With Memorial Day behind us, the summer vacation season is finally here. For Wisconsin residents, that means welcoming our friends from neighboring states who come here to enjoy all forms of warm-weather recreation. We thought we would give our visitors a heads-up and tell them where they should watch out for stepped-up speed enforcement this summer.
This information comes from the NMA’s National Speed Trap Exchange (http://www.speedtrap.org/), a unique website that gives drivers an opportunity to report on and exchange comments about predatory speed traps they have encountered on their travels.
We encourage you to send a link to this blog to those you know who live or travel in Wisconsin. Remember, an informed driver is a safer driver.
Five Highest Activity Speed Trap Locations
1. Iron River: Hwy 2 east of Iron River
54 Reports 96% Acknowledgement Rate*
“State Patrol likes to lurk on the numerous side roads between Iron River and Ashland. The Crooked Lake area near the passing lanes seems to be spots they like to hide and clock traffic. Whether they are sitting or rolling I see them almost every time I travel through.”
2. Milwaukee: 35th Street near Forest Home Avenue
46 Reports 96% Acknowledgement Rate
“Beware of S. 35th street heading northbound once you pass Forest Home Ave. You are about to drive over the bridge approaching Lincoln Ave. and there is often a squad car that sits in one of the alleyways right before Lincoln Ave.”
3. Hartford: Hwy 60 & Wilson Ave
45 Reports 100% Acknowledgement Rate
“Cops sit in the parking lot of the hospital entrance—the last entrance as you are heading west on Hwy 60. They also sit across the street in the parking lot of the chiropractor office if you are heading east on Hwy 60.”
4. Milwaukee: WI-145 & W Silver Spring Dr
45 Reports 96% Acknowledgement Rate
“Cops sit on 3 bridges near Silver Spring, including Silver Spring, and they catch you both ways. Be cautious.”
5. Oshkosh: Wisconsin Street Bridge
41 Reports 98% Acknowledgement Rate
“A cop stands on the bridge with a radar gun pointing it at the cars while a squad car sits at the bottom of the bridge, usually in the strip mall with Big Apple Bagels in it, waiting for the signal from the walking cop on what car to pull over.”
Ten Wisconsin Cities with Most Reported Speed Traps (for the Last Five Years)
Rank | City | Number of Speed Traps | Acknowledgement Rate |
1 | 15 | 77% | |
2 | 12 | 89% | |
3 | 12 | 89% | |
4 | 12 | 72% | |
5 | 11 | 92% | |
6 | 11 | 89% | |
7 | 10 | 79% | |
8 | 10 | 89% | |
9 | 8 | 92% | |
10 | 8 | 100% |
* Acknowledgement rate is the percentage of yes votes to total votes by motorists indicating whether the reported locations, in their opinions, are actually speed traps. Data are available at the links provided.
About The National Speed Trap Exchange
With the development of The National Speed Trap Exchange (http://www.speedtrap.org/) more than 10 years ago, the National Motorists Association pioneered the use of interactive media to alert motorists to potential speed trap activity in their communities. Since then the site has reported on nearly 80,000 speed traps throughout the United States and Canada.
