SysMark

December 26th, 2013 at 8:16 PM ^

84 in a 55 isn't unusual - just bad luck getting nailed.  However 110 under any conditions is a whole different deal - that's really booking, and dangerous unless you're in the middle of the dessert.

Joined: 11/15/2008

MGoPoints: 21576

gwkrlghl

December 26th, 2013 at 8:51 PM ^

It depends on what kind of road it was (e.g. I-95 is sometimes "55" but people go 80) but both are more than likely really reckless. Most people would be toying with losing their license right there (two counts of reckless driving in a month), Clowney I'm not so sure will get the same treatment

Joined: 04/13/2012

MGoPoints: 72

MikeCohodes

December 27th, 2013 at 12:51 PM ^

Coincidentally, my last ticket was for the same speed as Clowney's ticket. I was pulled over for doing 86 in a 55 zone on the highway, on empty roads in dry conditions. In IL, 30+ over the limit means the cop has to arrest you for reckless driving, can't just give you a ticket. However, if you ask him nicely and are polite to him through the pullover process, he may be willing to drop your speed down on the citation and give you the ticket for 84 in a 55 zone, so it's a big ticket at 29 over, but not an arrest. This is what happened with me.

Considering Clowney's ticket was for 84 in a 55 zone, I wonder if there is a similar law on the books about an arrest for 30 over the limit in the place he was pulled over, and the cop was doing him a favor by putting him at that speed on the citation. It wouldn't surprise me.

I have a severe leadfoot, but have gotten better with age and now that I'm a dad. In my 16 years of driving motor vehicles, I've been pulled over about 30-odd times, but only received maybe a dozen tickets. I have a pretty decent success rate at talking my way out of them, or in the case of the two times I talked it down to 29 over (the other time I was doing 88 in a 55), talking myself out of getting arrested.

Joined: 08/28/2012

MGoPoints: 4805

MikeCohodes

December 27th, 2013 at 12:56 PM ^

I only speed like a lunatic on highways. On surface streets I keep it to < 5 over the limit 95% of the time. I also always use my turn signal, keep 2 hands on the wheel, don't tailgate, and don't cut people off or weave in packed traffic. I just like to get where I am going as fast as possible so if the road is open I will take it as fast as I can. I've done 120 on open highway before on empty roads. I made the drive from my childhood home in Deerfield IL to my student apartment in Ann Arbor, a distance of 267 miles, in 2 hours and 50 minutes of driving time once. It was from 2-5 in the morning and the road was completely empty.

Joined: 08/28/2012

MGoPoints: 4805