Yes, Following Police While Speeding Will Get You A Ticket

There's currently a pity-party thread in one of the Oklahoma subreddits about getting a speeding ticket "even though (they were) following a state trooper." The original poster (OP) was asking for legal help to fight the ticket only to realize there's nothing they can do about it.

It should be clear, even if a police officer is speeding, it doesn't mean you can too. Is it wrong? Yeah... but it's the way things are.

Here's the rub, in the thread the state trooper said he was responding to an emergency situation. That was his excuse to speed. The ticketed driver made the assumption that it was kosher since the emergency lights were on, and that's just not how things work. I mean, that's how it would work in an ideal situation... but they don't and there's really no recourse, especially since the ticket was issued by the most professional police force in the state, Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

Here's the fact... If you're sticking to a highway patrol officer rolling down the road, all he has to do is look at his own speedometer to know if you're speeding or not. If you're both speeding, you're in the wrong.

I actually ran into this exact situation here in Lawton last year. I was headed home from a cookout on the east side. I'll normally hop on I-44 at Lee and go up to Rogers Lane to make my way back home, but that night I ended up behind an OHP state trooper.

He was setting the pace around 75 by the time we drove past the Gore Boulevard exit. I figured I'd tag along. By the time we made it to the Cache Road exit, he slowed down, popped behind me, and pulled me over for speeding and following too close, even though there were at least five or six car lengths between us. I couldn't believe it.

We chit-chatted for a few minutes about it on the side of the road. Best I can figure is he either thought he was nailing a DUI that late at night or I made him nervous keeping up with him like that. You just can't tell from that trademark OHP cool-as-ice demeanor, but if you're cool with them, they're usually cool with you.

Here's My Most Successful Skip-The-Ticket Pro-Tip

I could sense I was going to get a ticket from the conversation we were having, so when he asked for my license and insurance verification, I handed over my license and insinuated that I didn't have my insurance card on me... which was true - it was in the glove box, not on my person...

Nine times out of ten, since insurance is the bigger ticket, they'll usually write you a summons for that and let the rest go in written or verbal warnings. Most police officers aren't monsters, they don't want to bankrupt you with fines but still want to show they're doing their job...

I got a ticket for no insurance and a warning for following too closely. I just had to take time out of my day to pop into the courthouse to show that I actually had insurance at the time, at which point the ticket is proven unwarranted. As current ticket costs are ridiculous, it's worth losing the thirty minutes it'll take you to clear things up later.

Moral of the story... Don't assume something is legal just because a cop is doing it too.

Also, when you travel down Cache Road, please do at least the speed limit... This 35mph in the 45mph zone is pure Karening shenanigans.