News

Actions

Jeanerette Marshal speaks about speeding grace period

Posted at 10:30 PM, Jun 27, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-27 23:30:17-04
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVBZguSBYrU?rel=0&showinfo=0]

The Jeanerette City Marshal’s office says its getting complaints from drivers about what they say are an excessive amount of speeding tickets they give along Highway 90.

The City Marshal says his deputies aren’t giving out more tickets than before, and that they take a different approach to pulling people over. Marshal Fernest "Pac man" Martin knows his department has a reputation for pulling speeders over. 

"When people talk about ticket traps, I’m like we don’t write you until you do 10 miles or above. The average guy doesn’t get a ticket here until 75," Martin said. 

KATC reviewed traffic tickets logs for the year and they confirm Martin’s statement. Every driver gets a nine-mile grace period. 

"25% of the tickets given are 80 or faster. The other 25% is driving under suspension. The 50%  you got people driving 10 miles or above," Martin said. 

The Marshal Office allowed KATC to do a ride along to capture the process behind handling tickets.

While most drivers admitted to setting their cruise control too high, others didn’t believe they were speeding at all. 

You know we are out there. Everyone knows exactly where we sit. It’s going to force you to slow down. If I can force you to slow down, I can tell you right now I am going to save your life," Martin said. 

Martin said since he has been in office there has not been a fatal crash on his stretch of Highway 90 because of speeding and he intends to keep it that way. 

"Since myself and my crew have taken over we have yet to have any accidents on this highway since I’ve been in office. We’ve had two accidents right outside of our city limits by the track, they had nothing to do with us, but they had nothing to do with speeding either," Martin said.