Jurisdiction

Bradford, Tennessee

Speed Trap Location

US 45

Nearest Reference Point

n/a

GPS Coordinates

n/a

Time of Day

Any time of day

Level of Enforcement

Moderate

Type of Enforcement

Radar

Date

10/2003

Slow down going through this sleepy little town in NW Tennessee. US Highway 45 was 4-laned and it bypassed Bradford. Now the town is drying up from no one doing business there (like they ever did before!) and cops earn a lot of money by sitting out on the 4-lane US 45 and nabbing people. Like most little towns, you can't fight it and most of the locals can't afford to even take off work to be in court, much less appeal. This used to be my hometown, so I know how corrupt they are. Back in the day, it was like Mayberry...they only had one cop! Now the town has at least 6 or more. I guess they have to pay their salaries somehow! Funny thing is...a lot of times you can go through the heart of town on the old US 45 and you won't see a cop! They know where the money is. Be safe out there!

Comment (1/2004): if you people would slow down when you come through town then you wouldn't get a ticket, or maybe we will call you to notify you that one of your family members has been killed in a wreck, because someone was speeding through the intersection, and hit one of your family members. we write tickets to get people to slow down, we try to save lives. THAT'S OUR JOB

Comment (1/2004): I agree with the comment above. If the cops wasn't out there pulling people over to get them to slow down there would be a lot more wrecks and people getting killed. But since the state of Tennessee (not Bradford) lower the speed limit from 65 to 55 there has been no wrecks at the intersection of 54 and 45. all I can say is slow down do the speed limit and you got nothing to worry about.

Comment (1/2004): Mayberry.. Yea Right. I can tell you havn't lived here in a while.we pay them police officer to do a job every day and sure you may see them on the By-pass but you also are going to see them every where else. My advice is to roll down old 45 about 60 mph and see if you don't get caught.and besides there 8 officers.And as far as corrupt goes you must have been corrupt because you left.so don't run the town down just because you got caught speeding.

Comment (1/2004): Bradford isn't a speedtrap. There are good officer working down there and Finally we have a good set that takes their job seriously and it doesn't matter what your last name is. If you speeding though here sure you are going to get a ticket or a warning. But speedtrap I THINK NOT.

Comment (3/2004): I drive thru this intersection every day on my way to work, and I can tell you something that is really dangerous is the cops that are either setting in the break-down lane or the turn lane WITH NO LIGHTS ON. They usually do this in the mornings and after driving uner the bright lights you are almost blinded coming up the otther side of the hill. An as for them lowering the speed limit, sure was convient that they lowered it the Thursday before Thanksgiving, somehow I find it hard to believe that it was just done then to help stop wrecks. Futhermore I have never been able to understand why they have so many wrecks there, it's at the bottom of 2 long hills that people at the stop signs should be able to see if anyone was coming.

Comment (3/2004): I'm the original poster who called Bradford what it is. A corrupt little southern speed trap. I also agree with the poster above. If you are on 54 and either crossing 45 or turning left or right onto it and you can't see a car aproaching...you don't need to be driving! There's at least a half-mile of unobstructed view in either direction! Speed isn't an issue here (except as a revenue generator).

Comment (4/2004): I also want to know...just exactly why does Bradford need 8 police officers for? The crime rate is the same as it was 20+ years ago when it had only 1 police officer! How can the city government justify an 800% increase in police presence (and tax increases for their paychecks) when crime hasn't gone up an equal 800%? (Oh yeah, I forgot who runs the town...)

Comment (4/2005): I am a police officer, but nowhere near Bradford. The comment about the crime rate being the same as it was 20 years ago bothers me. I happened to have a statistic book of crimes in Tennessee broken down by jurisdiction. From 2001 to 2003 there was a 20% increase in the crime rate in Bradford. Anyone who wants less policing either does not know what they are talking about or they have something to hide.

Comment (5/2005): When US45E was 4-laned, it bypassed Bradford. They then moved the city limits out to include the 4-lane. Now the city cops get out on the 4-lane and enforce the STATE speed limit, when they should be patrolling Bradford's city streets. Like many other small towns, this is a prototypical revenue trap.

Comment (5/2005): Coming from Jackson, TN towards Martin I was pulled over by one of Bradfords finest. I was speeding and told him so. He was nice and told me to slow down and have a nice day. I appreciated that and I do slow down now through that stretch of road.

