Where in Columbus you're most likely to get pulled over for speeding

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- If you’ve ever seen those flashing blue and red lights behind you, you know the feeling: busted for speeding.

But have you ever wondered where this happens to most people in Columbus? NBC4 Investigates dug into the data, looking at thousands of traffic tickets filed by CPD in Municipal Court in 2024.

Five locations top the list. The biggest offender is along the outer belt, I-270 Southbound -- one of the busiest loops in the city. 

"There is no speed in the city of Columbus where it is faster than 65 miles an hour," Columbus Division of Police Officer Don Paden said. 

But try telling that to the more than 1,400 drivers caught speeding along I-270 South. More than half -- 722 to be exact -- of those tickets were written at I-270 South and East Main Street.

"Speeding and distracted driving," Officer Paden said. "It's happening more and more often."

NBC4 Investigates found that many of the locations where people were caught speeding are on the edges of the city, just as you drive in or out.

That’s the case along US 23. Speeding drivers coming into the city got hit with more than 1,100 tickets last year, right by Rathmell Road.

"People will come up behind us and we've already got them on the radar where they're speeding," Paden said. 

Paden has heard almost every excuse in the book. From the obvious:

"One of the funniest things, and I think everybody can relate, is that you have someone that's speeding and you stop them and they're like, well, I'm trying to make it to the bathroom," Paden said. 

To more outrageous:

"It was serious enough that you had to go over 100 miles an hour to get to your mom, who's a nurse. But it wasn't serious enough for you to stop at one of the four hospitals that you passed," Paden said.

Whatever the excuse, it did not work for the more than 8,600 drivers cited by CPD for speeding in the city last year. 

Another hot zone: I-70 Eastbound at James Road. More than 1,000 tickets were given there.

However, it’s not just freeways. East Livingston Avenue at Lonsdale Road and Cleveland Avenue at Ashbury Road are busy roads where hundreds of speeding drivers have received tickets.

"They see us and they do what we call drop anchor and they're immediately slowing down right then," Paden said.

Others, even with the latest technology to show where police are waiting still test the limits. 

"We only got a short amount of time to be in an area to really target it hard before Waze tells on us, which that's a good thing. You know what I mean? The point is we're trying to get everybody to slow down," Paden said. 

Sorting through the more than 8,000 pieces of data is how we can show you where along your drive people are getting caught for speeding. More of the spots where drivers get caught the most for speeding can be seen below: