Driving question for the LEOs on here...

[Ronin13]

So this is for any LEOs, current or former:
Does it aggravate you as much as it does me when a driver is driving near a marked police vehicle does 5-20mph UNDER the speedlimit? I was running some errands today and there was a Jeffco B&W and everyone gave the deputy at least 4 car lengths and I think I got to maybe 50 in a 55... What's the deal? Just do the speed limit and they won't stop you.

[cstone]

There is always some leeway in speed calibration. Generally speaking, if the cop is driving at or about the speed limit, don't pass them. This is just a general sign of disrespect. Not quite like giving them the finger, but if the po-po is at 35mph in a posted 35mph, so you decide to slide by him at 37-38mph, you should expect to have a pleasant conversation with the officer about your ability to observe your surroundings and drive at the posted speed limit.

If on the other hand, the officer is clearly, driving well under the posted speed limit, and it is safe to do so, drive on by, at the posted speed limit. Don't wave as you go by, and don't pop your clutch, make drastic lane changes, or otherwise draw attention to yourself and the officer will probably remain attentive to whatever it is they are doing which has them driving so slowly.

Traffic stops happen. I taught my kids how to handle a traffic stop when I taught them how to drive. I hope they never need to use that skill, but knowing how to act while in public is just a sign of good manners IMO.

[TFOGGER]

If on the other hand, the officer is clearly, driving well under the posted speed limit, and it is safe to do so, drive on by, at the posted speed limit. Don't wave as you go by, and don't pop your clutch, make drastic lane changes, or otherwise draw attention to yourself and the officer will probably remain attentive to whatever it is they are doing which has them driving so slowly.

So wheelying by at 3x the posted limit is probably a bad idea?

Let's add to the list of objectionable (if mostly legal) driving habits:

- going 10 mph under the posted limit in the fast lane.
I have no problem with people going slower than the posted limit on the highway, but there is a place for such things, and that place is the rightmost lane.

- driving while distracted
Why is it that people find it necessary to do so many things behind the wheel besides DRIVE THE DAMNED CAR?

[Ronin13]

There is always some leeway in speed calibration. Generally speaking, if the cop is driving at or about the speed limit, don't pass them. This is just a general sign of disrespect. Not quite like giving them the finger, but if the po-po is at 35mph in a posted 35mph, so you decide to slide by him at 37-38mph, you should expect to have a pleasant conversation with the officer about your ability to observe your surroundings and drive at the posted speed limit.

If on the other hand, the officer is clearly, driving well under the posted speed limit, and it is safe to do so, drive on by, at the posted speed limit. Don't wave as you go by, and don't pop your clutch, make drastic lane changes, or otherwise draw attention to yourself and the officer will probably remain attentive to whatever it is they are doing which has them driving so slowly.

Traffic stops happen. I taught my kids how to handle a traffic stop when I taught them how to drive. I hope they never need to use that skill, but knowing how to act while in public is just a sign of good manners IMO.

True, but I was wondering if cops, well the ones on here, get TO'd if say there is a car in front of them doing 10 under... or why people have to go so slow if there is a cop around. BTW, the cop today was doing 55 in, surprise, a 55 zone, but everyone else was doing their damnedest to go 5 or more MPH slower than he was...

[Colorado Luckydog]

Generally speaking, if the cop is driving at or about the speed limit, don't pass them. This is just a general sign of disrespect.

If I pass a cop, it's a sign of disrespect? A person with a regular way of thinking about them could almost interpet that as, I was in a hurry. We have all recently read what can happen in Colorado when you disrespect a LEO. Better not pass no po-po's if you want to keep your teeth.

[cstone]

Pretty common for people to slow down near a marked car. Most cops just go around them when they can. Once in a while you get a feeling about a car doing Waayy Under the posted. Sometimes an officer will follow along to see if they can observe anything out of the ordinary about the car or the occupants. Sometimes the driver gets so nervous with the po-po behind them, they do something they ought not to do and they get pulled over. Sometimes this results in the officer building probable cause for a good arrest after an investigatory stop. This is good police work and what most officers like to do with their time between donut runs and listening to oldies radio stations while parked in a school parking lot.

