Are speeding fines too low? (price, budget, office)

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

I’m sure the last thing police want to do is watch videos from traffic vigilantes. I’m sure they’re busy enough.

Yes, I'm sure you are right about.

[jimj]

Traffic fines are just taxation at the end of a gun. I submit taking time from people would have a better impact and leave a longer impression. Single to multiple day driving classes for serious offenders for example.
I'd like to know if people are just as upset at all the LEO's that speed like crazy here. Not 2 weeks ago I watched a Motorcycle officer fly down Olive passing people at speed while occasionally using his lights. While an unknowing person would think he was responding to a call I happen to know he lives in the same subdivision I lived in and was going home. I can't count how many times I've seen LEO's cruising down Loop 101,202 or 10 at 80+ running right up on people's butts until they moved over, problem is they were well outside their jurisdiction so obviously NOT responding to a call.

Not the first time or place I've seen such things. I guess it's just "because you can"...

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by jimj

Traffic fines are just taxation at the end of a gun. I submit taking time from people would have a better impact and leave a longer impression. Single to multiple day driving classes for serious offenders for example.
I'd like to know if people are just as upset at all the LEO's that speed like crazy here. Not 2 weeks ago I watched a Motorcycle officer fly down Olive passing people at speed while occasionally using his lights. While an unknowing person would think he was responding to a call I happen to know he lives in the same subdivision I lived in and was going home. I can't count how many times I've seen LEO's cruising down Loop 101,202 or 10 at 80+ running right up on people's butts until they moved over, problem is they were well outside their jurisdiction so obviously NOT responding to a call.

Not the first time or place I've seen such things. I guess it's just "because you can"...

You know you can report obviously inappropriate driving by Officers, right? Problem is...you don't know if they are responding to a call (there are certain circumstances when they leave the lights and sirens on, other times they don't) but if this officer was indeed just going home...he/she can be reprimanded for abusive driving.

[kell490]

Originally Posted by jimj

Traffic fines are just taxation at the end of a gun. I submit taking time from people would have a better impact and leave a longer impression. Single to multiple day driving classes for serious offenders for example.
I'd like to know if people are just as upset at all the LEO's that speed like crazy here. Not 2 weeks ago I watched a Motorcycle officer fly down Olive passing people at speed while occasionally using his lights. While an unknowing person would think he was responding to a call I happen to know he lives in the same subdivision I lived in and was going home. I can't count how many times I've seen LEO's cruising down Loop 101,202 or 10 at 80+ running right up on people's butts until they moved over, problem is they were well outside their jurisdiction so obviously NOT responding to a call.

Not the first time or place I've seen such things. I guess it's just "because you can"...

My brother drives a 18 wheel truck he had a trailer brake lock up start a small fire in the brake drum off I-10 near town of Marina. He went to use a small fire Extinguisher right then a Mariana city police officer came driving up really fast jumped from his car yanked my brother back the tire exploded he told my brother "I have seen this before". My brother said he was sure he would have been killed if that officer had not showed up the fire was on the inside wheel. My brother said he was stupid for even thinking could do anything about the fire it was too big to handle anyway the fire department showed up put it out. The company he worked for was lousy company didn't maintain their trucks or trailers.

I'm sure there are a few bad officers but majority he deals with on the road are good people doing a tough job he has been driving trucks for 30 years.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

You know you can report obviously inappropriate driving by Officers, right? Problem is...you don't know if they are responding to a call (there are certain circumstances when they leave the lights and sirens on, other times they don't) but if this officer was indeed just going home...he/she can be reprimanded for abusive driving.

Yeah, the fallout from that would be real,real fun... Most likely they'd get a reprimand if anything at all but the person who reported it? Their name would certainly be front and center and open season would begin...

[jimj]

Originally Posted by kell490

My brother drives a 18 wheel truck he had a trailer brake lock up start a small fire in the brake drum off I-10 near town of Marina. He went to use a small fire Extinguisher right then a Mariana city police officer came driving up really fast jumped from his car yanked my brother back the tire exploded he told my brother "I have seen this before". My brother said he was sure he would have been killed if that officer had not showed up the fire was on the inside wheel. My brother said he was stupid for even thinking could do anything about the fire it was too big to handle anyway the fire department showed up put it out. The company he worked for was lousy company didn't maintain their trucks or trailers.

I'm sure there are a few bad officers but majority he deals with on the road are good people doing a tough job he has been driving trucks for 30 years.

So what's your point, that your brother should've known better or, that a cop did his job?

I find it hilarious that any time someone points out something negative that they've seen cops do someone has to rush in and spout some story like "my mother saw Officer Tony save a kitten from a tree" followed by "see, not all cops are bad" like that absolves every other questionable action cops take.

I don't think cops using their lights and badges to speed makes them "bad" per-say, just hypocrites...

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by jimj

Traffic fines are just taxation at the end of a gun. I submit taking time from people would have a better impact and leave a longer impression. Single to multiple day driving classes for serious offenders for example.

I would love to see a law to outlaw traffic fines and require mandatory traffic school or jail time for all traffic offences. If traffic enforcement is really about safety, then what better way to accomplish that then to require offenders to take driver improvement classes. It would also even the playing field between the rich and the poor. The rich who don't care about a speeding fine, would not be happy about having to take a day off to sit in traffic school with the commoners.

Of course if that ever happened, the number of traffic tickets being written would drop by about 99%, and a lot of traffic cops would be laid off. Because then traffic enforcement would no longer be profitable.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

I would love to see a law to outlaw traffic fines and require mandatory traffic school or jail time for all traffic offences. If traffic enforcement is really about safety, then what better way to accomplish that then to require offenders to take driver improvement classes. It would also even the playing field between the rich and the poor. The rich who don't care about a speeding fine, would not be happy about having to take a day off to sit in traffic school with the commoners.

Of course if that ever happened, the number of traffic tickets being written would drop by about 99%, and a lot of traffic cops would be laid off. Because then traffic enforcement would no longer be profitable.

Exactly! I could envision a defensive driving course for first timers and a longer advanced course for repeat offenders with freeway clean up time added for every subsequent offense. Of course license suspension and lifetime ban could be on the table for severe repeat offenders who just refuse to "get it"...

[bobsell]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

Because then traffic enforcement would no longer be profitable.

That's the point.

Crony enriching politicians treat police officers as revenue generators, instead of the heroes they are.

I can't tell the difference between a traffic cop writing tickets and an IRS agent. Both are LEO's that generate revenue for their respective jurisdictions.

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by jimj

Exactly! I could envision a defensive driving course for first timers and a longer advanced course for repeat offenders with freeway clean up time added for every subsequent offense. Of course license suspension and lifetime ban could be on the table for severe repeat offenders who just refuse to "get it"...

Penalties work on some people. I'm not sure if the jail system could handle it, but perhaps an overnight in the pokey for second offense within 12 months would "motivate" some?

Then of course there are people who will continue to drive no matter what. I sat on a county grand jury for four months and we heard many, many cases with people driving on suspended licenses, or with no license.