The Top 5 States for Speeders

By Richard Read

Richard Read

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Richard Read is a car writer, covering marketing, technology, social media, and other auto industry topics for High Gear Media. With a background in... More

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10 1,804 views July 1, 2010

Officer with speed gun

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Planning a roadtrip over the long holiday weekend? Here are some things to consider:

1. Are there enough things to do during the day and at night? ("Things" being historic tours, napping, or bikini contests, depending on your point of view.)

2. Are there ample activities for kids? (This is important whether or not you have children.)

3. What's the likelihood that I'm going to nab a speeding ticket?

Yes, believe it or not, some people -- even people we know -- select their vacation spots based on the availability of open road and the absence of law enforcement. And although speeding is a very bad idea, not to mention illegal, if you're the sort of Leadfoot Larry (or Lisa) who wants to blow out the engine in peace, we have a few destinations to suggest.

These come from a recent study conducted by the National Motorists Association, which is, just for the record, a group devoted to libertarian driving laws. (Translation: higher speed limits, no DUI roadblocks, and the elimination of traffic cameras.) No matter how you feel about the organization's politics, though, the data it's collected on traffic ticketing looks solid.

The NMA evaluated all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on a series of 17 fairly straightforward questions like:

• What is the state's freeway speed limit?
• Does the state require motorcyclists to wear helmets?
• Does the state outlaw mobile phone use while driving?
• Does the state allow radar detectors?

The NMA then analyzed that data and ranked states from worst to best, in terms of "driver-friendliness". Zippy road-trippers should probably avoid places at the top of the list like New Jersey and Ohio, where road blocks and speed traps abound. The five states following here, however, might be just what the doctor ordered: