How Do You Avoid Cops?

[DarkblueTA]

1. don't own a red car.
2. drive normal.
3. if on the highway, stay in the right lane only to pass. I cruise at 75-80mph all the time, no issues.

if you do get pulled over, car/stereo off, windows down, lights off(dome light on if at night) and hands out the window. Cops can walk right up without worryin'. I haven't got a ticket in........................5 years? LOL and that was before ownin' my TA.

btw, NOT having a red car helps 1000fold.

[TransAm87]

1. don't own a red car.

Darn, I guess i'm screwed, but for me as a 17 year old its so hard not to speed and just have fun, I keep it relatively under control though, I mostly just drive to school work and to people's houses, but I've never even taken my bird on the highway, I have yet to run into a cop that is just sitting on the side of the road, I always see them driving around..

[CreepingDeath94]

I mounted a turret to the top of my car am not afraid to use it...

[superducky55]

Originally Posted by TransAm87

Darn, I guess i'm screwed, but for me as a 17 year old its so hard not to speed and just have fun, I keep it relatively under control though, I mostly just drive to school work and to people's houses, but I've never even taken my bird on the highway, I have yet to run into a cop that is just sitting on the side of the road, I always see them driving around..

I hear ya.. 18 and a proud f-body owner here.
one thing changes when you f*** up your first baby, though.. I wrapped my '95 camaro around a fire hydrant/tree/transformer box and that was the last jackass driving ive done since..
It gets old when the airbag smacks some sense into ya.

Anyhow, it was just a fate-inspired oppurtunity to upgrade to a 350 lt1 Formula of the same year and color

As far as tickets.. bah. Never got one in my bird/maro, but i tell ya what. This winter, while driving my POS winter beater 92 explorer (rusty and all) a local gostapo snagged me driving down a main city road at night. speed limit dropped from 55 to 40 approaching the city. Ugh, 15 over, they dropped it to 10.
So now i'm 18 with a 10 over ticket, as well as a huge liability insurance bill (~30K for shutting down the local staples for a day from whackin that transformer) and trying to get full coverage on a fbird. Cheapest quote i've been given is 259 a month for high deductible and minimal coverage.

You'll learn from time that its just better to slow the hell down... less engine wear, better gas milage and straight up cheaper. you already know that bird can eat all the lil honda shits out there anyway.. :-D

[tuske427]

you can never really "avoid" them (they're trained, it's their job to notice these things and profile people), but you can do things to reduce attention to yourself and reduce your chances of getting pulled over.

Obviously, don't drive like a goofball and keep your manners civilized. That's really the best way. But we all know we aren't going to always do that... So- the track is best, or at least keep it out on back roads. roads that are unpopulated. I think cops hate it (and so does the general population) when kids in fast cars are being wreckless and putting innocent lives in danger.

one trick that has worked well for me, (and maybe it's obvious to the rest of the world) is don't look at them when you pass by one. keep your eyes on the road. look like you're minding your own business. I was 16 when I bought my '84 T/A (this was in '91) and every time I'd look at a cop he'd pull me over. (kid in a T/A, he must be up to something..) I stopped doing that and they'd leave me alone.

Doing this saved me from getting a ticket in my truck recently. I was travelling almost 60 in a 40 in my truck and the cop followed me for a while, then pulled along side of me and asked (well, told) me to slow down which I did. No ticket, no pulling me over, no problem.

Other things is don't have whacked out graphics and wings and other things that makes your car "look" like a race car/ tuner/ etc. You draw attention to yourself doing this. (Of course, asthetics are a personal thing, and this is only my opinion) If it looks stock on the outside it doesn't "look" modified. (again, profiling) Simple, but effective. It also keeps thieves away. modified cars usually have modified stereos. things to steal...

The only car I ever had my radio stolen from was an old Buick I painted to look like a GSX. had tinted windows, etc. As the cop made the report he told me the car "looked" like a kids car- a target for theives.

Cops also look for weavers- people who whip in and out of lanes. It draws attention to yourself. if you're going to make a sprint, don't do it next to another car as then there's a reference point to show you're going faster than the next guy.

Also, keep a lookout for them. As previously mentioned- learn what your local officers drive and learn to identify these types of cars from a distance. also learn where they tend to hide (after underpasses/ trees, signs, etc..)

and don't slam your brakes the moment you see a cop. if you need to reduce speed let your foot off the gas gently and easily slow down. cops can see car noses diving down, brake lights, etc..

also, keep your car in working order. If you're being followed they can pull you over if you have a light out, don't use a turn signal, etc. It's the little details that can bite you in the @$$ if you're not careful.

These have been my expericense, at least. Good luck!

[TransAm87]

It gets old when the airbag smacks some sense into ya.

yeah, well ya see when i was 16 my '87 got wrapped around a civic, but i had no airbags

[Philo]

Another tip or two - Look way down the road in front. Keep your eyes moving all of the time - it's amazing what you will see - early enough to avoid being stopped. I check the rear view mirror about every ten seconds. In NY, they must stop you with a marked car/SUV what ever they are using, but I'm fairly sure the radar machine can be unmarked, it he does only the timing and another car does the stop. In OH, the police cruise the inside (passing) lane on the interstates, timing people going the other direction. This works well where it is easy for them to cross over and get you.

BTW - No tickets since a stop for an expired inspection sticker (~1980). Before that - 1967, in Utah, after I had just stomped a Ford Fairlane for the second time with a 389 powered '56 Pontiac two door post. That cost me $25 and a good chewing out by the Judge.

