast a light upon it. My condolences are offered. I did not know either of the two individuals, but I understand they were passionate, supportive contributors and friends of many here. Worse, they were husbands and parents, and leave families behind that will always wonder "what if?".

Could the tragedy have been avoided? Yes, of course. No fast cars, no track days, no speeding, no nothing. Heck, why doesn't the government just mandate that we all drive Toyota Prius's with rev limiters that prevent us from going over 10mph. That ought to prevent all traffic fatalities and save the environment at the same time.

The fundamental underpinning of a workable system I support is drivers that know and respect their limits. Regardless, accidents will happen. Fatalities will result. If you want to live in a padded room for the rest of your life, you can, but there are those who wish to feel the thrust of acceleration, the tingle of a car on edge and the "oh sh_t" reaction of going a little deeper in a turn then you've ever gone before. I'm not saying that it's appropriate to explore the limits of a super high-performance vehicle at every possible opportunity. Does one need to find out if an Enzo can corner a 1.0Gs or 1.1Gs on the street? And, what about the random factors such as obstructions, oil on the road or a blown tire? Yes, these are all FACTORS that must be weighed.

And, please don't confuse my comments as endorsing road racing on the streets. That's not what I'm suggesting whatsoever. Driving fast is not racing. Frankly, I don't think a mandatory high-performance driving class is a bad idea. In fact, that's kind of what I was arguing. If I didn't, it wouldn't be inconsistent.

I don't know what qualifications the driver had. He most certainly was approved by the track marshalls and/or instructors, but is that enough? Shouldn't everyone go to Skip Barber (or equivalent)? Accidents will still happen, though. And fatalities will still result. Again, I'm not suggesting that the driver was untrained or unqualified. Even professional drivers die in avoidable incidents. So, I'm not sure if anything could have been done to prevent this event from occuring. As I understood it, it was just an incident that ended up very badly.

I don't want to live in a world where I can't do anything because someone has said, "oh, that's dangerous." While I can't speak for the driver, his passenger or their families, I would hope that they, too, felt this way. And, tragically they succumbed doing something they wanted to do because it is fun. Life is full of risks, and accidents will ALWAYS happen. Let's not regulate life to the point where we are dead inside, though.

Please, also, let's not turn this thread into something it's not. I only brought these points up in response to the comment. I completely respect the privacy of the individuals and their families, and I hope that this post isn't, in any way, misconstrued so as to attack the driver. That is most assuredly not my intention.

CW

 

Well, Roy actually announced at the kick off party (he held at his home), that he would be "taking it easy", and enjoy the ride and comeraderie. But I am still suspect. Especially since we were both busted doing 210kph up in Vancouver, BC recently.

 

them darn cops

 

and the judge made a statement that anyone convicted of speeding over 90mph would spend two nights in jail for every mph over 90). You do the math.......

Dan, can you help me out with the math on this one???Lets see, wow, would it really be 6 months in jail?
Theres always good behavior.....

 

Yeah Dan, tell us all about it, just how does that jail thing work exactly ???

 

We willl do our speeding in Nevada. It helps when your friends are cops!

 

Hey Bro, so you did set the whole thing up after all, now lets have a full confession. Or better still, how about another run.