[OccasionalCommentary2020]

Originally Posted by A2Cbus

I've also lived in both states. Ohio for about 7 years with Michigan plates 5 of those years. I was never once pulled over.

I believe that we in Michigan like to drive fast, consistently 80-85, especially in SE Michigan. Once in Ohio it's a hard habit to break, tie that in with a 65 MPH speed limit, and before you know it you are being pulled over.

I also think they are a little stricter on speeding than Michigan.

Some Points to Consider:

1. Ohio's State Troopers ARE STRICTER on nearly every level. A good number of them are former Marines so they tend to be total harda%%es with people who give them any trouble (or any lip). The only other state where I've heard Stateys are equal level harda%%es is Connecticut (who have a reputation for pulling over drivers from Massachusetts and New York; both states where people drive notoriously fast).

I've personally had no trouble with Ohio's Troopers. But I'm always super respectful if/when pulled over, referring to them as Sir, asking if I can reach in my glove box before actually doing so, etc. (I personally think it also helps if you twang-up your dialect up a notch.)

2. Ohio Troopers are also everywhere and/or well represented statewide. You can drive through several states and not see any cops, but then enter Ohio from the border and within minutes you'll see 2-3 people pulled over (I've noticed this nearly every time driving in and out of Ohio from all of Ohio's border states, especially @ night (When you're more likely to notice the flashing lights)).

State border areas are almost always heavy with Troopers. Same deal with counties immediately surrounding the cities. They're also known to do ticketing blitzes using airplanes every now and then.

3. In Ohio, Michigan drivers have a reputation for speeding.

Every Ohioan can tell a story similar to this one: You're driving in a snowstorm on I-75 through Cincinnati or Dayton where everyone [with Ohio plates] is driving 45 MPH or (or some exaggerated slow speed)...And out of nowhere, a car with Michigan plates will blow past going 80 MPH like it's a clear / dry Summer Sunday @ 7AM with no traffic. That or you're just driving on a clear / dry / sunny day and the same thing happens.

With that, I wouldn't be surprised if the Michigan driver's reputation carries over to Ohio's State Troopers.

4. In past decades -and a lot of cops would say well into 2016- a great deal of narcotics in Ohio's cities were/are traced to criminal gangs out of Detroit (or Chicago, Miami, or Texas). I wouldn't be surprised if Ohio's Troopers / local cops consider any car with Michigan plates more or less suspect any car with Michigan plates to be potentially transporting narcotics. Especially if you're driving around really slow in areas where your presence is out-of-the ordinary (IE. hardcore ghetto neighborhoods lining 75 through Cincinnati or Dayton)

5. I've noticed a lot of vehicles with Michigan plates driving in Ohio with tinted windows. Ohio's tinted window policy is one of the more strict policies in the US. Ohio Troopers are known to pull over any vehicle that's even slightly out of compliance with Ohio law.

It doesn't matter if your window tinting is legal in your home state to match you out-of-state plates. If it's non-compliant and you're driving in Ohio, Troopers can and will pull you over. (I'm not sure how the ticketing works for non-compliant tinted windows)

You'd have to check the Ohio BMV website for details on the policy (something like "light tint on rear windows only; no tinting on driver/passenger side/windshield"). But it can be very difficult for Ohioans to buy / bring cars from out of state with tinted windows because the windows - if tinted - are highly likely to be out of compliance with Ohio law.