# Do traffic cops really have monthly quotas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 8, 2000, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122 "2000-10-08T04:56:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/35a633/32.png) [@dorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorian)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/1 "2000-10-08T04:56:40Z")
Hey all. My girlfriend was recently pulled over on a multi-lane highway, and almost given a ticket for the heinous offense of (_gasp_) driving in the left-hand lane. At the time, there were a few other cars also driving in the left lane, just as there are almost all the time, on almost every highway I’ve ever seen. This happened on the 29th of September, and my first thought was, gosh, they must sure have been desperate to give _someone_ a ticket before the end of the month; I seemed to remember hearing that sometimes traffic cops have to meet ticket quotas, to “prove” that they’re doing their jobs. So, my questions for the Dopers are: - Are these quotas truly in place? and - Has anyone here gotten a ticket for driving in the left lane of a highway, or heard of anyone else getting such a ticket? thanks much! -sagiro ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/2 "2000-10-08T05:00:05Z")
Well, I know that the CHP here in Cali has to fill out a form, I think it’s a Form 100 that shows what they did… it’s to keep them honest, and show that they’re doing something, rather than getting their patrol routes, and then going home and watching TV. There is no quota per se, but there is paperwork. Mayhaps your girl was in the car-pool lane? I don’t know, it sounds kind of fishy… It’s possible he thought he could get her on something, so he pulled her over, and when he was wrong, he made something up… happens to my friends all the time, but that’s what they get for driving fixed-up asian imports… ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Eaton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tom\_Eaton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Eaton)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/3 "2000-10-08T05:18:35Z")
I worked at a traffic court for a summer about ten years ago. I never saw anybody get a ticket for driving in the left lane of an interstate, and while I’m no expert in traffic law I doubt that “driving in the passing lane for no good reason” is an offense. However I can assure people that no matter how much they think that “you can’t get a ticket for only going one mile an hour over the speed limit,” that indeed you can and many do. The judge doesn’t have much trouble convicting you with a defense like that. ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/4 "2000-10-08T05:22:10Z")
Yes, unfortunately, there are some departments that still have quotas for traffic tickets, usually only given to traffic officers. Of course, they usually disguise this by calling them “performance standards” or something similar. I’m glad I’ve never had to meet such a standard. It doesn’t sound like the officer you describe was trying to meet a quota, though. If he had, he would have written the ticket. As for driving in the left lane, people are cited for that all the time. I would consider it a pretty low priority violation, but traffic cops consider pretty much all moving violations as worth writing. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/5 "2000-10-08T05:25:52Z")
Quotas are alive and well in St. Paul Minnesota. I suspect they’re alive and well in other cities as well, but kept pretty hush-hush. But in good 'ol St. Paul, there’s some trouble 'a brewin. One of the commanders in the department got nailed for writting a memo to officer’s stating that their performance evaluations would be based on the number of tickets written out. The commander said that 200 tickets would be a good number to stick to. Sheesh… The full article can be found [here](http://www.startribune.com/viewers/qview/cgi/qview.cgi?template=metro_a&slug=tick08). ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/6 "2000-10-08T05:39:22Z")
For the start of the new year, Wisconsin passed a new law. A law against ticket quotas. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/7 "2000-10-08T11:59:25Z")
When I was in college (lo those many years ago), the college towns had a system that they insisted was not a “quota” but a point system. Uh huh. They got a certain number of points for solving a crime (depending on the crime). They also got, for example, 1 point for issuing a traffic ticket and 1/2 point for issuing a parking ticket. Now, for the average beat cop, is it more likely that he will solve a murder and thus not need to do anything else for a month or two, or that he will have to issue 30 speeding tickets? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/8 "2000-10-08T13:03:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tom Eaton \* > \*\*However I can assure people that no matter how much they think that “you can’t get a ticket for only going one mile an hour over the speed limit,” that indeed you can and many do. The judge doesn’t have much trouble convicting you with a defense like that. \*\* Don’t you all wish you lived in Florida?!? Here, the penalty for going 1-5 mph over the limit is $0!! The legislature recently changed the fine to NOTHING!! So there are no more stupid 1mph over tickets. But, a few years ago, before the law was in place, a friend of mine did get a ticket for going 2mph over the limit! ---
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/9 "2000-10-08T14:27:11Z")
well if you want to beat the quota system, then I suggest you not break the law. It’s a simple as that. It amazes me how many people do something illegal then blame the cops who busted them. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/10 "2000-10-08T16:35:12Z")
