What Are the Worst States to Get Pulled Over In?

There is nothing worse than driving around Denver and seeing those blue lights in your rearview unless, of course, you are driving around one of the worst states to get pulled over in. The good news is if you are being pulled over in Denver, Colorado, you are not in one of the worst places to be pulled over. There are states where you should take extra caution for driving because these places have a reputation for issuing THE most driving citations and you receive the harshest penalties.

DUI Is Tough Everywhere, But Especially Here

In Denver, DUI laws are tough, but not quite as tough as in Pennsylvania. In PA, the minimum punishment for a first-time DUI is a 72-hour jail sentence, a fine between $1,000 and $5,000 and your license will be suspended. Sounds like Pennsylvania is not a great place to get caught driving under the influence, but Pennsylvania is not the worst place to be charged with a DUI.

Arizona is the worst place by far to be charged with a DUI. You instantly lose your driving privileges for anywhere between 30 days to 370 days. You will receive a jail sentence even for a first-time DUI and the fines can be astronomical. In Arizona, more people are put in jail for driving offenses than anywhere in the country.

Maryland’s DUI Penalties Are Also Very Harsh

For a first-time DUI, you can spend up to a year in jail, and pay over $1,000 in fines. Don’t drink and drive in any state to avoid the repercussions.

Slow Down In These Places

Denver is tough on speeding. If you are driving through Denver or you live in Denver, you may want to ease up on the gas pedal to avoid the repercussions of dealing with a speeding ticket. Denver can be hard on speeding, but there are other places that are even tougher.

Vermont tops the list of the worst places to speed. Specifically, Burlington, Vermont, the ski capital of the Northeast. There is a huge influx of tourists during the ski season and the police stay on high alert looking for people breaking the driving laws.

Maryland has about 3.5-speed traps for every 1,000 miles of roadway, according to the National Motorists Association. According to the same NMA study, Massachusetts has 3.79-speed traps per 1,000 miles of roadway. Rhode Island is a little state with a lot of speed traps. NMA reports they have 4.0 traps per 1,000 miles of road. New Jersey comes in with 4.0-speed traps per 1,000 miles of road. Hawaii tops the list with 5-speed traps per 1,000 miles of roadway.

These States Give Out the Most Tickets And Have The Worst Punishment Record

If you get pulled over in Denver and handed a citation, the ticket on average will be about $250, according to the Department of Transportation. If you get pulled over in Georgia (by far the worst state to get pulled over in) your fine is at the judge’s discretion. It is not unusual to face a hefty fine in Georgia for a first-time offense. The average cost of fines in Georgia can be as high as $1,000.

Additionally, in Georgia, if you are pulled for speeding, every mile over 75 mph, results in $200 per mile in added fines. This means if you are pulled for speeding at 80 mph, that $1000 fine now is a $1500 fine. Don’t get pulled over in Georgia.

Texas is another place that you do not want to get pulled over. According to the National Motorist Association, Texas is big on the list of “Policing for Profit” and one of the ways they make that profit is by pulling people over and writing a ton of citations with hefty fines. In Texas, police wear body cameras, which means everything is recorded, which makes it hard to get off of a ticket. According to a recent study by the NPA, body cameras can reduce complaints against police by the public by 93%.

Whether you are driving through Denver or anywhere else in the United States, drive like someone is watching because they are. Know the rules of the road and stick to them.