I was reading other posts on this thread, and although others say not to, I always try to acknowledge the police when I go by them if they are looking at my car/truck. A simple nod when you make eye contact is all it takes. I think they would rather you show that you know they are there than to pretend you don't see them. They know you see them, so what could a nod hurt? Plus, they will be so surprized that they may not see that your inspection has expired

[Im3good4u]

I live in Miami cops are everywhere and in every type of car you can imagine.
My Formula is Red.
And my car is loud as shit.
I have a radar(But its there for looks and highway)
The only thing you can do to avoid cops and tickets is grow up and "Stop breaking the law asshole"(Jim Carrey: Liar Liar)
But seriously dont think you can outsmart them because you insult them and get yourself in deeper shit.
Until you decide to grow up and slow down just make sure you have a saving account for your tickets.

[superducky55]

Originally Posted by TransAm87

yeah, well ya see when i was 16 my '87 got wrapped around a civic, but i had no airbags

haha

a 3rd gen around a civic? seems like the rice would wrap around the 87

Airbags are scary shit. That's all i gotta say.

[giddyup50]

Originally Posted by Mr. Luos

Not an actual picture I took. Just an random pic from the internet.
My car will top out well over 167.
I will never see it though. Fastest I have had it is about 130.
I figure however fast it will go in the 1/4 mile is about as fast as it needs to go.

The fastest I ever took my 92 5.0 was 135. It was still pullin hard but, I was starting to catch up with some traffic on an open highway. LOOKING BACK, THAT WAS DUMB AS HELL!!!! STUPID!!! Top speed is nice, but where will we be able to test it SAFELY??!! I agree with ya Luos, it's not how fast(top speed) your car is but, how quick(1/4 mile) the car is. You also don't have to worry about traffic at the track, alot safer.

[knight7]

The highest i hive driven was 105mph on my 99 firebird. B4 that i have done 148 on my cuzin's mustang gt. I still remember that moment becuz this was done on a single lane street with a lot of ups and downs. In the end, his car was not the same anymor3. His car didnt start at first and then smoke started comming out. His thermostat was cracked!

[spielightdude]

1 Thing my father always told me.

Its if the cops follow you no matter how fast you run you cant outrun their radio. They will always be able to contacdt other cops and let them know where you are if you go to fast and eventually you'll get caught.

The crazy things my father used to do with his old Triumph tr6! We miss that car.

"Guys in Boston" my buddy has an older 1994-6 protege and even stock he cant help but get stuck with the cops for some reason his car is a cop magnet and its a bluish green. Any ideas? He doesn't even do 10 over the limit due to traffic and his car isnt what it used to be.

But I have to agree with the others if your gonna run fast do it at a track. I had a good friend killed by an illegal steet race. He was in his car 1986 mustang at the sidelines when the integra that was racing a camaro lost it and well lets just say that my friend and his mustang were never to be parted it was such a mess they could not get him all out of the car.

I dont know how fast the integra was running but that night is still fresh in my memory from 4 years back.

Please just think about it ok, ya never know when it could be you!

Thanks,

Joe

[ikeyballz]

yeah, cops are frikkin not bad guys.. deff. i got pulled over twice,
running red, cutting him off...no ticket
and when i got into my accidnet, this guy in a NICE LS1 Z28 helped out (cop)
so yeah..

some cops are assholes, but most are good guys.


if you speed watch the light, the types of cars. tahts what i do..

i slow down cuz sometimes they're cops..but they dont have lights out.

[spielightdude]

The cops are also sneeky in that if you have ford crown vics for cop cars in your area be on the look out for the stealth light bars. These are the ones that are not ton the top of the roof but are more right above the front and rear windsheild.

A college buddy of mine's mom actually works at Whelen so I get the heads up on the newer light bars and stuff and what to look out for hehe.

Sometimes it just pays to know the right people.

BTW now there are LED lightbars that are on the inside of the car and they go right in front of the rear view mirror on the headliner so you will not see them!

I always try and look out for the mirror spots and anything unsusual about the car that might make it a sneeky cop car. Always look for lights in the grill or rear deck and also nowadays they have LED units that go on the sun visors that they can flip down so you won't see them untill its too late.

Good Luck guys!

Link to the hidden lightbars that go on the front head liner in front of the rear view for an example.

http://www.whelen.com/details_prod.p...17&prod_id=309
http://www.code3pse.com/productdtl.a...lyid=18&id=188
http://www.code3pse.com/productdtl.a...lyid=18&id=226

Alot of CT cops are starting to use these.

Other companies to look at if your curious are code 3, fedral signal, or just about anything from galls.com

Any other "?"'s let me know I like researching this stuff anyway!

[Twizted_3KGT]

I've gotten pretty good at avoiding them...right now i'm on my longest streak of not being pulled over ever! Basically:

- Get a radar detector (never been pulled over with it on)
- Always look back and check on-ramps as you pass by them on the highway
- Look way ahead/behind ALL THE TIME for light bars...or caprices/impalas (i've slowed down for a few grandmas that I thought were cops)
- Slam your brakes if you see a cop, doesn't matter if he sees you do it or not, if you can get ur car to the speed limit before he clocks you, then you're good (and you'll know if he's clocking you by the radar detector).

I've found that most times when a cop is sitting in the median on the highway, he's got his radar off and he's just watching traffic to see who's passing...and if you're passing then he'll clock you or pull out and pace you.