**Oblong** Your absolutely right. I suggest you be the first to try out a system by which the gov can constantly monitor you and tally up the number of laws you’ve broken in a day and then bill/sentence you bi-weekly. I mean, it shouldn’t bother you since you _are_ breaking a law or two each day. Right? Don’t know what that system could be, but given the rate of ‘photo cops’ and the like becoming available now, I forsee it been used in the not so distant future. ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/11 "2000-10-08T17:00:26Z")
Dorian, What state was your girlfriend in? I once got pulled over for speeding in Massachusetts, and was also reprimanded for travelling in the left-hand (“passing”) lane. I would have liked to note that I _was_ passing people, but oh well… I was driving a minivan with a canoe on the roof, and I was only 17, so it also seems likely that I was targeted. Incidentally, the two times I’ve been pulled over (MA and NJ), I’m convinced that the officers clocked me going faster than my speedometer. I think it’s a conspiracy… =) ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/12 "2000-10-08T17:07:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Here, the penalty for going 1-5 mph over the limit is $0!! The legislature recently changed the fine to NOTHING!! if you want to see it that way, sure. all they did was raise the speed limit by 5, and saved the cost of changing all the signs. [quote] So there are no more stupid 1mph over tickets.[/quote they were replaced with 6mph over tickets. woo. ---
**Author:** ![cheezit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@cheezit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheezit)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/13 "2000-10-08T19:21:43Z")
I was always under the impression that the police had to give you at least 5 mph over the posted speed limit to account for speedometer error. Most, if not all, speedometers in the average “assembly line” auto are not certified correct. The police speedometers are certified correct. However that may be different now days with electornic speedometers, I don’t know. Suffice it to say that if an “officer of the law” is bent on giving you a ticket, he will find _something_ to write you up on. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/14 "2000-10-08T23:19:40Z")
I’ve heard the opposite. I’ve heard that the cops will hardly write you for going over 5mph over the limit because then they have to file a report. That’s just ‘what I heard’ so take it as that. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/15 "2000-10-09T01:03:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cheezit \* > **I was always under the impression that the police had to give you at least 5 mph over the posted speed limit to account for speedometer error. . .** I was under a similar impression. I doubt that anything anywhere says that they _have_ to give you 5 mph, but a lot of people might try to fight it in court as speedometer error, and just not worrying about writing the ticket would save the cop a trip to the courtroom. ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/16 "2000-10-09T03:36:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cheezit \* > \*\*I was always under the impression that the police had to give you at least 5 mph over the posted speed limit to account for speedometer error \*\* Nope. There are no rules of which I am aware requiring officers to give a certain amount of leeway. If your speedometer is inaccurate, that’s your problem, not theirs. 🙂 However, most cops I know do give at least a 5mph buffer. Even during a short period when I was assigned to traffic, I didn’t stop anyone unless they were going at least 5 over. From 6-10 over was a warning, 11 and above got a ticket. As for not writing a ticket to avoid writing a report or having to go to court, it really doesn’t apply. The report is usually just notes on the back of the officer’s copy of the ticket. And in Washington state, we don’t have to appear in court on infraction tickets. Our sworn report serves as our testimony. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/17 "2000-10-09T13:36:53Z")
Related threads: [Quota Time: fact or fiction?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=37915) [Traffic violation studies & Police ticket quotas](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=22174) A couple of paragraphs from a lo-o-o-ong article in the Washington Post, many moons ago: > [@](#): > > Ticket Writers and Quotas > > Thursday, June 4, 1998; Page A22 > > PARKING CONTROL aides are expected to write 90 tickets a day – more than 9,000 a day if everyone’s working. They are > monitored closely, with slackers getting warning letters from supervisors. Their ticket books are scrutinized for time gaps, and, once a month, a supervisor pays a surprise visit. > > Aggressive ticket writing and alleged ticket-writing quotas by city aides reported in yesterday’s Post have been around for some time and don’t seem to get any better. So have the denials. “We don’t have quotas,” said then-city parking official Grady Williams in 1993. Three years later, parking ticket czar Gwen Mitchell offered a similar response. Mrs. Mitchell said her department has an understanding of how many tickets a certain route should generate over a period of time. That number is then weighed against each ticket writer’s total during a performance evaluation, she said. But whether an expectation of 90 tickets a day represents a > “quota” or a “performance standard” is irrelevant. It is an established target that apparently encourages the kind of overly aggressive ticket writing that leaves little room for the exercise of good judgment. > > After hearing officials acknowledge a **90-ticket-a-day goal** this week, D.C. Chief Management Officer Camille Barnett told Public Works chief Cellerino Bernardino and his parking enforcement staff to come up with a new and fairer enforcement system. But remember that years ago, when the city was faced with parking enforcement gone overboard, the Kelly administration promised attitude-adjustment training for parking aides and ordered them to lighten up. It only made them madder. (bolding mine) Remember this in case you ever get [screwed by parking enforcement](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=37521). ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/18 "2000-10-09T13:44:14Z")
Theres a small suburb here near Cleveland called Linndale, where it was proven that they DID have a quota. They just sat by the freeway (the city was small and mostly freeway), waiting to catch em. ---
**Author:** ![Wrath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ee7513/32.png) [@Wrath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrath)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-traffic-cops-really-have-monthly-quotas/36122/19 "2000-10-09T13:46:30Z")
Here’s a bad idea: A town in Mass was given permission to (dare I say it) KEEP THE FINE MONEY FOR THEIR STATION! Ouch, what an incentive. So, no need for fund raisers. Just go out and flag a few down if you need more $$ for new uniforms with the matching leather jacket.