ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road every week, helping Orlando-area residents become better drivers by being better educated.
In Monday’s Ask Trooper Steve segment, he was asked, “While driving on some highways at the posted speed limit, I feel like I’m interrupting traffic because everyone else is going faster. Am I allowed to go above the speed limit at this point?”
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Trooper Steve said the notion above -- “I was just going with the flow of traffic” -- is the No. 1 excuse he has heard from speeding drivers trying to get out of a ticket.
“Think about it for a second, this is similar to when we were kids and we would use the excuse in telling our parents that our friends did it, so why couldn’t we do it?” he said.
Trooper Steve said he knows it’s frustrating when drivers are trying to do the right thing but many others are speeding by.
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“Ultimately, they’re the ones that are subjecting themselves to the consequences,” he said. “If you’re doing the speed limit and you find yourself surrounded by speeders, I always suggest hanging out in those right travel lanes.”
There are not enough law enforcement officers to pull over every single speeder, but you don’t want to give them an excuse to look at you.
“And isn’t it rewarding when you see the driver who flew past you a few miles ago pulled over later down the road?” Trooper Steve said.