For many years, I thought that Livingston County’s worst speed trap was on Mason Road in Howell, on the stretch that goes from Michigan Avenue to Highlander Way.
I have since changed my mind. Livingston County’s worst speed trap – and it isn’t even close – is in Pinckney.
It’s the stretch of South Howell Street that leads from M-36 in downtown Pinckney to the laundromat about a mile south of there where the village limit ends.
Worst. Speed Trap. Ever.
Now, as I see it, in order to be in contention for the title of “Worst Speed Trap,” two factors must be true:
1. The speed limit has to be much lower than you’d expect it to be.
2. The cops need to be hanging out there all the time.
Check and check.
The speed limit on South Howell Street is 25 mph, which is fine for the two or three blocks right in town, but once you get past that, it basically becomes a paved two-lane country road. There are no sidewalks and no pedestrians. There are no little kids riding bikes.
In every other spot in Livingston County, the speed limit on a road like that would be 35 or 45 mph.
Not in Pinckney, though. It’s a ridiculously low 25 mph.
And do the cops hang out there waiting for people to break the law?
Oooooooh, yeah.
I got pulled over once there, about 15 years ago, and when the kind officer came up to my window and asked for my license and registration, I said, “Hello, officer, what did I do?”
“You were speeding?”
“I was? I didn’t notice the sign. What’s the speed limit here?”
“It’s 25.”
And – just like every other driver who’s ever been pulled over there through the years did – I thought, “WHY IN THE HELL IS THE SPEED LIMIT HERE 25?”
I didn’t say that, of course. I only thought it. And I learned my lesson. I haven’t gone over 25 mph on that stretch of road since.
Now, I’m sure there’s some reasoning behind that ridiculously low speed limit – maybe somebody got hit there years ago and I’m just not remembering the story – but even if that were true, it doesn’t justify keeping the speed limit at 25 mph today.
There have been other awful accidents in the county, but you still need to establish a reasonable speed limit on a country road.
Since the speed limit immediately goes up to 45 once you hit the village limits, I’m assuming this is the Village of Pinckney’s doing.
I don’t want to further cynically assume that they’ve only done this to generate some speeding-ticket revenue, but I have no doubt they get more than a few dollars every month coming into the coffers from South Howell Street.
Whatever the case, it should be changed. It needs to go up to 35 or 45 mph and the title of “Livingston County’s Worst Speed Trap” needs to be transferred to some other municipality.
What do YOU think? Is this truly Livingston County’s worst speed trap or do you have another nomination? Leave a comment below.
