Be carefull where you drive.

[JoshStratton]

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/09/971.asp

[Steve68]

What the Hell!!! throw the tea into the Harbor!!!!! NOW!!!

[6'9"Witha69]

WHAT THE F!@#&@$^%!@$&!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me get this right. Get caught speeding. Pay fine. Pay fine again. Pay fine again. Pay fine again. Pay fine again. Pay fine again. Pay fine again. Pay fine again. Pay fine again.

This is freakin ridiculous!! I agree. Time for tea in the Harbor! I am surprised california isn't there yet. Hell, I am surprised they weren't first!

[rob07002]

I'm pretty sure there's a "Special" place in Hell for Insurance, and Oil Company Execs.....

At least I hope so

[parsonsj]

American driving laws and its enforcement is corrupt. The only evidence you need to know is that the collected fines are part of the budget for many jurisdictions.

Each year as part of the budgetary process, the various enforcement agencies are tasked with certain numbers for revenue contribution. Most traffic violations are simply to feed that revenue target ... it has NOTHING to do with enhancing safety on the roadways.

Imagine if you will, a new campaign by your state: education about cooperative driving. Stay right, except to pass; help vehicles to pass you when on two lane roads; proper merging; 4-way stop turn-taking, etc. Why not? Wouldn't that enhance safety on the roadways? Of course it would ... but it wouldn't increase revenues. So it isn't done. Hell, that would do a lot to reduce the so-called "aggressive" driving we see so much of from younger drivers in urban areas.

Instead we get stern warnings from officers in various "public service" TV commercials telling us that speed kills and that you will be ticketed. Meanwhile, any knucklehead with the ability to get their hands on a set of car keys and to the local DMV (or MVA) gets a driver's license.

Sigh. But anyway, don't get me started.

jp

[Damn True]

I wish it were as difficult in the US to obtain and retain the priviledge of operating a motor vehicle as it is in some European countries.

Wouldn't it be nice if people here drove like they do in Germany?

[Steve1968LS2]

Most traffic fines are about revenu generation and not public safety..

Take traffic red light cams for example. If they cared about safety they would just increase the interval between the red and green lights, but they only want to generate $$$$$$$

Anyone know the term "penalty assesment"?? where they add a fine to the fine?

[Steve Chryssos]

Gumball.

[baz67]

If they cared about safety they would just increase the interval between the red and green lights, but they only want to generate $$$$$$$


Steve I am not so sure about that. It would just mean more people would fly through between the color change. Now if they were really concerned about safety a solid wall would drop into place just as the light turned yellow. That way they would have two chioces to make. Either stop or hit the wall. :yeah: It would also have the benifit of having Darwin helping to thin the herd.

Let us look at split speed limits if you really want to talk solely revenue generation. Some states, I will not mention that some are CA, IL, OR, MA, CT, or OH have a speed limit of 55 for big truck while cars are either 65 or 70. The rational is for the safety of the motorist. Well all of the statistics prove otherwise. It has mainly to do with the differing speed between cars and trucks. The thing is a big truck driver will likely not fight the ticket because it would cost them more in lost work and tranportation than it would be to just pay it. Makes one wonder who's best interest they have in mind.

[BonzoHansen]

I went to my folks house last night. A straight run down rt195 in NJ (NJins know it), 35 miles. I passed 5 cops going east and no less than 10 coming back. Some of them were local cops - on an interstate - I never see that. Speed enforcemnt is all about revenue generation. Gotta pay for things somehow.

[parsonsj]

Gotta pay for things somehow.

No doubt about it. I'd be curious just how much "investment" has to be done to generate the revenue from speed enforcement.

Someone above alluded to it, but I'd like to see the European model applied: very expensive and difficult licensing methods for revenue generation. In the UK, it costs an average of 200 L (~$300 USD) to get a driving license. Registration fees are also very expensive compared to the US. Get the money that way, not from aggressive use of radar traps.

I am just back from a trip to Wisconsin and I found the difference between Indiana and Ohio very interesting. Ohio has a speed limit of 65mph on I-80, and there are cops everywhere. I saw at least 20 in 3+ hours driving across the state. Indiana has a speed limit of 70, and I saw 1 cop. That was true in both directions separated by 6 days on my trip. Betcha there isn't a significant safety difference on I-80 between Indiana and Ohio. Betcha there is a significant revenue-generation difference.

jp

[bretcopsey]

John, If you think Ohio is bad you should check out PA sometime.

