Monday, January 03, 2005

Police radar - traffic safety?

Those of you who believe police radar contributes to traffic safety shouldn't read further. Please return to your Disney pages.
But how many have been caught just after the Port Mann bridge heading east on Highway 1? Phil Gagliardi built that highway and engineered it for 100 MILES PER HOUR! (160 kph) Yet we get nailed by quota filling police while doing over the 90 kilometer per hour speed limit. That's 55.92 miles per hour. On the connector highway between Route 99 and the Alex Fraser bridge I have seen RCMP park their cars on the narrow edge by the center lane on the curve! Forcing cars to take evasive action because part of the police car was in the traffic lane! In his zeal for points with the boss the constable placed his car in a totally dangerous position!
On the Georgia Viaduct yesterday the police had their traffic hazard set up at the exit to Main Street heading east forcing cars into a confusion to avoid them where there is no room to maneuver. The speed limit WAS 60 kph and the city lowered it to 50 kph. Why? More cash? People's speed edges up along the viaduct. It is an easy kill for cops. Quota filling. That is a NO ACCESS roadway. And drivers don't take these money grabbing speed traps patiently. What have they to do with danger to the public? Driver's get angry. It is simply too hard to catch the dangerous drivers in heavy traffic areas. Anyone been nearly run over by a speeding bus on Granville Street lately? I have. Try Kerrisdale on 41st. West Broadway.
And they put up the speed traps at the exit to Dunsmuir Viaduct going west. They read your speed way up on the bridge and nail you one block away at Cambie St. Even if you stopped for the red light at Beatty! I got mine by two belligerant motorcycle cops at 11:30 on a Tuesday night! How is that helping 'protect' the public? They both walked out onto the street and each signalled me to a different side of the road, when I stopped to figure out what they wanted, they charged at me like I was a frothing-mouth bank robber!
My problem is not with speeding. I am NOT a speeder. Or the police nailing dangerous drivers. But setting up radar in areas where the there is no history or likelihood of accidents is not traffic safety, it is a cash grab.
The police continue to use speeders as a distraction to pretend they are 'out there' saving the public from themselves. What we need saving from, are the street corner drug dealers who trade their deadly product with impunity and no interferance from the police.
Speed kills, but it seems okay to traffic in it.



1 comment:

  1. Anonymous9:37 am

    Your comments were excellent. I couldn't agree more.
    Your blog is so right on, keep up the great writings.

    ReplyDelete

Keep it real - spam or links will be eliminated