Speed Limit Enforcement

There's a terrific post I'm linking to on Jalopnik about speed limit enforcement, I've read the whole thing, and all the comments..... there's a daily hazard for everyone who drives a vehicle being discussed and they have a lot of cool stories and info in this article about what states fine for speeding, where lots of tickets occur, etc etc.

I was just learning from Wayne about a CHP officer's Q and A on tickets. . . and since the speed limit here in San Diego is 65, and the amount of speeders is about 100% of everyone on the road, they have a situation to solve with logic... and here's what Wayne said to the best of my memory: fewer speeders over the 75mph range means a more viable target for cops... you can't pull over all speeders, so pull over the worst right? I buy that, it makes clear sense.

Also, if you pull over a person for less than 10MPH over (for example. if that is only one point on you license and you can do a online course and have that removed for a price) than why should a cop bother? If they only pull over the far fewer people who go 20 MPH over the limit, they can get many more of them, plus the fine is bigger, maybe even be able to write them up for reckless driving (way too far over the speed limit) and nail them for even more points against their license that they can't get removed off their license no matter what.

The summary? The faster they go, the fewer there are, and the more you can punish them.

IE: More job satisfaction? Perhaps. But it accurately gets the worst speeders ticketed instead of wasting time with all the 5 mph over drivers who drive just as well at 70 (legal in some states and is the limit once out of southern California) as they do at 65. So why bother with a million minnows when you can land a few whales?

http://jalopnik.com/340913/rules-of-the-road-jalopniks-guide-to-speed-limit-enforcement

NYPD detectives parking illegally, and getting towed!

Dozens of detectives say they have had their department cars towed — by their own department.

On at least 35 occasions, have walked outside to find their cars hooked by a special detail of the Internal Affairs Bureau that hunts for illegally parked cop cars.

From http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/detectives_getting_tow_nailed_KmuIlC8eJkI9k1WDyHFOcJ
Via: http://gothamist.com/2010/03/09/detectives_say_their_cars_shouldnt.php

Comments in this news article point out that the cops took overtime pay to get the cars out of the tow yard. Further endearing is that the city cars, were being locked up... by... the city. So, stupidity abounds, NYPD cops are hypocrites and not aware of the oath of office they swore (and that pisses me off) and then complained about Internal Affairs busting them for being parking a-holes. Int he word of the great Walter Matthau "Putz!"

But when their former leader New York City police commissioner Kerik just plead guilty to no less that 8 Ferderal Felony Charges, what can you expect of leaderless NYPD? That their integrity would be scupulous? http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/bernard_b_kerik/index.html?inline=nyt-per

not that I'm on a roll, but everywhere you look at New York news the cops are hypocrits and worse http://queenscrap.blogspot.com/2010/03/another-cop-claims-he-was-pressured-to.html

Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton's dictum, April 1887
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dalberg-Acton,_1st_Baron_Acton

Speedtrap on the 805 southbound at the south end of the i8 bridge, they sit here all the time, if you know of other San Diego sites, email me

The view looking north up the 805, the bridge over Mission Valley ... the cop car is sitting in the center of the photo

You see they sit at the connection from the 8 East

He found the speed of the Isuzu to be over the limit

Somebody's day just got more expensive
If you know other locations they always frequent in San Diego, email me at jbohjkl@yahoo.com

Los Angeles Red Light cameras, the city says it's losing money on the whole thing

http://www.knx1070.com/Red-Light-Cameras--Good-or-Bad-for-LA-/6639883#

To listen to the podcast (it's a short news clip) click on the link.

Briefly, the city of LA stop light cameras make 4 million a month, and LA says it's costing them 100,000 dollars a month.... yeah, they say they are losing on the stop light camera system.

Lane splitting, I was curious and wondering about it, here's what you might like to know

According to law enforcement agencies, the California Vehicle Code doesn’t specifically say that lane-splitting is illegal. That doesn’t mean a motorcyclist might not get ticketed for it, though.
Motorcyclists could still be cited for unsafe driving and it’s up to the discretion of the ticketing officer and the court to determine what’s safe.