Comment (7/2005): How can a police officer defend that? All the info I can find shows crime to be miniscule in Bradford. It has a lower crime rate than the state average. But I’ll play the game! Let’s say the crime rate in Bradford has gone up 20% in only two years. How can anyone with common sense justify an increase of 800% in police presence while crime continues to go up 20%?

Jurisdiction

Bradford, Tennessee

Speed Trap Location

45 US Highway

Nearest Reference Point

State Highway 54

GPS Coordinates

n/a

Time of Day

Any time of day

Level of Enforcement

Moderate

Type of Enforcement

Radar

Date

10/2005

Be careful! Cops are out at all times along this stretch of road! Once you see the location, you'll know instantly it's a speed trap. The posted speed goes from 65 to 55 rather quckly. There are no businesses and not even any drive-ways on this stretch of road and the school zone is far, far away. There is a half-mile unobstructed view in all directions which means there was no real reason to lower the speed limit other than to generate revenue for the sleeply town.

Comment (1/2004): if you people would slow down when you come through town then you wouldn't get a ticket, or maybe we will call you to notify you that one of your family members has been killed in a wreck, because someone was speeding through the intersection, and hit one of your family members. we write tickets to get people to slow down, we try to save lives. THAT'S OUR JOB

Comment (1/2004): I agree with the comment above. If the cops wasn't out there pulling people over to get them to slow down there would be a lot more wrecks and people getting killed. But since the state of Tennessee (not Bradford) lower the speed limit from 65 to 55 there has been no wrecks at the intersection of 54 and 45. all I can say is slow down do the speed limit and you got nothing to worry about.

Comment (1/2004): Mayberry.. Yea Right. I can tell you havn't lived here in a while.we pay them police officer to do a job every day and sure you may see them on the By-pass but you also are going to see them every where else. My advice is to roll down old 45 about 60 mph and see if you don't get caught.and besides there 8 officers.And as far as corrupt goes you must have been corrupt because you left.so don't run the town down just because you got caught speeding.

Comment (1/2004): Bradford isn't a speedtrap. There are good officer working down there and Finally we have a good set that takes their job seriously and it doesn't matter what your last name is. If you speeding though here sure you are going to get a ticket or a warning. But speedtrap I THINK NOT.

Comment (3/2004): I drive thru this intersection every day on my way to work, and I can tell you something that is really dangerous is the cops that are either setting in the break-down lane or the turn lane WITH NO LIGHTS ON. They usually do this in the mornings and after driving uner the bright lights you are almost blinded coming up the otther side of the hill. An as for them lowering the speed limit, sure was convient that they lowered it the Thursday before Thanksgiving, somehow I find it hard to believe that it was just done then to help stop wrecks. Futhermore I have never been able to understand why they have so many wrecks there, it's at the bottom of 2 long hills that people at the stop signs should be able to see if anyone was coming.

Comment (3/2004): I'm the original poster who called Bradford what it is. A corrupt little southern speed trap. I also agree with the poster above. If you are on 54 and either crossing 45 or turning left or right onto it and you can't see a car aproaching...you don't need to be driving! There's at least a half-mile of unobstructed view in either direction! Speed isn't an issue here (except as a revenue generator).

Comment (4/2004): I also want to know...just exactly why does Bradford need 8 police officers for? The crime rate is the same as it was 20+ years ago when it had only 1 police officer! How can the city government justify an 800% increase in police presence (and tax increases for their paychecks) when crime hasn't gone up an equal 800%? (Oh yeah, I forgot who runs the town...)

Comment (4/2005): I am a police officer, but nowhere near Bradford. The comment about the crime rate being the same as it was 20 years ago bothers me. I happened to have a statistic book of crimes in Tennessee broken down by jurisdiction. From 2001 to 2003 there was a 20% increase in the crime rate in Bradford. Anyone who wants less policing either does not know what they are talking about or they have something to hide.

Comment (5/2005): When US45E was 4-laned, it bypassed Bradford. They then moved the city limits out to include the 4-lane. Now the city cops get out on the 4-lane and enforce the STATE speed limit, when they should be patrolling Bradford's city streets. Like many other small towns, this is a prototypical revenue trap.