Unless it has changed since I was last there (been a few years) they have billboards along the turnpike flat out listing the fines, something like

If you speed
xxmph=$xx
xxmph=$xx

and so on.

True stroy, a buddy and me headed over for a long weekend to meet up with some of his family at a hunting cabin in PA Amish country. Two full sized guys in a fully loaded Chevette, with two bikes on a rack on the back. PA trooper pulled him over going up a 35% or so grade hill and said he clocked us at 65 in a 45, or something rediculous like that. Of course my freinds options were to either pay by mail or he could show up for court in a couple weeks to fight it. Since we were nearly 10 hours from home, that obviosly wasn't going to happen.

[Jim Nilsen]

In Illinios it is illegal to have different posted speed limits on the same piece of road. Had a friend get out of a ticket because it was brought to the attorney generals office about the speed trap going into the town. I f I was the guy who got that ticket in 2 different posted limits on the same road I would call and write since it may be illegal in NY too. Then it will get corrected if the law is upheld.
Taxation without representation :bsjerk: . Polititions think that because a majority of the people on one day voted for them that they repesent us all by passing laws that make money for the state or municipality. The fact is that not one taxpayer probably ever got a direct notice about the new law,the law was probably placed in newspapers in a place no one would see it and the few that did just verbally complained and it got passed without opposition. To change the law back is easy but time consuming. Getting petitions from every registered voter and licensed driver to repeal the tax is all it would take. Not an easy feat but it can be done. Maybe we can get SEMA involved to have a place to sign up.

This type of behaviour has to stop . No group would ever agree to such a tax as a majority unless they are a minority group and that is also another problem with government. Not enough people speak up and the minority groups get treated like the majority. People who speak up vote and voters get the right ot choose. That is why we are called constituants.

You can all change what goes on every election by not voting for the incumbant next time. By doing this you will totally overthrow the current government legally. It is your right to vote so use it and encourage others to do the same. Get those petitions started and maybe we can get some things changed. Save the tea for the real party and spend the ink on the problem. We already freed ourseves now we just have to use the system to get back to things the way we want them.

VOTE,VOTE,VOTE can't stress it enough and call your Congressman and every other politition you can get the number to and let them know what you think about things.

I could go on and on but I hope this gets you all thinking,talking and DOING something about it. Putting things in writing is the only way to get results. Verbally trying to do it won't work, it just makes you feel better until you get taken by the people who wrote it down and sent it to someone or voted to change it.

If you don't think this works you should look at ABATE. You don't have to wear a helmet on your motorcycle in Illinios because of the power of ABATE. These people know how to make government work for the people and should be used as the best example of how to do it. The fact that people have always been afraid of a bunch of bikers to begin with didn't probably hurt either. We can thank James Dean for something EHH!

If you knew what it cost for license plates in Indiana you would know why they don't have to pass out a lot of tickets.

Jim Nilsen

[JoshStratton]

I am just back from a trip to Wisconsin and I found the difference between Indiana and Ohio very interesting. Ohio has a speed limit of 65mph on I-80, and there are cops everywhere. I saw at least 20 in 3+ hours driving across the state. Indiana has a speed limit of 70, and I saw 1 cop. That was true in both directions separated by 6 days on my trip. Betcha there isn't a significant safety difference on I-80 between Indiana and Ohio. Betcha there is a significant revenue-generation difference.

I am just glad I live in Ohio where the cops are predictable. I am generally pretty good at spotting them and have a real good understanding of where they will park. I have never had a speeding ticket in Ohio (knock on wood).

Now Kentucky! Sheesh. The only times I have ever been pulled over was in that blasted state, but times in Louisville. The cops have unmarked Camaros and they hide in the tighest places. Been pulled over twice there.

As for safety vs revenue. I think I agree.

When I was pulled over in KY the 2nd time, I was doing 90 in a 65 (I normally dont do that, but it was the stretch leg of a VERY long trip and I wasnt thinking properly). They SHOULD have taken my license and I *think* they were suppsed to arrest me for excessive speed. The cop put my limit at 80 which kept it at 15mph over instead.

I am grateful he didnt take my license, but it opened my eyes as to what their priorities are.