Are Speed Traps And Ticket Quotas Legal In Texas?

You see speed traps all over the place and everyone has a theory regarding the quotas but; are they legal in Texas?

It seems like a really sharp lawyer could turn a speed trap stop into "entrapment" and get the ticket dismissed. That's not how it works though.

There are ways to get tickets dismissed but claiming entrapment isn't one of them. Though I kinda feel like it should be. Makes me wonder if speed traps are even legal ...

As for the legality of speed traps in Texas, they are legal. No matter how loud you cry "entrapment", they're not going anywhere. Keep reading for a list of places you're most likely to find one.

Many Texans may not agree with the legality of speed traps, but police and law enforcement agencies have reason to use them, according to Find Law. Commonly, speed traps are used to improve highway safety, reduce traffic accidents and generate revenue from speeding tickets. - star-telegram

The Star - Telegram says you're most likely to come across one near construction zones, school zones, roads with high accident rates, residential areas and places where the speed limit drops.

I'd also add areas where people are often late and rushing like high schools and colleges, (drivers between 15-20 speed the most), airports, train stations and in front of the KLAQ studios.

As for ticket quotas, the Texas Transportation Code says they are illegal. In a nutshell, Texas cops can't be intimidated into or rewarded for issuing a certain number of tickets.

Not to say that they are not, subtly, encouraged to do just that. To see which Texas counties issue the most speeding tickets, (El Paso's in the top 6), click here.