First ticket in 3½ yrs

[NoOne]

Well it finally happened, my luck ran out and I got caught speeding 2 days ago, 84 km/h in a 50 zone (tho for yrs I could swear it was a 60 zone), as the officer is waiting for me to produce my license, I appologize and explain that I was not paying attention to my speed and that I was on my way home from work (the night shift), I never BS a cop, they know BS and I don't think they appreciate it when you take them for a fool.

I luck out (sorta) he marks it down from 84 to 75 - giving me a $118 fine with 3 points as opposed to $247 and 4 points - and pretends not to notice the slight exhaust leak I haven't got around to fixing (potentially a $385 fine).

I deserved the ticket and hundreds more to be honest, this was the first time I had ever (18+ yrs) seen a radar trap on this road. Yet I was still pissed off, not at getting caught, but having to tolerate speed limits set unrealistically low that are in place to cater to there worst of drivers.

So here comes my point, why don't we just screen drivers better, really hit people who cannot drive hard, re-test them, re-train them until they either meet a much higher standard or fail miserably and are condemned to ride public transportation or ride along with someone capable enough to earn the right to be on the road? Forced car-pooling if you will.

As I see it there are 2 types of people on the road - DRIVERS and LANEFILLERS, if we remove the LANEFILLERS we would significantly cut down on the amount of vehicles on the road and improve the safety of our roads and highways.

We could start off with basic screening, a small list of people who do not deserve to share the road with the likes of me (sounds a bit conceited and , well yeah it is )

1. People who leave there turn signals on for miles at a time
2. People who ride the bumper of the car in front of them so closely they are always tapping their brakes.
3. People who brake because the guy in the lane next to them braked
4. People who drive at night not realising they don't have their lights on.
5. People who speed through residential, construction or school areas.

I'll add to this list as I come up with ideas

Please give you're opinions and ideas

[Coventrysucks]

I think that the overall standard of driving needs to be drastically improved, however:

Most people wouldn't want to do it, due to sheer lack of interest and laziness.

It would cost a lot more, and this would eventually get back to citizens either by increased cost of tuition, or if subsidised by the government, increase in taxation.

I intend to complete some sort of advanced driver training when I have enough cash handy - hopefully next year.

There is something called 'Pass Plus' in the UK, which covers driving at night, in adverse weather conditions and on the motorway - situations not covered in the standard driving test as there are some parts of the country where there aren't motorways handy (the deep dark corners of Cornwall, most parts of Wales, various parts of Eastern and Northern England, and most of Scotland.)

As an incentive, successful completion of the course will usually result in lower insurance premiums, which is almost a must, as most new drivers will struggle to get insured for less than $1400. (In my general searching for what I'll be able to insure, I have yet to come across a quote for less than $1800 )

I am not sure what the take up rate is though.

[GEO-oNe]

yeah i agree, also to add to your list:

people that drive in 2 lanes at once

[Matra et Alpine]

...I intend to complete some sort of advanced driver training when I have enough cash handy - hopefully next year.

There is something called 'Pass Plus' in the UK, which covers driving at night, in adverse weather conditions and on the motorway - situations not covered in the standard driving test as there are some parts of the country where there aren't motorways handy (the deep dark corners of Cornwall, most parts of Wales, various parts of Eastern and Northern England, and most of Scotland.)

If you've driven before then the IAM or RoSPA have advanced driver courses and tests. For bikes too.
If you're a 'new' driver, then the Pass Plus is a good intro but wont' challenge you to learn fundamental new skills like IAM/RoSPA. With IAM bikes you're basically being trained in the techniques and to the same standard as the Police. Just not allowed to go as fast

[henk4]

[*]People who speed through residential, construction or school areas.[/list]

Isn't that what you got a ticket for? Normally 50 corresponds to a residential area

[NoOne]

Isn't that what you got a ticket for? Normally 50 corresponds to a residential area

Not so much a residential area as an area along the Moutainbrow (actually an escarpment) overlooking the city, it is a grassy park like area with many paved footpaths that joggers and such use, it is a fair bit (100-300 ft) away from the road and very open - except for the one "bushy" corner where our friendly neighborhood officer was hiding.

I wouldn't break my own "rule of thumb"

As I said, for yrs I had thought it a 60km/h zone - if it were up to me I would make it an 80 zone.

[henk4]

Not so much a residential area as an area along the Moutainbrow (actually an escarpment) overlooking the city, it is a grassy park like area with many paved footpaths that joggers and such use, it is a fair bit (100-300 ft) away from the road and very open - except for the one "bushy" corner where our friendly neighborhood officer was hiding.

I wouldn't break my own "rule of thumb"

As I said, for yrs I had thought it a 60km/h zone - if it were up to me I would make it an 80 zone.

Can't say I know the area although I did QEW about a month ago on our way to the Niagara Has the Tivoli theatre been demolished?

There is a little bit of the typical response of any traffic violator in here, he will always try to look for mitigating circumstances. (just read this morning's newspaper that a German cardriver had to hand over his car and license to the Dutch police as he was caught doing 210 on the motorway. (120 is the maximum allowed in Holland), just wondering what his excuse will be).

