How exactly does Georgia Work??

[jdong]

Ok now that I've got your attention with this ridiculous sounding question, I promise there's a real question that I'd love the locals to answer for me:


Towards Christmas I am planning to take a trip that sends me through Georgia. The last time I took this route I was fairly confused by traffic patterns in Georgia. I was going 90 in a 65 on I-75 close to Atlanta and was still getting consistently bullied into the far right lane by drivers going what I'd estimate to be in the triple-digits. Now at the time I was driving a car that absolutely could not safely handle such speeds, but at any rate even if I were I probably wouldn't find it in my nature to go that much over the limit.

So from that, I initially concluded that there must not be much traffic enforcement in Georgia.... Then, like 20 miles later, I got a laser hit off my RD, going 10 over at the time following a rabbit, and two chasers came out of the shoulder and pulled over cars in front of me that I estimated to be going at my speed. I never got sight of the targeter but looking back it was probably an overpass setup that I had never encountered before at the time.


So... my question is, what's the general traffic enforcement pattern like in various parts of the Georgia interstate system? It seems like it's "aggressively but rarely enforced" to me?

[9500ier]

The small towns on I75 are brutal speedtraps. That is were I got my ticket with Lidar. I read some counties make $1,000s in ticket revenue per citizen in the county. My rule, when you notice everyone is going less than 5mph over on the interstate its a known speedtrap area. I just wish my Dad had told me that before I went to visit him in rural GA.

[category4]

Locals cannot use radar or laser to issue tickets for anything up to 10 over the PSL. The can still pace you but can't use radar or laser. GSP does not have this restriction placed upon them. If you stay within 10 of the PSL I doubt anyone will bother you except maybe in construction zones. Around Atlanta if you are staying with the flow they typically won't bother you either, but now that budgets are shrinking I am sure the will get a bit stricker for revenue enhancement.

It's like everywhere else. Use a rabbit, stay alert if you want to venture above the 10 they give you. Around Atlanta I have found the trapster database to be very accurate about a lot of known speedtraps, so I would recommend loading that into your GPS if you can.

They do love their overpass ambushes on I 85 north of Atlanta if you happen to go that way. Exits 164, 140, 129, 126, 120 are the favorites.

[therock]

On I-75 be very wary inside I-285 the parameter and Cherokee County on the north side. the speed limit is 55 and it's very hard no to get ran over at 55.

I can give you a couple map links to known locations.

From exit 288 Cartersville south be on your toes. There is a GHP outpost in Cartersville and they use the bridge. Past that you have to pass through Emerson going into Cherokee County.

[URL="http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=34.174683&lon=-84.759583&z=14.7&r=0&src=msl

[therock]

On I-75 be very wary inside I-285 the parameter and Cherokee County on the north side. The speed limit is 55 and it's very hard not to get ran over doing 55.

I can give you a few flash earth map links to known locations.

From exit 288 Cartersville south be on your toes. There is a GHP outpost in Cartersville and they use the 288 overpass.

After that going south you have to pass through exit 283 Emerson going into Cherokee County.

Then you have another favorite as you go under the exit 271 Chastain Rd overpass he will be on the south side a bit over the hill on the inside.

It varies from here but you can bet your behind this is a favorite spot between the 260 & 261 mile markers at the Terrel Mill Rd overpass.

Not to forget the exit 254 area at Moores Mill.

Anywhere in between all bets are off. After March Gov. Sonny Purdue got tough because GA was the worst in the nation in Traffic injuries and fatalities.

There is lots of road work above Atlanta and K dummy band beacons all over the place that can make you drop your guard.

[M6D]

Locals cannot use radar or laser to issue tickets for anything up to 10 over the PSL. The can still pace you but can't use radar or laser. GSP does not have this restriction placed upon them. If you stay within 10 of the PSL I doubt anyone will bother you except maybe in construction zones. Around Atlanta if you are staying with the flow they typically won't bother you either, but now that budgets are shrinking I am sure the will get a bit stricker for revenue enhancement.

It's like everywhere else. Use a rabbit, stay alert if you want to venture above the 10 they give you. Around Atlanta I have found the trapster database to be very accurate about a lot of known speedtraps, so I would recommend loading that into your GPS if you can.

They do love their overpass ambushes on I 85 north of Atlanta if you happen to go that way. Exits 164, 140, 129, 126, 120 are the favorites.

Agree 100%. In some places, the flow will be 15-20 over, especially in a 55; you might get unlucky, but most are looking for unsafe drivers. Hall County has increased ticketing for revenue; I'm not sure about Gwinnett.

Add 137 to the overpass ambush. I think Jefferson annexed some land around the exit so they could pull the same stunt as Commerce and Braselton.

[Rudeboy]

Definately South of the city on I75 is ridiculous!!! I use to commute back and forth to Jacksonville 400 plus miles. On the Ga side of the house, majority of the times the local Sheriff boys would be out in droves. I've seen as many as 4 lined up on the side in Houston county!! I can just imagine how much revenue that county derives from infractions....

[bart99gt]

Usually 15 over is the tolerance of most of the cops. I drive 75 every day and I kind of doubt whole herds of traffic are doing 90+ in the 65 zones. Yeah, there's the occasional idiot, but I'd say the speeds probably top out at about 80ish. Even when I drive further north, I'm usually moving along at 70-75 and don't get my doors blown off by many vehicles. I think it is kind of an urban legend that EVERYONE around this town drives like a bat out of hell.

Cobb County (where I live) is a bit hit or miss on I-75. I tend to see them more (along with the GSP) right around or just inside 285. Traffic can be insane around that interchange and I can't say I'm more than little happy that they actually bother to do some kind of traffic enforcement where it is actually warranted. Now if we could just get some serious commercial enforcement on the top end of 285, life would really be good.