Comment (5/2005): Coming from Jackson, TN towards Martin I was pulled over by one of Bradfords finest. I was speeding and told him so. He was nice and told me to slow down and have a nice day. I appreciated that and I do slow down now through that stretch of road.

Comment (7/2005): How can a police officer defend that? All the info I can find shows crime to be miniscule in Bradford. It has a lower crime rate than the state average. But I’ll play the game! Let’s say the crime rate in Bradford has gone up 20% in only two years. How can anyone with common sense justify an increase of 800% in police presence while crime continues to go up 20%?

Comment (1/2004): if you people would slow down when you come through town then you wouldn't get a ticket, or maybe we will call you to notify you that one of your family members has been killed in a wreck, because someone was speeding through the intersection, and hit one of your family members. we write tickets to get people to slow down, we try to save lives. THAT'S OUR JOB

Comment (1/2004): I agree with the comment above. If the cops wasn't out there pulling people over to get them to slow down there would be a lot more wrecks and people getting killed. But since the state of Tennessee (not Bradford) lower the speed limit from 65 to 55 there has been no wrecks at the intersection of 54 and 45. all I can say is slow down do the speed limit and you got nothing to worry about.

Comment (1/2004): Mayberry.. Yea Right. I can tell you havn't lived here in a while.we pay them police officer to do a job every day and sure you may see them on the By-pass but you also are going to see them every where else. My advice is to roll down old 45 about 60 mph and see if you don't get caught.and besides there 8 officers.And as far as corrupt goes you must have been corrupt because you left.so don't run the town down just because you got caught speeding.

Comment (1/2004): Bradford isn't a speedtrap. There are good officer working down there and Finally we have a good set that takes their job seriously and it doesn't matter what your last name is. If you speeding though here sure you are going to get a ticket or a warning. But speedtrap I THINK NOT.

Comment (3/2004): I drive thru this intersection every day on my way to work, and I can tell you something that is really dangerous is the cops that are either setting in the break-down lane or the turn lane WITH NO LIGHTS ON. They usually do this in the mornings and after driving uner the bright lights you are almost blinded coming up the otther side of the hill. An as for them lowering the speed limit, sure was convient that they lowered it the Thursday before Thanksgiving, somehow I find it hard to believe that it was just done then to help stop wrecks. Futhermore I have never been able to understand why they have so many wrecks there, it's at the bottom of 2 long hills that people at the stop signs should be able to see if anyone was coming.

Comment (3/2004): I'm the original poster who called Bradford what it is. A corrupt little southern speed trap. I also agree with the poster above. If you are on 54 and either crossing 45 or turning left or right onto it and you can't see a car aproaching...you don't need to be driving! There's at least a half-mile of unobstructed view in either direction! Speed isn't an issue here (except as a revenue generator).

Comment (4/2004): I also want to know...just exactly why does Bradford need 8 police officers for? The crime rate is the same as it was 20+ years ago when it had only 1 police officer! How can the city government justify an 800% increase in police presence (and tax increases for their paychecks) when crime hasn't gone up an equal 800%? (Oh yeah, I forgot who runs the town...)

Comment (4/2005): I am a police officer, but nowhere near Bradford. The comment about the crime rate being the same as it was 20 years ago bothers me. I happened to have a statistic book of crimes in Tennessee broken down by jurisdiction. From 2001 to 2003 there was a 20% increase in the crime rate in Bradford. Anyone who wants less policing either does not know what they are talking about or they have something to hide.

Comment (5/2005): When US45E was 4-laned, it bypassed Bradford. They then moved the city limits out to include the 4-lane. Now the city cops get out on the 4-lane and enforce the STATE speed limit, when they should be patrolling Bradford's city streets. Like many other small towns, this is a prototypical revenue trap.

Comment (5/2005): Coming from Jackson, TN towards Martin I was pulled over by one of Bradfords finest. I was speeding and told him so. He was nice and told me to slow down and have a nice day. I appreciated that and I do slow down now through that stretch of road.

Comment (7/2005): How can a police officer defend that? All the info I can find shows crime to be miniscule in Bradford. It has a lower crime rate than the state average. But I’ll play the game! Let’s say the crime rate in Bradford has gone up 20% in only two years. How can anyone with common sense justify an increase of 800% in police presence while crime continues to go up 20%?