zman53

I'm not going to back the cops on this subject.
In my neighborhood, we have a 4 lane "55" that ABRUPTLY changes to a 45 for NO reason. There are strategically placed shrubs, large enough to hide a patrol car that just knocks off sitting ducks all day long where the speed change takes place.
Now is this the role of an official principally concieved to protect society from miscreants, or does this police role solely exist just to be an agent of the "local" IRS?
The other thing that rubs me is that the insurance companies have lobbied their way into the process, and ultimately gain many times the cost of the ticket.
I'd like a dollar for every time I see a cop not use a directional, speed when not on call, make U turns when you can't, and never be around when the 19 year old punk in the WRX is cutting everone off, never using a directional while weaving.
...................and if we have it so much better than anybody else, then why don't we have a f*****g
autobahn?

fast1

Now is this the role of an official principally concieved to protect society from miscreants, or is this police role exist to be just an agent of the "local" IRS?

Read this for an answer to your question:http://www.hoboes.com/Mimsy/?ART=399

Wellardmac

Firstly, I'm not going to defend our speed limits, as personally I think they are set way too low and an offshoot of the 'nanny' mentality where people need legislation to protect them against themself. An example of the nanny mentality taken to an extreme is Sweden - they have legislation to protect you against pretty much everything.

That being said, I think that it's wrong to pick on the police for problems created by legislature that you and I elected. Police only enforce the laws - good or bad, it's their job to enforce them, not set them or anything else.

Okay, let's separate out the many issues in this posting...

Really, the police had no part in setting the speed limits - they are set on a state level.

In particular I'll draw your attention to:

http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/speed_limits.html
(points 9 and 10)

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_l..._United_States

If you have a problem with speed limits, then blame your local government and the people you elected.

Now, if you think the shrubs were placed there just to catch speeders, then you give i) government way more credit of forethought than they are capable and ii) power to the police to influence landscape that they simply do not have.


... I refer back to my point about their job being to enforce the law. I'll admit that in some principalities the taxation effect has been achieved, but that was the doing of the legislature.

This I cannot dispute. They do benefit from increased revenue from speeders, but it's all a risk assessment to them - people who speed are more likely to have accidents, therefore they should pay more in premiums. They don't do it out of spite, they do it out of the mathematical probability (all other things being equal) that you as a speeder will have a higher probability of being in an accident than someone that does not speed.

...then in this case you call the non-emergency number for the local police and you report the cop or the Subaru that is driving badly. (I have done both!)

...and finally, if you read the links I posted above, then you'll see that many states used to have them, but the legislature (in their wisdom) took them away... so by now it should be clear where my message is going....

i) if you speed and get caught, take some self-responsibility and don't whine about it. You were the making the decision to speed, not the cvop that caught you.

ii) if you don't like the speed limits, then you need to convince your legislature that their historical speed limits are wrong and that they need changing. If enough people believe it and vote with their beliefs, then things will change. I'm betting that will not happen though.

...another thing to think about speed limits are set artificially low for the additional reason that most drivers in the US do not have the required skill to drive at higher speeds. The driving tests are a joke and the number of drivers with phones, food, make-up, etc in their hands just make it too scary a possbility to let these morons loose with a car (read deadly weapon) at high speed.

Toreador

Cops have a choice between enforcing real useful laws, and enforcing the BS ones like speeding.
I think we all grew up wanting to be cops or firemen, and when we reach driving age, we start hating cops. Why? Because of the speeding tickets.
Don't tell me they have no choice. Everyone has a choice. If cops stopped being tax collectors and really cared about the safety of the public, tickets would be issued for lane change without blinker, and left-lane squatting, not to mention drunk driving.
The fact that the overwhelming majority of tickets are for speeding is quite telling

Wellardmac

Hey, I cannot change your opinions and you have a right to hold whatever belief you like. The belief cannot be supported by fact or reality, but that does not change your right to hold it.

I'll remember your words when I next meet a traffic cop and ask him if he had the option not to go on traffic duty that day or not obey the orders that he took an oath to do so.

I find it sad that you might have such an unhealthy disrespect for those who put their lives on the line to support this nation of laws that keep society civilized and allow you to live the life you live.

zman53

I have all the respect in the world for the role police play in protecting society. I have NO respect for their role as revenue agents. I'm all for stopping dangerous drivers. Most speed traps have no relationship to decreasing danger on the roads.

fast1

ii) if you don't like the speed limits, then you need to convince your legislature that their historical speed limits are wrong and that they need changing. If enough people believe it and vote with their beliefs, then things will change. I'm betting that will not happen though.

Of course it won't happen, and the reason is simple: revenue collection. On a national basis you are talking about a staggering amount of revenue that is collected. I wish I recalled the exact number but it's in the tens of billions. A significant percentage of the revenue required to run numerous towns in the US comes from fines for speeding. And it will only get worse because governments at every level have a ravenous appetite for revenue and they look at revenue collected from speeding as being something that's easily rationalized. So don't be surprised if speeding cameras begin to be installed everywhere.

In Washington D.C. Police plan more Speed Cameras since the Photo Radar Devices generated a record $24 Million in fines last year. Keep in mind that this revenue is just from the cameras and doesn't include the revenue from cops issuing tickets. Also, in DC almost 70% of the tickets are issued to those with MD & Va license plates, but I'm certain that it has nothing to do with the fact that out of towners can't vote in local elections. It's just that DC residents are safer drivers.

holminator

Old tactic and fair too because we should allows slow down for a disable car on the side of the road 'cause there could be a motorists working next to it. Otherwise, FLOOR IT!

Wellardmac

I agree with you. That's exactly what happened to turn the UK into the candid camera of motoring.

All government is addicted to spending - money is good and it doesn't matter to them where it comes from.

Twinned

Try explaining to your overly bright 7 year old why you have a radar detector, and why its ok to break some laws but not all. I don't know the answer, wouldn't think to denigrate the police for enforcing the law of the land, but damn, I just wish there were a way to be more intelligent about enforcement. I'd like to think that the average John-Q has the ability to make some rational decisions that aren't discriminatory.

For example:

Pull over the guy in the pickup with bald tires, weaving in and out of traffic and following me 6 feet behind at 80 mph, while I keep a two second interval and wait for the loser in front of me to get out of the left lane.

Just once, enforce the damn left lane law (on the books in Illinois) when grandma drives 58 in the left lane and I patiently flash my lights 3 to 5 times before making a decision I loathe - to pass from the right lane.

Really, when there is absolutely no one on a 4 lane highway, on a clear sunny day, do you have to ticket me for driving 80-90 mph in a car thats designed to go 170, and more importantly, stop from 170?

Wellardmac

I agree with you all the way. No arguement here. You made good points. Pity that it's always the case that the cop never gets to see the instances that you mentioned.

cdodkin

You have to run a GPS linked device that has all of the known speed camera locations built into it.



It gives you a warning within 1 mile of a camera location, so you can slow down.

Camera site updates are downloaded from the Web to keep it current.

Of course, that doesn't help with the mobile units!

Other people register thier cars @ PO Boxes to avoid tickets - it's amazing that you can do this, but it seems to be a loophole in the UK law at this time.

Mail Box Dodge for Speeding Fines

Chris.