Many of us have come to view traffic cops as little better than armed tax collectors deployed to fleece motorists for the benefit of state/local government.
Fixing the system – and restoring a mutually respectful relationship between the average citizen and police will require a change in attitudes and a shift in enforcement that focuses on identifying bad/dangerous drivers and getting them off the road – and leaving everyone else alone.
Some steps in the right direction would include:
Take the profit motive out of traffic enforcement
All funds raised via traffic fines should go to some third party purpose such as a charity – and not to fund the operations of state/local government or (much worse) the cops themselves. This would remove the financial incentive to use police as tax collectors. And it would eliminate one of the main reasons for public cynicism and contempt for traffic enforcement.
Set reasonable traffic laws
No more arbitrary or artificially low speed limits. Speed limits should be set by highway safety engineers, not government bureaucrats, and in accordance with the 85th percentile rule. That means doing a traffic survey – noting what the natural flow of traffic is on any given stretch of road – and setting the limit about 10-15 MPH higher than the average. Right now, most roads have limits that comport with the “slow average” speed of traffic – in effect, turning almost every driver on the road into a lawbreaking “speeder” subject to a ticket. It’s an outrage and worse, a ridiculous outrage. Excepting Prohibition back in the 1920s, few laws have ever been so casually, so routinely, ignored by a majority of citizens – who are otherwise law-abiding and reasonable people. Either they somehow morph into unreasonable people when they get behind the wheel, or the laws about speeding are themselves unreasonable – and absurd.
Speed limits should be just that – maximum safe limits. Not routine/average traveling speeds. If speed limits were set appropriately, most drivers would not be “speeding.” Which is probably why current speed limits are set they way they are. It maximizes the pool of potential victims.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
7 comments:
Well now , this is very interesting , am I to believe that we should change the speed laws according to whoever?
It's really very simple , if the speed limit is 65 , then everyone goes 75.
Very few people drive the speed limit , why , because they can.
Because police don't enforce the law at the posted speeds.
Just what we need another committee to develope some more BS laws by some people with degrees in whatever.
Just obey the law and don't speed.
drivers who are moving at the same speed as surrounding traffic, should not be penalized. It's the vehicles that are significantly faster...or slower...that are putting everyone else in danger.
I will obey the speed limits when the cops start obeying them.
3:33... you don't know if a cop is on their way to a call or not. Granted, there are some who have a lead foot, but that's no excuse for you.
And why should that money go anywhere but the state? If anyone hasn't noticed, our state is in need of some extra funds. So I am in favor of pulling more traffic on those people who want to drive 80 in a 65, or 50 in a 35. Maybe my taxes will decrease if enough fines are given and paid. And on that note, if you are given a speeding ticket, and only a speeding ticket, I don't think you should be able to fight it, just pay it. Radar is advanced enough now that there are rarely errors, and, chances are, if you got pulled over by mistake, you were probably speeding, too.
ONLY a cop would write these stupid responses. The roads, when they were built (look it up) were ENGINEERED for 75 mph. The speed limits were originally set at 70-75 mph. Then during the so called "energy crisis" (another made up "crisis") the states lowered the speed limits to 50-55 mph. It had nothing to do with "safety", but a LOT to do with , you guessed it--- REVENUE. Cops don't want to admit it, and HATE it when it's pointed out that they are REVENUE ENHANCERS. Thats what they do. And keep telling us that we "don't know if a cop is on the way to an emergency or not." LOL! Uh, huh. It an "emergency" all right, but they only need to go 75 mph to get there...because it's an emergency, but not THAT big of one....lol....cops think they are above the law---trained to drive at high speeds, the only ones that can be "trusted" with firearms (they also HATE the Constitution---it goes against their whole lifestyle), able to beat and kill without consequences (beacuse they HAVE to)....
@4:44
Are you also in favor of being pulled over for 51 in a 50 or 36 in a 35? Or is it only if you're going 15 MPH over?
I'd love to see your reaction for getting pulled over and fined (without being able to "fight it") for going 46 in a 45. I mean, chances are if you got pulled over that you were speeding......soooo, PAY UP! ROFL.....
Most of you are missing the point of the article.....
If the money goes to a fund that the 'enforcers' can't have access to, the incentive is only safety...with safety, the bell cureve should take effect naturally with only the excessively fast / slow drivers being identified as safety hazards....
Alas, I make too much sense!
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