Cottageville, South Carolina Speed Traps

My wife and I were returning to Atlanta from Charelston. I drove through Cottageville on the four lane highway and increased my speed to pass a truck towing a large piece of construction equipment on a trailer. I did not want to be behind this truck on the two lane highway outside of town. Three minutes later I looked in my rear view mirror and saw the police car with his lights on. I explained to the office that I wanted to get around the truck. I was charged with careless driving, 50/35, and fined $243. I was told no points would be assigned. I paid the fine and did not appear in court. This town has a population of 700 with a full time judge, need I say more?

Cottageville is one of those small towns that can only generate local income thru their traffic enforcement. Watch out for extreme fines if caught speeding. I was fined 247.00 for 68mph in a 55 zone. I was accelerating out of the city limits when caught. Officer was sitting directly on the city limit sign. Ask for bail reduction directly from judge if you are given one of these extreme fines.

This is the same trap many have already mentioned. I just wanted to add that I had my day in court today to fight it and ended up getting the $243 fine reduced to $213, which is what the judge did for everyone going 50 in a 35, whether you pled guilty or innocent. I did find it somewhat odd, however, that a local who plead his case before mine, got his ENTIRE fine suspended for driving with no tags, registration, or license. The obliging officer informed the judge that even though the ticket had been issued a month before the man actually got his license and registration, that he hadn’t driven it "because he lives in town" and the cop had seen the car parked at his house! Outrageous! Imagine if a yankee like me did the same thing! Cottageville is the biggest joke in the world. Except that it�s not funny!

Cruiser parked in a gas station. Speed limit drops from 55 to 45 to 35 in no time. Caught going 49 in a 35mph zone at 10am on a Sunday morning. Clearly, I was not a risk to anyone on the road and the $166 fine for careless driving without points is going straight into this poor excuse for a police department’s budget.

If you head West through this town, just after you have passed the speed limit (in town) of 35 mph, you are going around a curve and you see a 45 mph speed limit posted; but before you get to the 45 mph sign you are caught doing over 35 mph by the radar in the gully on your left!

If you are heading East, you pass a dummy (empty) cruiser on your left at the police station and just as you catch speed, they radar on your right, in the gas station parking! Sneaky but smart!!!