W.Va. Speed Traps

[Mr. Frank]

Over on the IBMWR list someone pointed out the speed traps on the section of U.S. Route 19 that connects I-77 and I-79. Check out www.speedtrap.org and go to West Virginia and then the town of Summersville for some interesting reading. It seems that little town writes as many tickets as the entire State Highway Patrol. If the many posts can be believed, it appears that you don't have to be speeding to get a big bucks ticket. The Canadian Automobile Association suggests avoiding that town.

[SHAG]

Been thru there several times! The heat is heavy around the congested areas! Hard to go slow after running 85-90mph on the interstate! Haven't seen the copper's north of Summerville! They seem to all be hangin around the 45mph areas!:dunno

[Friedle]

WV speed traps are no different than speed traps in any other spot in the world.

If you don't want it to be a problem for you simply obey any speed limits in populated areas. There are plenty of other places to go fast other than in town.

FYI the speed limit on the WV Interstates is 70 mph.

[Mr. Frank]

Originally posted by Michael Friedle

If you don't want it to be a problem for you simply obey any speed limits in populated areas. There are plenty of other places to go fast other than in town.



Normally that is good advice, but it appears that going the speed limit doesn't always work in the town of Summersville if you have an out of state plate. Avoiding that town seems to be prudent.

[Friedle]

Oh, I see....You mean sort of like the reception I might expect riding my bike with my ponytail half way down my back and New York plates on my non Harley motorcycle through the fine state of Mississippi.:p

[bobo1167]

If I'm unsucessful earlier on my trip, it's nice to know about a place to get a souvenier traffic ticket, reliably. With my luck I'd hit town just as the doughnuts come out of the grease and the souvenier ticket agent will be occupied.

bobo

[Mr. Frank]

Originally posted by Michael Friedle
Oh, I see....You mean sort of like the reception I might expect riding my bike with my ponytail half way down my back and New York plates on my non Harley motorcycle through the fine state of Mississippi.:p

You'd also have to be riding a time machine set to the 1960's. Easy Rider was a long time ago.

[Friedle]

Originally posted by Mr. Frank
You'd also have to be riding a time machine set to the 1960's. Easy Rider was a long time ago.


Precisely my point. Same as the myth about out of state plates being targeted by Summerville police for undeserved fast driving awards. They will give a ticket to anybody going faster than the posted limit, in state or out of state plates doesn't matter.

Solution...don't exceed the posted limit in populated areas anywhere in any state and your chances of being pulled over go way down.

Summerville is a very smal town in a large state. Go around it or go slow through it, but no need to fixate on it.

See you in Charleston.

[Unregistered]

Just a little WV traffic trivia for the rally going crowd. As a WV resident I know from experience that 10 or less over on the interstate is a $5 fine and not reported to the DMV. What is not reported to the DMV does not exist. So if a ticket is inevitable ask politely for 17C-6-1(g)

(It will still cost $5fine plus $120 court costs)

WVrider

[longwallman]

I travel through that stretch regularly. The stretch of 19 through that area has a 50 mph limit. There are huge signs warning drivers of the limit and that it is strictly enforced with radar.

They aren't kidding about the enforcement. When they say 50 they mean 50. There are usually two or three vehicles pulled over, getting written up, through that approx. 5 mile stretch.

I have been through that area four times in the past month on my bike and I have never been hassled. Just go with the slow flow of traffic and DO NOT exceed the limit. There is no mercy and there is no "five or ten over" slack given.

The Oak Hill area just north of Beckley is also starting to get a rep as a speed trap.

Overall my travels through WV have been great. The police action is very low key everywhere else I travel down that way. It is a geat state to ride a bike in. You don't have to look far to find some great roads.

Senator B has put a beautiful road system in place. It is motorcycle heaven

[r1100rick]

getting a speeding ticket for 5 over is not normal its bull**** . In summerville they have a nice habit of posting a narcotics check ahead sign and then searching every car that turns off or around saw that one twice at the gauleyfest white water festival in summerville:wow :wow :wow :wow