Tampa Florida Tops for Speed Traps

St. Petersburg Criminal Attorney and Former State Prosecutor Melinda Morris of the Morris Law Firm highlights the nation’s top metro areas for speed traps.

Issue:

Speeding isn’t safe, and it is against the law.  At the same time, there are many metro areas in the United States that have arbitrarily low speed limits and a high concentration of enforcement - the very definition of a speed trap.  Speed traps - such as when the limit falls by 10 or 15 MPH in a very short distance for no apparent reason - have sprung up all over Florida and the nation.

Why This Matters To You:

The National Motorists Association (NMA) recently surveyed major metropolitan areas for speed traps (low or rapidly changing limits coupled with high enforcement rates).  They found that of the top 25 metro areas in the US, 4 were in Florida.  Tampa ranks #7, and Sarasota at #10 out of 25 only topped by Orlando at #3.

The rankings were based on the number of speed traps per 100,000 residents.

Motorists in Tampa and Sarasota, Florida should be on the lookout for rapidly changing speed limits and the prevalence of speed traps.

Here is the complete ranking:

1. Livonia, Michigan    27.9 speed traps per 100,000 residents
2. Windsor, Ontario    17.6
3. Orlando, Florida    17.2
4. Las Vegas, Nevada    11.1
5. Denver, Colorado    10.9
6. Reno, Nevada    10.4
7. Tampa, Florida    8.9
8. Colorado Springs, Colorado    7.2
9. Austin, Texas    6.1
10. Sarasota, Florida    6.1
11. Portland, Oregon    5.8
12. Jacksonville, Florida    5.4
13. San Antonio, Texas (Bexar County)    5.3
14. Fresno, California    5.0
15. Hamilton, Ontario    5.0
16. New Orleans, Louisiana    4.7
17. Toronto, Ontario (Greater Toronto Area)    4.7
18. Houston, Texas (Harris County)    4.0
19. Edmonton, Alberta    3.3
20. San Diego, California (San Diego County)    3.2
21. Indianapolis, Indiana    3.2
22. San Jose, California    3.1
23. Chicago, Illinois (Cook County)    1.9
24. Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles County)    1.6
25. New York, New York (5 boroughs)    0.9

What To Do Next:

Paying your ticket can result in a conviction of the traffic offense on your driving record.  This leads to points on your license and a likely increase in your car insurance rates.  If you've received a traffic ticket don't simply pay the ticket without first consulting with the Morris Law Firm.  If you have been ticketed for a traffic related offense contact a St. Petersburg Traffic Offenses Attorney to discuss possible defenses and specific strategies that may exist in your case.  Call the Morris Law Firm at 727-388-4736 to discuss your case directly with an attorney, or fill out our Online Form to be contacted for a Free Initial Consultation.  The Morris Law Firm can help and has specific knowledge and experience in defending traffic offenders throughout Pinellas County and the entire Tampa Bay, FL Area (St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa, Hillsborough, Pasco, Bradenton, Manatee, and Sarasota).