And then, there's this:
More than 1,100 traffic sensors deployed along Florida Turnpike | Roads & Bridges (roadsbridges.com)
Looks like Florida added 1100 more points of data collection for a lot of reasons, including speed data. That's a lotta unwitnessing of crimes.
This corroborates what I said about "unwitnessed" speed detection, and that "Big Brother is Watching". This kind of technology wasn't readily available and certainly not affordable in the early 90's. But distance travelled/time traveled = Average speed. Can't argue the math. I got a ticket on the Pike back then for averaging 76 MPH between Wildwood and the Commerce Street exit in Fort Lauderdale, albeit a very moderate one compared to today's speeding fines. The 55 MPH limit had just been rescinded, and the 70 MPH limit was being VERY strictly enforced statewide in Florida. That's how I found out my speedometer in my new 1992 F-150 was a little slow, probably because of tire size. I had no reason to suspect this in a brand-new vehicle. So YES, it was VERY true that the speed was monitored. You and you're ex-cop brother can refund me the money I paid for the fine if you like.
I have never been pulled over in any of my travels in Florida, ever, and have only received that ONE ticket from that state. I will openly admit to three stops and three tickets from Tennessee, though. Nary a one ever in my home state, Alabama. The one I got in Florida just showed up in the mail. Since I was from out of state, they were betting on and counting on me not fighting it. They won. It wasn't worth my time and effort to go to court over it, especially since it was issued from Broward County where I'd exited the Pike. I found out from a colleague at work that lived down there that I could have paid it at the exit booth and saved myself the admin and court fees tacked on to waiting for the ticket, if I'd only asked. No one said anything to me about my speeding, so why would I ask?
From that day forward, I plotted my trip based on arrival time on the Pike, never mind the speedometer other than to keep the blue lights at bay. Pretty easy to do if you can do some simple math in your head knowing how far you've gone and how far you have left to go. That's what mile markers are for. A decent GPS these days makes it even easier, because it will give you projected arrival time. The problem would also have been solved had I stopped for a drink or snack on the way. Because I drove it non-stop with an errant speedometer, I averaged a bit higher speed than expected. From that point on, I figured I'd do better to travel down the interstate or US highways on the Gulf side late at night and just enjoy the trip rather than hurrying. I actually knocked another half hour off my total trip time going that way. Who knew?
With a lawyer, yeah, you can fight anything. Winning might be a different story, and the result of fighting and losing generally is a lot worse than just paying the fine. There's always the possibility of additional court costs, the cost of the lawyer, the possibility of a community service sentence as well as a quadrupled fine. If it were a matter of losing my license over a couple MPH over the limit, I might fight it. If it's my fault for going too fast, why would I?
