Why Don't Cops Ticket Everyone Going Below the Speed Limit in Traffic Jams?

So, let’s unpack your question. Why don’t cops issue tickets to everyone going below the speed limit in a traffic jam? In fact, they do issue tickets to the egregious drivers, but not to everyone else in the traffic jam. Let's delve into why.

Understanding Traffic Jams and Speed Limits

When a traffic jam occurs, there’s something impeding the flow of traffic. This means that everyone has to slow down or even stop. If the jam is caused by a traffic violation or a wreck due to a violation, someone will likely be cited because their driving was responsible. However, ticketing everyone else in the jam is impractical.

To illustrate, would you like to be cited for breathing if suddenly air were considered a limited resource? The same goes for drivers stuck in a jam. They are forced to slow down due to the traffic conditions, and there’s no other way they can drive than the speed limit.

Legal Considerations and Impeding Traffic

Speeding is a traffic violation, but so is impeding traffic. If the posted speed limit is 70 and everyone is doing 80, the drivers may be considered to be impeding traffic by following the speed limit. The key is to drive at a speed that is appropriate for the current road conditions, which often means following the flow of traffic.

Police Behavior and Traffic Enforcement

In most cases, police are taught in their academies to allow traffic to flow. If the traffic is moving smoothly, they won't make additional stops that could worsen the flow. Even during rush hours when the traffic is generally no more than 10 mph over the posted limit, they avoid causing additional stoppage or increasing the risk of accidents.

Issuing tickets to cars stuck in traffic would be utterly pointless and could lead to bad public relations for the police. Detectors of such tickets would argue that the police are simply ticketing individuals based on being in a slow-moving traffic situation, which is not a valid reason to issue a ticket.

Conclusion and Reassurance against Common Misconceptions

This question shouldn’t be taken seriously. How do you expect the police to ticket every single car stuck in traffic? The reality is that police have a set of guidelines to follow, and the primary goal is to maintain safe and efficient traffic flow.

For anyone who thinks that making traffic stops in a jam is a good idea, the potential for causing more traffic problems and upsetting civilians is significant. Cops aren't that stupid; they know what is best for the greater good of all drivers on the road.