Is a work zone without workers still a work zone?

Nitemare · Dec 4, 2002

My wife picked up a speeding ticket in a work zone except there were no workers..unless you count a bunch of orange and white barrels. Irked because it is a 250 fine for speeding in a work zone. We got the ticket on Interstate 40 at night. There were clearly no workers nor machinery present...how can this be legal? The speed we were going was within acceptable parameters had their not been a work zone on this stretch of road.

AmazonRasta · Dec 4, 2002

Is restricted air space still a no-fly zone if there are airplanes in it? No. It just means those planes shouldn't be there. Just like you shouldn't have been speeding through the construction zone.

Aves · Dec 4, 2002

I've been wondering this myself since my drive to work is along 10 miles of a supposed construction zone and I have NEVER seen a single worker out there.

I suppose that it is, it just pisses me off that I have to drive 50MPH in what is normally a 70MPH zone. :frown:

ScrapSilicon · Dec 4, 2002

in GA... you pay for the barrels..(the barrel racket is good money apparently for the state and the barrel baron..

)

squirrel dog · Dec 4, 2002

Go and talk with the D.A.,or assistant D.A. in a very polite way.Or if you know a lawyer,have him/her do it.Work zones with no workers is bogus.

woodie1 · Dec 4, 2002

Around here they have signs that say it is a construction zone and reduced speeds apply when workers are present. That way the extra fines for speeding don't apply unless there is actual work going on.

AlienCraft · Dec 4, 2002

Originally posted by: Nitemare
My wife picked up a speeding ticket in a work zone except there were no workers..unless you count a bunch of orange and white barrels. Irked because it is a 250 fine for speeding in a work zone. We got the ticket on Interstate 40 at night. There were clearly no workers nor machinery present...how can this be legal? The speed we were going was within acceptable parameters had their not been a work zone on this stretch of road.

If it's marked off with cones, it's a "Zone".....

lukatmyshu · Dec 4, 2002

Originally posted by: AmazonRasta
Is restricted air space still a no-fly zone if there are airplanes in it? No. It just means those planes shouldn't be there. Just like you shouldn't have been speeding through the construction zone.

Dude ... that is possibly one of the worst analogies I've ever heard (no disrespect however) ... a work zone has a higher fine/lower speed limit because there are workers on the side of the road and if you are speeding you have a higher potential to cause an accident which (since there are workers) would cause them to die. So to prevent worker deaths, they raise the fine ... making people LESS likely to speed. When there are no workers there's no reason to have to slow down. A no-fly zone is a completely different idea ... it is 'perpetually' a no-fly zone. I liken this situation to the school zone ... the speed limit is lower "When Children are present" .... when there are no kids around the speed limit is normal.

BHeemsoth · Dec 4, 2002

Originally posted by: lukatmyshu

Originally posted by: AmazonRasta
Is restricted air space still a no-fly zone if there are airplanes in it? No. It just means those planes shouldn't be there. Just like you shouldn't have been speeding through the construction zone.

Click to expand...

Dude ... that is possibly one of the worst analogies I've ever heard (no disrespect however) ... a work zone has a higher fine/lower speed limit because there are workers on the side of the road and if you are speeding you have a higher potential to cause an accident which (since there are workers) would cause them to die. So to prevent worker deaths, they raise the fine ... making people LESS likely to speed. When there are no workers there's no reason to have to slow down. A no-fly zone is a completely different idea ... it is 'perpetually' a no-fly zone. I liken this situation to the school zone ... the speed limit is lower "When Children are present" .... when there are no kids around the speed limit is normal.

Hey Buddy, you might want to debug your post. lol.

BillGates · Dec 4, 2002

I would think it is still a work zone even without workers.

Generally work zones have lanes that are more narrow than usual, and usually there are no ditches or areas to pull off. Add construction equipment near the roadway and you're asking for trouble if there is an accident...the road would pretty much be stopped until the accident debris was moved off the roadway....

They probably want you to go slow to prevent this type of thing, but also to prevent you from driving head on into a bulldozer or something while nodding off at night... Workers aren't the only ones in danger in a situation like that.

======

It's really sad for me to say that too because I love speeding and hate that we even have speed limits....I can just see why the ticket was still issued. (I'd still be ticked if I were in that situation and wish you luck in having it reduced or invalidated)

Farmall · Dec 4, 2002

I got a ticket in Idaho a few years back in a work zone, weird thing was that everything was pulled off to the side of the road, that is normal lane width. Was over the 4th of July weekend and there was not a worker to be found. Was not speeding according to regular posted limits, but got me on the mph posted for the work zone.

