GainesvilleMoms.com

This question is for the people on the board who are or know police officers.

If you are traveling down the road at the posted speed limit in a small car with children in the back seat and you look in your rear view to see a much larger vehicle gaining on you quickly and you choose to speed up because you think you're going to get hit and the safety of your kids is more important than the cost of a speeding ticket, are you in the wrong?

(do I get the award for the longest sentence ever?)

They don't care. At least most of them.

Honestly, I've been stopped twice in the state of Florida, once this past summer for speeding and once about 7 years ago for an illegal U-turn. Both times the cops were very curt and emotionless. It seemed as if they really could care less to hear any kind of an explanation. I've come to the conclusion that I just better not get caught in the state of Florida doing anything wrong or I'll get ticketed.

Well Caryn, you know me and what my hubby does for a living. I say it depends on the cop, the mood he is in and to what extent you 'speeded up'. It also depends on what county or city you are in. If they can tell you were really trying to avoid being hit by the other car then no way should they issue a ticket to you. They will, however, probably go through other ways you should have or could have remedied the situation without breaking the law yourself.

Did you get a ticket for this recently??

It's very scary when someone is tailing you and you cannot get out of their way. Slowing down and getting off the road can be intimidating if they are really close and traveling at a high speed.

I did not get a ticket, but I was driving on 26 from Melrose into Gainesville today, past 301 in my little Hyundai when this huge truck did just that. I sped up some, but he did pass me when he had a chance. It just got me to thinking. Especially since the kid in the back seat wasn't even mine, it was my cousin!

I hate when they do that. On our way to Atlanta three weeks ago I had a trucker right on my bumper and Max in the back seat. I flipped my caution lights on and when he stayed on my bumped I slowed down more. Once he saw I wasn't going to change lanes for him (especially since I was in the fast lane where he shouldn't have been to begin with) he finally changed lanes.

I've done the slow down-thing before but mostly just to tick them off and make them go around me. This is usually on the interstate as well when there are three lanes. There never seems to be a cop around to witness tailgating. :/

I don't know a cop but I'd generally guess that they don't care why you were speeding, the fact is that you were speeding.

Maybe if this happens pull off to the shoulder and let them go around rather than risk a ticket? This way, too they're past you and you're out of any danger.