[Quiggs]

I'll add to the list:

People who drive at night with their marker lights on. Those are not headlights.
People who do the speed limit or below in the fast lane. Move over.
People who merge before the dotted lines on weave lanes, and then look at me like I did something wrong.
People in pick-ups who drive 5 feet off my bumper when I'm already doing 75-80. I'll move over as soon as I can. Do you really want to buy me a new GTI?
People who cut off tractor trailers 100 feet from their highway exit. These people don't understand the laws of physics... 80,000 pounds @ 70mph = 1/4 mile to stop.

There's more. But I feel a case of road rage coming on.

[SIMPLETON]

theres a two-lane road less than 1/2 mile from my house. Its 3 miles long, straight, with smooth asphualt. And there is NO posted limit there. Im sure there is a limit but its not posted, and police only go around there about once a month. The poblem with trying to speed there is every mile theres an iteresction. Theres actually alot of long straigt roads close to my house, All have intersections every mile. And Youd have to be crazy to speed on them since so rough and bumpy and very poorly maintained. But youd be surprised how many idiots speed on the bumpy roads. There terrible at 40mph. I dont even want try and imagine how bumpy and unsafe they'd be at 60+

[NoOne]

Can't say I know the area although I did QEW about a month ago on our way to the Niagara Has the Tivoli theatre been demolished?

There is a little bit of the typical response of any traffic violator in here, he will always try to look for mitigating circumstances.

The Tivoli still stands, I remember seeing the first 3 Star Wars movies there along with Superman when I was a kid and it was a moviehouse, never visited it later on as a "stagetheatre", but it was quite a place - large and elegant a piece of Hamilton's history that should be preserved.

Anyways, back to the point original topic , anyone who gets caught doing something wrong (in this case illegal) will try to defend themselves (no matter how feeble the attempt), but without pictures, it'll be difficult to explain the area properly ... that being said, I'll try to borrow a digital camera this weekend and snap a few shots off.

[henk4]

The Tivoli still stands, I remember seeing the first 3 Star Wars movies there along with Superman when I was a kid and it was a moviehouse, never visited it later on as a "stagetheatre", but it was quite a place - large and elegant a piece of Hamilton's history that should be preserved.

Anyways, back to the point original topic , anyone who gets caught doing something wrong (in this case illegal) will try to defend themselves (no matter how feeble the attempt), but without pictures, it'll be difficult to explain the area properly ... that being said, I'll try to borrow a digital camera this weekend and snap a few shots off.

We stayed for a couple of days in Oakville (Ramada) in early July and the Tivoli was about to be brought to the ground. Hot issue on local TV at that time.
The pictures may also be useful to show to the police

[Suka]

So here comes my point, why don't we just screen drivers better, really hit people who cannot drive hard.

So you want to hit people, that can't drive hard?

[NoOne]

So you want to hit people, that can't drive hard?

My mistake, think I may have worded it grammatically incorrect , regarding people who cannot drive ... hit them hard, meaning, give them an ultimatum - learn to drive better (upping the standard) or get used to public transportation and carpooling.

We stayed for a couple of days in Oakville (Ramada) in early July and the Tivoli was about to be brought to the ground. Hot issue on local TV at that time.

To the best of my knowledge it has its execution stayed, but I'll try to find out for sure, seems to be difficult getting current info on an area 10 mins (15 for "law-abiding" citzens ) from my home.

The pictures may also be useful to show to the police

I'll bet they are quite sure as to what the area looks like and what the speed limit "should" be and that my opinion won't change matters one bit.

As a side note, a friend of mine, who's wife works at one of the police stations claims that they had a "zero tolerance" blitz on and handed out over 250 traffic violations that same morning, between 7:00a.m. and 8:00a.m., almost makes me want to believe they'll use the extra revenue for new speed limit signs .... hopefully reading "80 km/h"

[henk4]

Let me add some new elements to the discussion. This morning the mailman sent me a bill as a result of speeding in a residential area, doing 65 in stead of 50. Damage 45 Euro. My pic was taken and I only now the name of street and the date, but if I remember correctly it was after I had stuck behind a non-attention paying slow ass, who finally turned left and gave me the opportunity to blast past him, right under the eye of a camera that has been there for years already.

No excuses.

[NoOne]

Your situation may actually be worse as there is no leniency(sp) from a camera, the officer who gave me my fine knocked the charge down saving me a few dollars.

Photo radar is about to make a comeback here, for all the wrong reasons tho - they wish to utilise it as a cash grab and not to promote it as a tool for safety, if it were truly for safety, the majority of them would be installed in school and construction zones and not on open highways. This is not just my opinion, but it the money-making potential has been the main if not sole reason given by the different municipalities for its re-introduction.

My other issue with photo radar is it targets the car and not the driver, if I were to borrow my brother's truck and was caught speeding, my brother would be fined and not me. Which directly leads into how we got rid of it in the first place, everyone (or at least several thousand people) who recieved speeding tickets from photoradar, pleaded either "not guilty" or "guilty with an explaination" this lead to overloading the courts and court hearings booked 18+ months later not to mention the amount of officers who were pulled from patrol to make the court appearance (over here if you challenge a fine and the issuing officer fails to show at court it will be dismissed), the end result being almost 60% (if I remember correctly) being outright dismissed.