The California Highway Patrol’s Web site says lane splitting “is permissible but must be done in a safe and prudent manner,” while the DMV’s Motorcycle Handbook warns that lane sharing is dangerous.

San Diego police Lt. Tim Saelens, who works in the traffic division, said motorcyclists who split lanes are sometimes cited under three sections of the state Vehicle Code: Section 22350, the basic speed law; Section 21658, which governs lane changes; and Section 21755, that allows passing on the right only under safe conditions.
From http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/19/sign-of-trouble/ via a tip from Zina at http://piratemonkeycult.wordpress.com/2010/02/19/molesters-and-whatnots/

2010 California traffic ticket fines, they don't make sense relatively, but indicate that the state looks at these fines as revenue, not as a deterent

If you are looking for 2011 fines: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/new-california-traffic-laws-and-fines.html

Traffic Tickets Fines (01/06/2010)

Failure to notify DMV of address change within 10 dayd..................................... $214

Failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility (insurance) ....................$796

Failure to stop at a red signal. ..................................$436
Failure to stop at a stop sign. ....................................$214


Unsafe Speed, 1 to 15 miles over the limit.................$214
Unsafe Speed, 16 to 25 miles over the limit...............$328

Passing a school bus with flashing red signals............$616

Drive using wireless phone not hands free, First offense ....................$148

Drive using wireless phone not hands free, For each subsequent offense. ...............$256

Drive while wireless device to send, read or write text.........................$148

Minor drive using wireless phone.....................................$148

Parking in a bus loading area ...................$976

Violation of disabled parking provisions, first offense................$976

Violation of disabled parking provisions, second offense...............................$1876

Unlawful material on vehicle windows...........................$178

Adequate muffler required ................................$178

Mandatory use of seat belts...............................$148

Mandatory use of child passenger restraints.....................$436

Headsets/Earplugs over both ears.....................$178

Motorcycle safety helmet requirements.......................................$178

No evidence of current registration...................................................$256

The Most Expensive States For Speeding Tickets

http://www.forbes.com/logistics/2006/12/09/transportation-highways-speeding-biz-logistics_cx_tvr_1211speeding.html

It's always going to be freaking ridiculous, and nowhere near resonable, if it were up to me: 1st time you are pulled over, warning and you get entered into a database.

2nd offense, 100 dollar fine

3rd offense, 200 dollar fine

4th offense, 400 dollar fine... yup it just went exponential. .. and finally caught up to real fine for first time offenses in the US today. I gave you 3 chances to knock it off, and figure out how to not get caught... real cops don't. Elect me president, all federally subsidised roads get switched to my system.

Speed cameras causing fatalities in the UK

http://www.pistonheads.com/speed/default.asp?storyId=16025

(Keeping in mind this is United Kingdom business, not American, but the truth I'm sure, doesn't just exist on their side of the pond.)

The government decided that the side effects of blanket speed camera usage warranted investigation, the transport department discovered that neglect of a statistical bias had exaggerated the main benefit of speed cameras by 400 per cent.

In September 2006, the proportion of injury crashes involving any speeding vehicle nationally was found to be only five per cent -- not one-third as previously claimed.

And now Safe Speed has learned via a Freedom of Information request that the speed camera side effects research, announced in May 2005, had been axed. (bad information research... ain't going to continue)

According to the Safe Speed campaign: " speed cameras are making road safety worse. But the Department for Transport doesn't want to hear this, which is the only possible reason for axing the most important research."

Safe Speed campaign founder Paul Smith said: "Speed camera policy has failed catastrophically. Department for Transport knows that it has failed but won't admit its deadly mistake and pull the plug. Officials seem to be hoping that speed cameras will fade away over the next five years, yet they know that the policy isn't working and is costing lives.

http://www.safespeed.org.uk/

What possible reason can there be for this newer "security" runabout having 1967 license plates?