If you draw attention to yourself, don't be surprised when someone (like the po-po) pays attention to you. Consider it our Service to the community.

[cstone]

If I pass a cop, it's a sign of disrespect? A person with a regular way of thinking about them could almost interpet that as, I was in a hurry. We have all recently read what can happen in Colorado when you disrespect a LEO. Better not pass no po-po's if you want to keep your teeth.

I don't believe the loss of teeth or any other physical violence was mentioned. However, if you are so much in a hurry, and you have so little attention of your surroundings that you blow on by a marked police car, which is being driven at the posted speed limit (which the police don't set by the way), then you should not be surprised when the police ask you for your DL/Registration and POI. If you don't like the laws, then by all means, work to change them. Please don't be offended when the cop is doing their job.

Personally, I would never cite someone for flipping me the bird. I would consider that a waste of my time to try and provide a lesson in good manners to someone who obviously didn't get that lesson when they were growing up. I try not to take anything personally, especially from someone I don't know. Everyone is welcome to their opinion and expressing yourself is an American tradition. In my opinion, when you blatantly break the law, you show disrespect to the law and the authority that created that law. If you break the law in front of someone who has sworn to uphold the law, then you are showing disrespect to that officer and their profession. Consider it like coming into your workplace and taking a dump in the middle of what you are working on while you are working. Maybe that is a bit drastic, but I think most professional criminals wait till the po-po aren't watching before they commit their crimes.

I don't necessarily agree with all laws, but picking and choosing what you will or won't enforce is not one of the boxes on the test when you take the job.

[Ronin13]

I don't believe the loss of teeth or any other physical violence was mentioned. However, if you are so much in a hurry, and you have so little attention of your surroundings that you blow on by a marked police car, which is being driven at the posted speed limit (which the police don't set by the way), then you should not be surprised when the police ask you for your DL/Registration and POI. If you don't like the laws, then by all means, work to change them. Please don't be offended when the cop is doing their job.

Personally, I would never cite someone for flipping me the bird. I would consider that a waste of my time to try and provide a lesson in good manners to someone who obviously didn't get that lesson when they were growing up. I try not to take anything personally, especially from someone I don't know. Everyone is welcome to their opinion and expressing yourself is an American tradition. In my opinion, when you blatantly break the law, you show disrespect to the law and the authority that created that law. If you break the law in front of someone who has sworn to uphold the law, then you are showing disrespect to that officer and their profession. Consider it like coming into your workplace and taking a dump in the middle of what you are working on while you are working. Maybe that is a bit drastic, but I think most professional criminals wait till the po-po aren't watching before they commit their crimes.

I don't necessarily agree with all laws, but picking and choosing what you will or won't enforce is not one of the boxes on the test when you take the job.

Great points right there, and no, you can't get mad about the trained officials in ENFORCING the law doing their job. It's not their law, it's the state/city/county/federal law. However, fun fact I learned, a lot of counties and municipalities will conduct observations to see how people drive in relation to the speed limit, and actually change them to appropriate speeds. Well in my town (Evergreen), they don't do this, mainly because the limits here are to take into account for 3 factors- 1)Wildlife, 2) Winter conditions, and 3) Hills obstruct views of side roads entering the main roads that would make every intersection deadly if the limit were higher. Personally, I get mad at whoever is responsible for setting or amending the limits, because some areas are just too slow and the aforementioned factors wouldn't be an issue if it was say raised from a 40 to a 50.

[SAnd]

However, fun fact I learned, a lot of counties and municipalities will conduct observations to see how people drive in relation to the speed limit, and actually change them to appropriate speeds.

They recently changed the speed limit on a road near me about a month ago. It was 45 mph and a lot of people were going 55 mph. They raised the limit to 55. Now at least half the people are driving 65.

At least they won't lose any revenue is spite of the higher speed limit.

[Monky]

I motor right on past them.. why should I feel guilty or disrespectful for doing what is legal?

I would like to pass one some day and see them dying laughing at all the people driving slowly behind them.