Helena, Alabama Speed Traps
State Highway 261 near the Brick Factory
The police will sometimes sit at the large open entrance to the brick factory, just past the bridge crossing the quarry. On occasion they will back up between the brick stacks to hide. Helena uses a mix of K and Ka radar.
State Highway 261 near State Highway 261-Cement Plants
Police will sit and radar up AL-261 towards Pelham city limits from either of the two cement plant entrances on the northbound side, or the divided entry to the quarry on the southbound side.
County Trunk 13 near first 5 miles leaving helena on county road 13
coming from Bibb county they have a 40mph speed limit sign and they hide in a driveway less than 900 feet from the sign hidden behind a sage brush and 4 foot square by 5 foot high.
County Trunk 52 Shelby County near Helena Intermediate School
Helena Police Officers have little to do in this sleepy, but growing suburb of Birmingham. The stretch of Highway 52 between Highway 13 and Highway 17 is notorious for bringing your driving taxes to the pockets of Helena’s police officers. The speed limit is 40, but any vehicle could safely travel through this stretch at 55 mph in any conditions. I don’t know that they ever stop their nonsense, but the cops seem to be in higher concentration during Friday evenings, all day on Saturdays and Sundays after church (the times when I am usually driving near home to see them.) I live here and have never been caught, but that’s because I see them pulling people over and issuing 44mph tickets. If they are stationary, they usually wait for you at Helena Intermediate School or at the firestation or at the Cahaba River bridge. They seem to be more succesful when they are hiding behind moving traffic while aiming their radar at oncoming traffic that can’t see them behind the car they are following or while they are rounding the numerous corners. They will give you a ticket if you are speeding at all. They love ticketing teenagers and motorcyclists. They have nothing better to do. I have actually seen them top a hill in the wrong lane in ‘hot pursuit’ of a speeder while motorcyclists coming the other direction were ditching themselves to keep from getting hit by the cops head on! I feel the tyranny, but I don’t know what to do about it. When I was home shopping "The safest place to raise children in the U.S.A." per capita was a horn I heard blow several times.