To make up for huge budget shortfalls, police will shortly start ticketing people for not committing murder, for buying things in stores instead of stealing them, for not taking pictures of cops doing illegal things, …
A Valencia County woman who was pulled over for driving too slow said state police went too far.
Jeanette Sedillo said was driving on Reinken Road in Belen, N.M., after 10 p.m. Wednesday when a state police officer pulled beside her and told her to get off the road. Sedillo pulled into a parking lot, questioning what she did wrong. Apparently, going too fast was not the problem: the officer wrote her a ticket for driving 6 mph under the speed limit.
“He said, ‘You were going 34 in a 40,’” said Sedillo.
The citation said she violated the statute for minimum speed. Now, she has to pay a $70 fine for what she thought was careful driving.
Sedillo said there was little traffic in the area at the time and that she wasn’t putting drivers in danger. She said state police went too far with the citation and that officers should be going after more serious offenders.
“Sedillo said there was little traffic in the area at the time and that she wasn’t putting drivers in danger.”
Case closed. She decides which laws apply and when.
Obviously a few here are so ignorant that they don’t understand the meaning of MAXIMUM.
If there is a MINIMUM it should be posted as well… otherwise 5 kph (or mph) below a MAXIMUM speed limit is REASONABLE, but the driver should move to the right lane as soon as they can when the roads are very busy. The driver who drives purposely under the speed limit just to be a prick are actually very rare.
Self centered irate speeders who have no clue as to WHY someone would be driving a little under he MAXIMUM speed limit are more dangerous than the slightly slower moving vehicle. Maybe they suddenly don’t feel so well. Maybe they are looking for an exit or worried that thy missed their exit because they are from out of state or otherwise unfamiliar with the area. Maybe they just noticed a strange noise coming from the tranny or the engine is about to overheat. The point is, shove your attitude where the sun don’t shine, and allow some reasonable variance in speed. MAXIMUM means MAXIMUM.
Just chill, take a big breath and calmly look for an opportunity to pass SAFELY. Is that so difficult to do?
You’re all missing the point. This is about finding ways to make money via fines.
At ten at night? N.M. rush hour. Stupid Cop.
I have to agree with Uncle Dave. Fines, tolls, fees, permits, licenses, anything to get more money.
After Obama was elected, and the state governments realized what they were in for, someone photoshopped an official New York road sign that said:
Welcome to New York
Give us your freaking money
What about blocking in the fast lane? Isn’t that a crime? Or driving to fast in the pit lane? I got stopped for driving with those new small Xenon high-intensity-discharge headlights (HID).. He wanted to know why I was driving with only my ‘fog lights’ on…. I tried to explain that the car came that way from the manufacturer.
Then, a white pickup truck blew by us with no lights on in the fog…
End of story.
#22
“The citation said she violated the statute for minimum speed. ”
Person goes under minimum speed. Cop pulls them over and tickets them for it. End of story.
The minimum speed limit does not need to be posted. Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it.
But many of Ms Sedillo’s actions remain legal only because lawmakers have chosen not to criminalize them.
>Case closed. She decides which laws apply and when.
Exactly. Such behavior and then complaining about the police is Seditious. Or perhaps Sedillicious.
This is a ticket I could get behind on the HWY’s. Nothing worde than some clown holding up traffic on the HWY.
6 under 40 mph isn’t bad 10 at night on a 4 lane road with light traffic. Some of you have some serious road rage.
re: #22, will said, “The minimum speed limit does not need to be posted. Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it.”
Okay, what is the law for minimum speed where it’s not posted?
re: #22 Will — So then using your logic if she needed to make a right hand turn into a place of business or turn at an intersection she better be ready to take that turn at exactly 40 mph?
Anything less than that — give her a ticket!
Well I can see the point of this. I certainly have come up on some drivers just going too slow and forcing everyone to pass them and sometimes that can be a hazard in itself. But if your not impeding traffic I really do not see being ticketed. This does scream revenue quota.
#23 I’m afraid I must agree with Uncle Dave.
This is what we have on the books in New Brunswick. Given the time of night and if there was no one else around, if the NM laws are the same, she will get off easy.
http://gnb.ca/0276/vehicle/english/part4_e.pdf
Scroll to pg 42 for the wording.
Ma’am do you know why I pulled you over?
Highway Mopery Ma’am.
# 23 Uncle Dave “You’re all missing the point. This is about finding ways to make money via fines.”
I don’t agree. That is your interpretation of the incident. There is nothing in the article to suggest a financial causation. Besides, there’s more to this story. The unusual method of making a traffic stop piques my curiosity. He rolled up next to her and told her to pull over? Come on. That only happens in the movies and on TV.
The problem doesn’t stem from the speed limit or traffic laws. The problem is that the people who enforce the traffic laws benefit directly. That is a conflict of interest. Put all traffic citations collected into a statewide road safety fund and this garbage would disappear overnight. No money to the state or local governments budgets. Fines are not revenue.
I live in the snowy Midwest. Our Interstates have a minimum speed of 40 too. However, after a snow storm or during a heavy rain, people will slow way down. Everyone driving 40 will end up in the ditch. It is also the law that you don’t drive faster than conditions allow. I suppose they could give you a ticket either way.