Did you know unpowered kart racing has been made illegal in Los Angeles county?

Via: http://gowjobs.blogspot.com/2010/03/illegal-soapbox-racing-turns-out-its.html
the County of Los Angeles has put a code into place forbidding the use of non-powered vehicles on county roads with a grade of more than 3%, including skateboards, street luges and our "box-car coasters"

So.Cal Illegal Soapbox Racers race the 3rd sunday of every month. Our gravity powered racers are fast, fun and not expensive to build or race!

Basically your cart needs four tires, brakes on two wheels, no weight or ballast, no weapons, and must be gravity powered (no engines or drivetrain of any type). We require all drivers to wear a helmet, and strongly suggest gloves and other protective gear.

http://www.scisr.org/

Two goups that have terrific naems and race downhill?

VULGR The Ventura Underground League of Gravity Racers

MISFITS Maryland Illegal Soapbox Federation & Incline Trials Society

See the Australian group AIGRF here: http://aigrf.blogspot.com/2009/08/race-21-hamptons.html

Skip the first 45 seconds

What's with California Senator Lowenthal? He wants to eliminate free parking in California,... yeah, WTF??

He wants to change parking everywhere in California: http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/03/02/long-beachs-state-senator-lowenthal-takes-on-parking-requirements/

And eliminate free parking http://www.lbpost.com/ryan/8196 in the whole state of California, now isn't that jsut a new tax on cars... requiring them to pay to park everywhere, every time? How the hell can anyone with a real job pay for that, 'cause I gaurantee Senators don't pay for the gass hog vehicles they drive, are driven in, are flown in, or the fuel that moves the free gas hogs they are provided, nor do they have to pay for parking. But they are consistant in trying to eliminate any fun you can have with yours.

"Lowenthal reiterated his point that free parking is free only to the person parking, where the costs of parking lot construction and maintenance are passed on in the form of higher prices for goods and lower wages for employees. Lowenthal views the bill as a tool to encourage cities and counties to examine ways to manage their parking in order to meet regulations that they will be forced to adhere to by 2020. " Long Beach Post news, Feb 2 2010

Did you hear about the new "Move over" law? Similar to the double fine for speeding in a Construction Zone, it's to make it safer for Caltrans workers

There is a hoax email running around that the fine is 754 dollars, nope: http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/automobiles/a/move_over_law_ca.htm
and http://www.snopes.com/politics/traffic/moveover.asp both prove it was a hoax, and

it looks like the BS started here http://www.mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/335730-move-over-law.html

THE STRAIGHT SCOOP:
The “Move Over/Slow Down” law, signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger in October, adds Caltrans vehicles (with flashing amber warning lights) to the list of other emergency responder vehicles working roadside that require all motorists to move over or slow down when they see them. The revised law also removes a pre-existing 1/1/10 sunset date (when the law terminates), which now makes the safety protections permanent.
The previous law required motorists to only yield to law enforcement, emergency responders or tow truck operators who are working on the roadside.
The law does not apply when the vehicle with flashing warning lights is not adjacent to the freeway or is separated from the freeway by a protective physical barrier.
In California, violation of the new provision carries a fine of not more than $50. Comparing other states with similar laws, West Virginia has the steepest penalty: 60 days in jail and a $500 fine; Wisconsin’s penalty is a 15-day driver’s license suspension and a $40 fine.

Speeding tickets just pegged the WTF meter, and broke the needle

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/20/new-fines-for-teen-speeders-in-ma-come-in-one-size-xxxl/

35 in a 25.

First came the $100 fine. Then came the 3-month license suspension.
Then came mandatory attendance in the State Courts Against Road Rage WTF? program, as well as a driver attitude retraining course -- both of which her mother had to drive her to because Jackie's license was suspended.

Then came the $500 fee to have her license reinstated. But she won't actually get her license back until she retakes both the written and the driving tests again... and pays the fees for those as well.