Photo Radar Ticket

[Fishtank]

What about a ticket for doing 50 in a 100 zone?

Or the best one I heard on the radio when I lived in Vancouver, everyone gets a set number of little suction cup darts shaped like male genitalia. If someone cuts you off or takes your parking spot, you get to throw these at their car and when a cop sees 5 of these on a vehicle, they pull them over and gives them a ticket for being a D!ckhe@d.

[glenn]

You know, there is always a vocal minority of people who are against laws that enhance public safety while limiting personal freedom - things like speed limits, lowering the blood alcohol level for impaired driving, cell phone use while driving. Luckily, the majority of people (who happen to like not dying at the hands of someone driving fast, a little impaired, or busy doing other things while driving) generally prevail.

The corrupt actions of governments and individuals that enforce these laws are a completely different issue, but are usually associated with the regulation by it's critics. Supporting a law doesn't mean you support the way local police are enforcing it.

Here's a piece of anecdotal information from my own experience - I have not had a single speeding ticket, or an accident (my fault or not) in over 25 years. I attribute this to the fact that I don't speed, and I always take driving seriously. Pretty simple really.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Big point of contention between me and my wife on this point.

She's of the "don't speed, don't get a ticket" school......
.......If it was really about safety, it'd be more about getting people to take personal responsibility to not do really stupid, dangerous stuff.......

Tony, it appears that I am from the "don't speed but still get a ticket" school. In fact there is a double standard regarding this ~ on my way home tonight on Lonsdale I was passed by an RCMP 4X4 that blew right through a red light, only to stop at the next one.

On Larsen there is one of those safety reminder "Maximum 50" signs that strobes bright blue-white when one exceeds the posted speed... except it tends to go off when I approach it doing 40-45 KPH, and I'm running 235-75R15s which are slightly smaller than original tyres designed for the wagon and speedos are usually set for less at the factory to allow for driver error.

tax $$$, all under the irreproachable cloak of "public safety".

Oh so true. If one attempts to argue then it's the "oh, so you're in favour of burning babies in ditches filled with pitch forks?" routine. I was coming up Larsen one night, doing around 42-45, I do pay attention to these things, there was a man and a little girl crossing the road when the sign went off. Quite frankly, all I could see was "Maximum 50" seared into my retinas. I stopped the wagon because I could no longer see the man and girl, just for a moment ~ but it's in those moments that lives fly by in an instance. I notice that it hasn't been coming on lately, that could be because I complained ~ but more likely because the local residents got tired of having their homes lit up periodically.

You know, there is always a vocal minority of people who are against laws that enhance public safety while limiting personal freedom - things like speed limits, lowering the blood alcohol level for impaired driving, cell phone use while driving. Luckily, the majority of people (who happen to like not dying at the hands of someone driving fast, a little impaired, or busy doing other things while driving) generally prevail.

It's not the speed limit or the difference of being sober or REALLY sober, per se, it's what these actions represent. I would much rather see someone driving ten kliks over the posted speed than idiots who suddenly change three lanes into the left turn lane, then put there indicator on when they get to the junction. Or the drivers that obliviously drift into your lane beside you because there's a bend in the road. Much of it is relative. Which is more dangerous ~ the person doing 35 in a crowded school zone or the person doing 120 on an open empty highway that's posted at 90?

Incidentally, if a road construction crew starts work in a school zone ~ how fast should one go, 40 or 30? (jk).

Falco.

[glenn]

Hey Falco - I agree with the sentiment of what you are saying - but if we are talking about speeding, then why is other dangerous behavior relevant? It just obscures the argument.

"Yes officer, I was speeding, but that other guy was driving more dangerously than me" This usually doesn't work.

Do you have a better way to encourage the "average" driver to stay within safe speeds on public roads?

[Shaun Van Ramen]

Fishtank said: "What about a ticket for doing 50 in a 100 zone?"

First ticket I got driving (35+ yrs ago) was for 25mph in a 35mph zone - It's called "Impeding the flow of traffic" Ok I was a kid cruising and trying to talk to chicks in another car - of course, the guy got the ticket!

But all the arguments are valid - but as a motorcycle rider / instructor I say "Raise the Bar" I find it is the lower standard of drivers that create most of the problems.

Remember having a Driver's License is a privilege, not a right!!!

[Firesong]

Im sorry, it always sucks getting a ticket
However, don't take it personally but you were speeding,
you got caught.

I speed, I admit it and I get caught too.
Not all the people with 'racks' get away with it either.