Nitemare · Dec 4, 2002

Originally posted by: Farmall
I got a ticket in Idaho a few years back in a work zone, weird thing was that everything was pulled off to the side of the road, that is normal lane width. Was over the 4th of July weekend and there was not a worker to be found. Was not speeding according to regular posted limits, but got me on the mph posted for the work zone.

Over here they are called revenue generators...should go to court myself and bring the Webster's unabridged dictionary...work zone = zone where people work not place where state highway patrol wait in ambush for drivers when there is nary a worker nor machine to be found.

Fausto · Dec 4, 2002

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Farmall
I got a ticket in Idaho a few years back in a work zone, weird thing was that everything was pulled off to the side of the road, that is normal lane width. Was over the 4th of July weekend and there was not a worker to be found. Was not speeding according to regular posted limits, but got me on the mph posted for the work zone.

Click to expand...

Over here they are called revenue generators...should go to court myself and bring the Webster's unabridged dictionary...work zone = zone where people work not place where state highway patrol wait in ambush for drivers when there is nary a worker nor machine to be found.

Hell, I don't even live in NC and I watch for those bastards like a hawk when I'm on 40/85.....especially since it seems like that whole damn area is a perpetual "work zone".

Ly2n · Dec 4, 2002

I often question if it is a work zone even when there are people there. I seldom see anyone working.

hudster · Dec 4, 2002

yeah, they should have those digital/electronic signs at work zones. When the workers are there, they would switch the sign to display the lower 'work zone' speed limit. When the workers leave for the day, they switch the sign to display a higher speed limit that's closer to the normal speed limit for that particular stretch of road.

whaddaya think about that idea?

Ynog · Dec 4, 2002

I think the problem here is. Work Zone doesn't say there have to be workers there.
Just says work is being done.

The minute they put those stupid signs/cones/barrells/jersey barriers out there work begins.

When they finally take them down all that crap work ends.

However I am split between what I hate more.

The cops that hangout by works zones where no workers are or the dumb idiot
who speeds through a work zone losses control of his car and backs traffice up
for miles behind.

its probably a push

ElFenix · Dec 4, 2002

i looked at my last warning and it had work zone as one of the things on it and then checkboxes for workers present/not present... so in texas they might take that into consideration for the fine...

rh71 · Dec 4, 2002

Originally posted by: rpbri2886

Originally posted by: lukatmyshu

Originally posted by: AmazonRasta
Is restricted air space still a no-fly zone if there are airplanes in it? No. It just means those planes shouldn't be there. Just like you shouldn't have been speeding through the construction zone.

Click to expand...

Dude ... that is possibly one of the worst analogies I've ever heard (no disrespect however) ... a work zone has a higher fine/lower speed limit because there are workers on the side of the road and if you are speeding you have a higher potential to cause an accident which (since there are workers) would cause them to die. So to prevent worker deaths, they raise the fine ... making people LESS likely to speed. When there are no workers there's no reason to have to slow down. A no-fly zone is a completely different idea ... it is 'perpetually' a no-fly zone. I liken this situation to the school zone ... the speed limit is lower "When Children are present" .... when there are no kids around the speed limit is normal.

Click to expand...

Hey Buddy, you might want to debug your post. lol.

I just can't help but laugh out loud.

Anyway, I treat these work zones as work zones even if there's nobody around. At the risk of introducing another terrible analogy, I stop at all stop signs even if there's not a single car as far as the eye can see. It pisses me off the most when people think they can just roll right through a stop sign without even touching the brake when they think there's no good reason to stop. I sometimes wish I became a cop just to teach them a lesson.

EDIT>>> With speeding in a normal "zone" or "work zone", just go the speed of traffic (never be the fastest) and you will NEVER get stopped. We all speed, but don't be stupid about it. Even cops will tell you that.

Scootin159 · Dec 4, 2002

What about the work zones that have no cones, no workers, no barrels, no nothing except signs that say (work zone 200' ahead an end of work zone). I think they just forgot to take these down after they finished about a year ago. I still go the speed limit through there 'cuz of the heavy fines for a ticket, but it seems really stupid.

XZeroII · Dec 4, 2002

Why do people complain when they get a speeding ticket? It doesn't matter if people are present because how do you know exactly when workers are present. It could be 1:00am and someone might have left something and went back to get it. Around here, the fine is doubled in a work zone. Yea, I hate cops that try to trap you, but you shouldn't be breaking the law in the first place unless the speed just dropped and you were decelerating, but I doubt that was the case here. If you don't want to deal with this stuff, then just do the speed limit. It's not that hard.

Is a work zone without workers still a work zone?

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