[Jeff Higgins]

The UK is an example of where speed limits are set by road type. "Motorways" (our "freeways") and "dual carriageways" (our divided highways) are 70 mph. "Single carriageways" (our two lane roads) are 60 mph. Single carriageways with street lighting, found in built up areas, are 30 mph. Very simple and straightforward. They don't even really need signs in many areas.

The fatality rate in motor vehicle accidents in 2018 was 27.7 per million population for the UK. The US was 112.3. Over four times. And our authorities keep telling us our extremely high rate is mostly "speed related".

Supe touched on an important point - here in Washington (and I suspect elsewhere), our traffic violations are divided into two categories - "criminal" (DUI and other "serious" offenses) and "civil" (speeding and other less "serious" offenses). This distinction was established in Washington in the 1980's when, as Supe mentions, it became obvious that it was well neigh impossible to prove, under the criminal burden of proof, any sort of a traffic violation.

So, under the "civil" level of evidence, we have "preponderance of evidence". That means "51%", whatever that can be quantified as. This is meant to be used, as the name implies, in civil court, where the judge or jury has to make a decision between two disputing parties. It was never meant to be used when the state is accusing a citizen of wrongdoing.

The courts have bastardized this "preponderance" to now being no more than an officer saying "yessir, Ah seem 'im do it...". There is absolutely no defense. The citizen's word against the officer's, with the officer's carrying preponderance. The only way to "beat" a ticket in this modern system is to find some technicality in which the officer failed. "Evidence" doesn't mean a goddamned thing.

This has to change. If an agent of the state has the audacity to accuse a citizen of any level of wrongdoing, there should be some substantial level of burden placed upon the state to prove it. To our fellow citizens (a jury), not to itself (a money grubbing traffic court judge). This system is broken. This is not how it is supposed to work in America.