Carson City Sheriff’s Office: There’s no excuse to speed

Excuses, when it comes to individuals being stopped for speeding, we hear a lot of them. Here are a few:

“I’m not from around here”. No matter where you are from there are speed limits and they are enforced too.

“I did not see any speed sign”. Speed zone signs are typically posted at the beginning of a roadway and are generally posted in various locations along a road until the speed zone changes either to a greater or a reduced speed. If no sign is seen then typically the zone speed would be 25 miles per hour (mph).

“I was just going with the flow of traffic”. If going with the flow of traffic then you should not be passing other vehicles. This is a good indicator that you are exceeding the flow of traffic. You should check your speedometer to make sure that you are going the speed limit.

“I’m late for work / appointment/ school”. There are times when all of us will be late for something however speeding, aggressive driving and risking an injury crash is just not worth it. The same goes for the excuse “My child is sick at school”. If you don’t get there due to a crash, how are you going to be there to care for them?

“My speedometer is off”. Making sure that your vehicle is in good running condition and is safe to be on the roadway should be top priority not only for you and your family but, for the safety of others on the roadway. If the speedometer is not functioning properly, what else is in need of repair on your vehicle?

“I’m having a bad day”. If you are having a bad day, chances are your driving is going to spread that message to other drivers and can lead to road rage incidents. The day is not going to get much better if you receive a citation or crash your vehicle.

These are not the only excuses that we hear however, they can all be summed up fairly easily:

Know the speed limits on the roadways that you typically travel.

Look for and obey posted speed limit signs

Check your speedometer so you know how fast you are going

Don’t rush when late, call ahead and let someone know you are behind schedule

Have your vehicle safety inspected and kept in mechanically sound condition

Don’t drive angry, even bad days can get better and often times do

No one likes to get stopped for speeding but, no one really likes ending up in the hospital because you were speeding and crashed. Take your time, remain calm and drive courteously.