Yesterday saw a nice 'rack' driving a sweet mercedes
get a ticket for blowing through a yellow/into/red light.

Take the lumps..
And regardless if it's a month after.. you still learn,
you still hate the ticket and you are venting like
you would have if you had been handed the ticket
that very day.

It happens to all of us.
And it is in your rights to go dispute it.

Nothing personal.

Firesong

[jessef]

FS you nailed it.

We're fortunate to have the right to dispute something we deem unjust. The benefit of living in Canada.

But we all speed. Even a month later, I'd still be pissed and remember the photo as if it were yesterday. Sucks, buck up and move on.

Sea to sky highway is horrible for speeders especially on upper levels and lions bay. I sat with a few officers on the overpass where the speed goes from 90km/hr to 70km/hr.

Less than half an hour they pulled over a dozen people doing over 120km/hr. Their limit was 20k over = 110km/hr which is very reasonable.

Point is universal. You speed. You pay if caught unless you can charm the officer.

[CREGAN]

No worries. I am well over it but I have enjoyed reading the discussion in the thread here.

Craig

[nxski]

I think that it is good to take responsibility for a ticket you've received. I also think that tickets based on annual income is a great idea as well. I know of a few speeders who see it as a game to try and avoid getting tickets while continuing to speed ie) figuring out where the likely spots for a cop to hide out would be. This attitude is hardly safe and only those with enough money to not get worked up over a ticket can participate. Those student and low income drivers have to bite the bullet and go a couple weeks without food if they get caught speeding so they benefit more from being safer drivers and lose a lot because of a potentially overzealous tap of the pedal. The world is never fair but in this case it could be a bit more so.

[jessef]

In your model, I disagree.

The same offense will cost one person $300 and another $30? No way.

That method should be for taxes but not for illegal doings.

You speed, you speed no matter age, race, gender or income. None of that should matter.

[nxski]

In your model, I disagree.

The same offense will cost one person $300 and another $30? No way.

That method should be for taxes but not for illegal doings.

You speed, you speed no matter age, race, gender or income. None of that should matter.

I would say more like a baseline. eg) minimum $100 but for those who make $5,000,000 a year they might have to pay $10,000 so everyone gets the message. Definitely a hard one to enforce but it seems that the rich will never learn.

[thedjjack]

In your model, I disagree.

The same offense will cost one person $300 and another $30? No way.

That method should be for taxes but not for illegal doings.

You speed, you speed no matter age, race, gender or income. None of that should matter.

yes but is it not a fine to discourage people from breaking the law...I $250 ticket is not a big deterrent to someone that makes $500,000+ a year. But they may notice a $5000 ticket.

Europe is already doing this is some places.

[glenn]

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/01/11 ... acing-case
something like this? I love it.

[drrod]

think that tickets based on annual income is a great idea

Just to play devil's advocate........Curious as to where people think this should begin and end. Should access/usage of all things in this country be based on income? eg. health care?
What about usage of other public infrastructure (eg. roads) being based on how much tax you pay?
Starting down this slope can get very slippery, very quickly.

Fines should be act somewhat as a deterrent but basing them on income (IMO) is not the way to go. Getting a ticket handed to you at the time is "educational". Getting it in the mail a month after the fact just makes you angry. How about changing the mindset of the powers that be so that they do not view traffic violations as a source of income?(why else would traffic violation income be a line item on budgets?) How about implementing licensing requirements that actually require you to know how to drive and handle a vehicle and traffic? How about periodic retesting of driver's?
One thing I notice when in EU is how much better the drivers are. Could it be due to their more stringent requirements to get a license?
http://www.german-way.com/driving.html
or could it be due to the fact that the driving "culture" there is just different than here? Not sure, but I do know that I feel much safer and more comfortable in EU when driving and especially when I am on a motorcycle.

As someone else stated: "Make driving a privilege not a right". Couldn't agree ,more.


Rod

[glenn]

How about implementing licensing requirements that actually require you to know how to drive and handle a vehicle and traffic? How about periodic retesting of driver's?

Yes, yes, yes!

But, our whole economy, and probably our whole culture revolves around the car, and getting and keeping as many people behind the wheel as possible. Why do you think we can spend 5 billion dollars plus on a bridge and highway that only serves to continue an unsustainable model of suburban sprawl into agricultural land - and during a recession! If you look at the new communities that are springing up throughout the fraser valley - you can't even walk to a corner store to get a jug of milk.