Exceeding posted speed limits is one of the faster ways to earn yourself a costly traffic citation. Still, because speed limits change frequently on Virginia’s many roadways, complying with posted limits can be more challenging than it seems.
While officers may stop your vehicle when you are traveling down a major highway, they often use the element of surprise to catch unintentional speeders. Here are three tricky places where you may encounter a speed trap in the Old Dominion.
1. At the bottom of a hill
If you drive a car, truck or SUV, your vehicle weighs a few thousand pounds. Even if you let off the gas pedal when driving down a hill, gravity may cause your vehicle to accelerate on its own. If you end up traveling even a few miles over the speed limit, officers may cite you during enhanced enforcement.
2. On an exit ramp
When you near your destination, you must exit the highway by driving on a ramp. Exit ramps have significantly lower speed limits than major highways. In fact, you may need to decelerate from 55 miles per hour to 35 mph or less. If you let your vehicle decelerate naturally, you may not be moving slowly enough to avoid a citation on an exit ramp.
3. In a school zone
In Virginia, school zones have 25 mph speed limits, with possibly even lower speed limits in residential areas. If you speed through a school zone, not only may you receive a speeding citation, but you may also face additional charges, such as reckless driving.
Even though speed traps are common throughout the commonwealth, officers must follow certain procedures when setting them up. Ultimately, if an officer does something wrong, you may have grounds to fight your speeding ticket.
