Speeding citations up, accidents down in state

Also among the findings of the national report by the Governors Highway Safety Association was that 42 states, including Tennessee, allow drivers a cushion of more than 10 mph above the speed limit before they are ticketed by a law enforcement officer.

The governors’ association is a nonprofit group representing highway safety agencies from across the country.

The percentage of motorists cited for traveling 15 mph or more over the speed limit increased sharply in Tennessee, from about 44 percent in 2001 to more than 86 percent last year. That did not surprise at least one Nashville police officer, who said his tolerance for speeders depends on the danger the motorists pose to others.

“In a residential neighborhood and in areas of high traffic volume, you’re not going to get much leeway from me if you are speeding,” Sgt. Robert Sheffield, an accident investigator for the Metro Nashville Police Department, told The Tennessean. “If you’re traveling 40 in a 30 posted, you’re traveling entirely too fast.”

A highway setting might be a different story, he said.

“On the interstate, you might get a little more leeway, depending on what the conditions are,” Sheffield said. “The bottom line is, you shouldn’t expect anything. The posted speed limit is the posted speed limit. A lot is left up to the officer’s discretion.”

The report compiled data collected by highway patrol agencies from every state. The information collected varies from state to state, making comparisons impossible.

The number of highway accidents in Tennessee last year fell from 3,985 in 2001 to 619 last year, a drop of more than 84 percent. During that same period, citations by the Tennessee Highway Patrol jumped from 175,639 to 232,553 in 2004, an increase of more than 32 percent.

Monday’s report was released about 10 years after Congress repealed the National Maximum Speed Limit, which required states to keep speed limits at a maximum 65 mph in rural areas and 55 mph in urban areas.

Tennessee safety officials said that despite the report’s finding of a 10 mph cushion before being ticketed for speeding, motorists should be aware that officers can stop people traveling at any rate above the speed limit.

“What’s posted is what is allowed, period,” said Melissa McDonald, spokeswoman for the state Safety Department. “You can be stopped for anything over the speed limit because you are breaking the law.”