Palm Springs, Florida Speed Traps

I have lived in this area for 40 years. Palm Springs has always been notorious for it’s ticket traps. If you are west bound on 10th, past Congress and then Davis, Palm Springs Elementary is on the right. Approaching the school there is a School Zone bar on the pavement and a sign with a flashing light. As you continue, at 20 mph, and near the school’s property line, westbound, there is a school zone bar and sign with flashing light on the left. There is no end school zone sign on the right (westbound lane). This is not unusual for Florida. Due to wind storms, signs are not always timely replaced. Many schools do not have an end school zone sign (I checked). One assumes you have cleared the school zone when you are abreast of the eastbound school zone sign. However, the eastbound lane has two school zone bars and signs. When you reach the first east bound zone, and assume you have cleared the school zone, you can easily go from 20 to 30 (resuming the 30 mph speed limit) before you reach the second school bar and sign on the left. A police officer stands behind the second school bar sign (on the left) with a radar gun and tickets you for resuming speed to 30 mph. There is only one school bar and sign traveling westbound so there is no reason for you to expect two school bars and signs. The police officer pulls over 5 to 6 vehicles at a time and issues – speeding in a school zone – tickets at $350.00 a pop. Now this is truly a racket. I knew I wasn’t speeding because I drive slower than granny. It took me some time to figure out how this speed trap worked because I usually avoid Palm Springs (because of it’s reputation for ticket traps). I took this route about a year later and then it dawned on me how I had been scammed.

The Law enforcement officers get situated in some housing complexes and because the speed limit changes from 25 to 35 in a short distance they get you all the time specially in the evening.

12/2007

Palm Springs acquired the area on Congress Ave. between Forest Hill and Summit Blvds. and just recently started enforcing the speed limit. Not unusual to see 2 or 3 drivers pulled over at the same time between the 11 and 12 AM hour. Officers hide in shopping centers & businesses facing Congress with radar.

11/2007

School Zone ends, but its not clearly marked where. They are there on a daily basis. Specially west bound, north side of 10th Ave.

Frequent police car patrols who seem to have very little else to do.