Branson, Missouri Speed Traps

The entire Branson strip is constantly patrolled by Branson PD and they appear to write hundreds of tickets per day along this five mile alignment. I and others observe them pulling people over, during mostly daylight hours, and writing tickets in the parking lots of Branson’s show theaters and hotels. Monday, I spotted a kid in a Jeep and it looks like it took two patrol cars to pull him over. They are looking for anyone going even one mile over the speed limit, expired tags, lights, etc. No one gets off with just a warning. Branson recently spent a lot of money on sidewalk improvements, a convention center, etc. This is clearly their way of paying for it. They seem to go after locals only as ticketing tourists might impact the town’s bottom line. I am told drivers that get pulled over are asked what business they have in Branson. Most tourists are allowed to go with a warning. All locals get a ticket. Beware.

The entire stretch of road between 76 and Roark Valley Rd is the Branson P.D.’s all time favorite spot. I watch them write dozens of tickets everyday. The Roark Valley end of this stretch is a steep hill where you can easily speed by accident. It takes an effort and numerous taps of your brake pedal to remain at 35 mph and the cops know it. In fact any steep hill in Branson is a Hot Spot for a cop at the bottom. Watch out at night as THEY PARK BLACKED OUT in the dark, no parking lights or anything. I thought that was illegal…150 ft visibility thing. They use K and Ka bands and run with their radar hot, so radar detectors are handy.

State Highway Patrol has a handheld radar. They park car behind a berm couple hundred yards South of West Hwy 176 exit. They can radar you well before the hwy exit. So slow down as you top the hill after Saddlebrook! They only radar people traveling south bound in the daytime.

Branson Police Department hides in wooded areas and locals probably do alright because they are aware of the area, however, the touist’s that come to visit (and there are at least a million each year) are not..

Officers sit at the bottom of the VERY steep hill after dark. There is no posted speed limit and the signs that are present are blocked by trees. They will write you for traveling in excess of posted speed even though it isn’t posted. The speed limit is, allegedly, 35 mph.