Speeding is big business. speeding tickets generate over $6 billion a year in fines, and about 1 in every 20 drivers will get a speeding ticket this year. The odds may not be in your favor but there are steps you can take to avoid speeding tickets. Here are 12 tips to help you from getting a speeding ticket.

  1. Don’t speed. Simple and effective, but probably not what you were looking for. There are 11 more.
  2. Stay in the middle of the herd. The lead car and the last cars in any traveling pack are more likely to get speeding tickets.
  3. Most police will cut divers slack of up to about 7 miles per hour over the speed limit, especially if the flow of traffic is traveling at that rate. Your odds of getting a speeding ticket go up greatly when you hit 10 mph above the posted limit.
  4. Use your signals and don’t drive aggressively or move in and out of lanes frequently. This will draw the attention of any patrol cars nearby and may even cause another driver to phone in your car’s description or license plate number.
  5. Pay attention to cut-outs along the road. These are places where police can sit incognito while observing speeding traffic.
  6. Your odds of getting a speeding ticket increase in that far left lane. Use it to pass, but then move back into the middle or right hand lane.
  7. Slow down if you are the only car on the road. You will stand out more if you are alone.
  8. Consider a radar detector IF it is legal to use one in your state. If it is not legal in your state, see tip #1.
  9. If you are going to travel with a “rabbit”, stay far enough behind the speeding car and allow him to be the first to trip radar. His brake lights will also serve as an indication he has seen a patrol car.
  10. Cars that “look” fast tend to draw attention and are likely to be subject to more speeding tickets. Your choices are to drive near or at the speed limit if you have a “hot” car, or trade it in for a more traditional model.
  11. If you have cruise control, use it. Many people get a speeding ticket because they were simply not paying attention.
  12. If you do get stopped, roll down your window and put your hands on top of the steering wheel where they will be visible. Treating the officer with respect may help you get a reduced violation or avoid getting the speeding ticket all-together.

The average speeding ticket in America is $152 and the average insurance rate increase for a single speeding ticket over a period of three years is $900, so paying attention to these tips can save you considerably. If you do indeed get a ticket for excessive speed, online traffic school may be an affordable option to help you through it.