Got pulled over last night....

[Adam]

Originally posted by stuartj:
"...tyres of indeterminate origin..."

Or maybe low moral fibre and/or several leading brands!

[fintstone]

Curtailing your liberty to the extent you are prevented from driving at 100mph, (albeit quite safely) so as to prevent that other guy with the hot coffee, cell phone, tyres of indeterminate origin and a bumper sticker that reads "as a matter of fact i do own the road" -is a price Im prepared to pay.

But isn't that Z's point? Spend more effort getting that guy off the road as opposed to slowing down everyone else who takes driving seriously?

[k9handler]

I must point out that pretty much every nation in the world that I have seen has enforced speed limits...yes even Germany! SO with all this it must be pretty much a global standard and the research of thousands must show it works. The autobahn does have it's wide open areas, but it also has it's 60 mph (100 kmh) zones that will get you a ticket in a flash (and that's the truth). Now I kknow we have some very smart people on this board who probably could come up with a solution, but until that happens I would think we just have to deal with it and the bad drivers of the world.

[djmcmath]

Speed limits are universal, you are correct. But that doesn't mean that they enforce safe driving.

Safe driving is a whole lot more than driving any particular speed. To really enforce against unsafe drivers, a system would have to monitor a driver's focus on the road, whether or not they check over their shoulder before changing lanes, their situational awareness, etc. Unfortunately, all of those things are very difficult to enforce. Speed limits? Those are easy.

So maybe it isn't the best answer. In fact, it probably isn't even that closely related to the best answer. But it's easy to enforce, makes a lot of money for counties and cities everywhere, and the unwashed populous believes in it (repeat after me: "baah, baah.").


Dan

[k9handler]

Originally posted by djmcmath
Speed limits are universal, you are correct. But that doesn't mean that they enforce safe driving.

Safe driving is a whole lot more than driving any particular speed. To really enforce against unsafe drivers, a system would have to monitor a driver's focus on the road, whether or not they check over their shoulder before changing lanes, their situational awareness, etc. Unfortunately, all of those things are very difficult to enforce. Speed limits? Those are easy.

So maybe it isn't the best answer. In fact, it probably isn't even that closely related to the best answer. But it's easy to enforce, makes a lot of money for counties and cities everywhere, and the unwashed populous believes in it (repeat after me: "baah, baah.").


Dan

Just remember who protects you, and why! So you have the freedome to speak your mind, that is quite an honor and you imply that I am nothing but a sheep in the heard...I am glad you are using that voice the best way you can.

[stuartj]

"Just remember who protects you, and why! So you have the freedome to speak your mind, that is quite an honor and you imply that I am nothing but a sheep in the heard...I am glad you are using that voice the best way you can."

K9, Id be grateful if you'd explain the relevance of these remarks to this thread?

stuart 87 carrera

[k9handler]

Stuart,
The post above mine states:

But it's easy to enforce, makes a lot of money for counties and cities everywhere, and the unwashed populous believes in it (repeat after me: "baah, baah.").

So basically like I said, the police protect people around the world with various techinques (one beeing traffic enforcement) and some just never understand and use the freedom of speach to simply imply we are sheep following the heard. I am just not big on name calling, it serves no purpose.

[stuartj]

Thanks. I read Dan to be making a critism of the laws that police are required to enforce, rather than of the police.

Hell, where I live in Melbourne, I believ we have the most severe speed enforcement regime anywhere in the world. Most of which is handled by outsourced service providers operating hidden roadside cameras. Totally automated, no Plod involved. Its interesting, because after a year or two of being fined at 3 kmh (yes, 3kmh) over the limit, Joe Public is losing his licence via demerit points in unprecedented numbers. That is, otherwise law abiding people are being treated as criminals. The excrement is about to hit the air circulatuon device in this state.

stuart

[k9handler]

Stuart, we have the same system in use here and I have been cited for 3kmh over...I agree that's crazy and paid the 5 euro fine since I was indeed speeding. Ha Ha

[djmcmath]

Stuart and K9, you are correct -- the police are just doing their job, and it can be a pretty tough one sometimes. I mean, when was the last time you read a news article about an accountant or software engineer getting shot while trying to calm down a domestic violence situation?

That said, not all cops are poster-children for the integrity parade. I've known too many cops who were bullies their whole young lives, then discovered they could keep it up best by wearing a badge. I've known too many cops who'd run stoplights, speed heavily, drive erratically, then lord it over the rest of us because he could get away with it and we couldn't.

Nothin' personal, K-9. I work with lots of police in my line of work, and many are pretty decent fellows.


Dan

[Breeang]

To paraphrase Darwin:
In life some people can become dicks,and some of these dicks can become police officers.But nearly all dicks become drivers.
(I think thats what he meant anyway)

[MMARSH]

Originally posted by Breeang
To paraphrase Darwin:
In life some people can become dicks,and some of these dicks can become police officers

.... and some are lawyers, politicians, teachers, husbands, Porsche drivers, BBS users...


(not directed at anyone in particular.)

[limble]

How many times have you driven over the speed limit?
And, how many times have you been pulled over and ticketed?
Personally, I think, that as drivers our odds are pretty good.