MA Drivers Can Be Lenient In Exceeding The Speed Limit: Our Advice: Think Twice

We've often heard you can go 10 mph over the posted speed limit in The Bay State and law enforcement won't bother you. It's a theory that has been implemented for years, and while we are all guilty of doing this often, is it an unwritten rule of the road?

Technically, it is not legal to go 10 mph over the speed limit, as there are assumptions  you are allowed to without facing any consequence. But it gets tricky depending on which New England state you're in. Let me elaborate as our neighbors do NOT have the same mentality as Massachusetts.

For example, in New Hampshire, the general speed limit on highways is 65 miles per hour as the law states that drivers should not proceed "at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing."

The speed limit is the law, but you are not necessarily guilty. thanks to a "per se" law and not every state has this option. Maybe you were cited unfairly and were driving safely as "you can take your argument to court".

Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island are states with "reasonable and prudent" speed laws, meaning it's illegal to go over the speed limit, but for your own safety, you should drive at a speed that is safe within the traffic around you.  You can argue the citation in court if you think you can prove you were driving safely.

Connecticut and Maine abide by "absolute speed limit" laws.  If you go over the posted speed limit, you are breaking the law as stated on this web site  You can also receive a citation if you are going too slow, as this is not an alternative of safe driving.

BOTTOM LINE: You can avoid the time and expense to fight a ticket. My advice: Just follow the speed limits and in the long run, you'll be free of any further worries or anxiety.

(Some information obtained in this article courtesy of Ginny Rogers who is based at our sister station in Dover, New Hampshire, www.wokq.com)