I've driven hundreds of thousands of miles throughout my life; my car and I have gone many places together including national parks, the deep desert, mountains, cities, long trips and the commute to work. During all that driving, I never really paid much attention to the speed limit; that posted value was simply a number to me and it never penetrated, until recently, that it might be something I should understand and obey.
I viewed the speed limit as a kind of conservative recommendation. Oh, I knew I would get a traffic ticket if caught, but I'd only received a few in my life and it wasn't so bad. They were so infrequent that I did my duty in traffic school, paid the fine and that was that. It never even had an effect on my car insurance rates, although the fine was certainly inconvenient and annoying.
One day a small incident occurred which changed my viewpoint on speed limits forever. It was a very small thing, just a few words said by a police officer, but his meaning actually penetrated and made an impact on me; a big enough impact that my entire driving pattern changed, all in the space of a few seconds.
It was a gloomy day and I was exceptionally upset about something at the office. I had to get there in a hurry for some reason which is no longer important (and wasn't the least bit important at the time) and I was very distracted by my thoughts. I didn't notice that I was over the speed limit, and, unusually for me, I didn't notice that a police officer had been following me for quite some time.
He flashed his lights, then hit the loudspeaker as I slowed down to tell me to take the next offramp instead of pulling over on the shoulder.
I stopped the car and waited for the officer to approach. He asked for my license and registration, then asked if I knew why he pulled me over. I really didn't know, so I said so.
He looked at my face and saw that I was upset; he asked me what was wrong and I explained, truthfully, what was happening.
I was fortunate to be pulled over by a very responsible officer, and, of course, I always treat the police with complete respect. It's an honest respect; I have several friends who are or have been on a police force, and I understand how difficult their job can be.
Anyway, the officer told me I was going way too fast; He had followed me for several miles.
Then he said the words which changed me forever, "I could arrest you but instead I'm going to write you up as going 75 and give you a ticket ... this time."
"Arrest me?" I said.
"Yes", he replied calmly, "going more than 15 miles over the speed limit is a felony. In which case I'd have to do the paperwork, drive you into the station, impound your car..."
I was absolutely stunned. I could be arrested for going over the speed limit? Spend a night in jail? Get a huge fine?
Really?
This actually stuck with me for the next few days -- literally. I became much more aware. I saw children walking beside the road. I watched a blind person in the crosswalk. I saw card wiz in and out of traffic.
Spend a night in jail?
From that day forward, I have gone to great lengths to maintain the speed limit or less at all times. Getting to my destination perhaps a few minutes early was not worth the cost. And besides, I was beginning to understand why there was a speed limit ... and I didn't even have to get into an accident or hit someone to learn that lesson.
When the time came to attend traffic school I was actually upbeat and excited. I had learned an important lesson - and for once, it wasn't "the hard way".
Unless otherwise noted, all photos and text is Copyright © Richard G Lowe, Jr.