"See and Avoid"

Needless to say, if you are breaking the law you should be observant about

your surroundings. Most situations that will result in you getting a speeding

ticket could have been avoided in the first place by being alert. The initial

speeding violation may also open you up to other tickets that you may not

even be aware of such as expired inspections and registrations and seat belt

use, or lack thereof. Pilots are trained to scan the skies for other aircraft at all

times and spend a great deal of time with their eyes outside the cockpit using

the "See and Avoid" method. Below are some ways to scan the surroundings

to avoid being spotted and even getting clocked on the radar:





Opposite direction of travel

One of the easiest and most reliable cop detectors available is oncoming cars

flashing their headlights. This signal indicates either a roadblock, a cop sitting

on the median, or a cop with someone pulled over up ahead issuing a ticket.

Headlight signaling has been reliable but the problem is that only about 10%

of the drivers will extend this courtesy to you and then for only about a mile

or two down the road. On heavily traveled days this can be very dependable

especially on interstate highways so always keep an eye out for the flashing

of headlights day or night.





Same direction of travel

Here you will be looking not for headlights but for brakelights. There is little

need to tap your brakes on an interstate highway on even the busiest days so

if you see a car or cars ahead of yours brakelights come on for no observable

reason, the driver is probably hitting the brakes from instinct after seeing a

cop. Also keep your eyes glancing towards the rear view mirror periodically

to watch out for cops coming up from behind and surprising you





Cop with a driver pulled over

Don't worry about the cop with someone pulled over ahead because unless

you are dangerously exceeding the limit they will not stop writing a ticket to

give you one. There is a myth out there that when you see a cop on the side of

the road with a customer there will probably be no more cops on that stretch

of road for the next 20-30 miles. This can be true and I have noticed this but I

have also noticed cops working in pairs so don't rely on this too much.





The median

The median, or the mall as some call it, is where you usually find the cops

hanging around waiting to catch speeders. The best spot on the median is the

No U Turn crossover and this is where you will find the cops 85% of the time

while traveling on interstate highways. The No U Turn signs indicate that

there is a crossover coming up and if you see a No U Turn sign coming

around a turn beware since that is one of the favorite spot. They will also set

up shop in the median where there is no official crossover ,such as set back

into some trees somewhere.





It is important to notice the construction of the median especially if you travel

the same highway often. Notice where the cross over points are that a cop

could use if they are going the opposite direction and decide to come get you.

There are some situations where there is no median other that a concrete

barrier and this is almost a license to speed since they can't hide there or turn

around for quite some time.









Under the overpass

Another favorite spot is under bridges or an overpass and this especially true

on hot summer days since the shade is the place to be. There are no signs to

indicate an overpass is coming up so your best indicators are visual and your

speeding tools.





Speeding Essentials





What lane to travel in

The best lane to travel in on multi lane highways to reduce your chances of a

ticket is the far right lane if traffic allows. The reason is that cops usually

have their radar focused on the left or passing lane. Be aware of traffic behind

you since you may get caught from police vehicles entering the highway from

an entrance ramp. Another advantage to the right lane is that trucks and other

vehicles will be between you and the radar if the cop is set up in the median

and this makes a great reason to dismiss the ticket in court due to inaccurate

radar readings because of obstructions. Just say it was the other guy.





The Shield

The shield is one of my favorite techniques because it virtually always works

and it is always free. Basically the way it works is you maintain your selected

speed and you stay there until some sucker passes you, preferably a tractor

trailer. After they pass you adjust your speed so that you maintain a

reasonable distance of 1/4 mile or so and follow them keeping an eye out for

brake lights. Using the +14 mph or +9 mph standard it will not be long before

another sucker comes up from behind to be your new shield. 18 wheelers

make the best shields because they almost always have a CB and make a

better catch for cops. Truck drivers drive for a living and if they are speeding

I assume it is safe for me to do so. Think about all the trucks you notice

speeding and how rare you see one pulled over. The only flaw with using the

shield exclusively is that again you must constantly be aware of what is

coming up behind you.