Community Speed Watch: Is it Snitching or Driver Education Part 2—Readers Respond: NMA E-Newsletter #715

We had varied responses to the September 11th NMA E-Newsletter #713 on the new community speed watch program (Read Here), in Green Bay, WI. We appreciate any comments that are sent to the NMA and please feel free to email us anytime at nma@motorists.org.

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Community snitching is a slippery slope to something that starts to rival other types of community surveillance that occur in authoritarian regimes. But how do you stop motorists from driving faster than they should through neighborhoods?”

I have no problem with people reporting on speeders especially where there is no law enforcement action taken on the basis of it. The problem is that authority only ever always grows itself.

If 75 percent of drivers are exceeding the speed limit, the municipal authorities should take a hard look at increasing the speed limit. They seldom do because they would rather collect the ticket revenue.

Indeed, many speeders will actually slow down when traffic conditions are less congested or if stop lights are properly timed so that drivers don’t get repeatedly stopped at each and every stop light down the road.

Increasing the speed limit usually increases the safety level.  I’ve actually seen this occur in Sheridan, Colorado. The speed limit on US 285 (locally known as Hampden) between US 85 (Santa Fe) and Federal Blvd. was, for years, set at 35 to 45 mph. It’s a six-lane boulevard with a median and little cross traffic. The speeds were set unreasonably low and the flow of traffic generally exceeded the speed limit in an effort to get through the jam.

Police had a field day creating a sizable revenue for the city of Sheridan. Later, the speed limit was increased to the 45 to 55 mph range and mostly 55 mph. The flow of traffic got far less jammed and more spread out because it accommodated much higher number of vehicles who didn’t get stopped at multiple stop lights within a 1 mile stretch. That highway is a MUCH safer highway now with far less road rage and travel times have been significantly reduced, and many vehicles actually have slowed, resulting in a much more relaxed driving experience.

Tim Cresswell, Colorado

 

Something similar started in 1933 Germany (spying on neighbors) and there were warnings about where that would lead–slippery slope, indeed!

Not on the same level but given the divisiveness in this country it presents a platform for more problems. Wonder how the police will keep records (aren’t police overburdened enough & they won’t get paid for this!). If it’s not well thought out, there will be unintended consequences.

Jeff Gemutliche, Oregon

 

Talk about 1984, seems like it’s here now!

Dorsey Delavigne, California

 

I welcome all neighbors who would like to observe me driving. Maybe it would help them to learn to put down the phone, turn down the radio and observe their surroundings–a much safer way to be behind the wheel.

Paul Allison, Georgia

 

Some of this is old fogies overreacting!  We have a short street near us popular to cross over but with a 25 mph limit. It has speed reporting signs, slow down signs by residents, no sidewalks, one basketball hoop roadside, but in the years of traveling it, I never saw a child, no bicycles, and rarely even a pedestrian!  I suspect kids are out playing sports somewhere, in backyards playing, or inside–on the internet, watching TV, or playing video games. Suburbia!

David Pickett, New Jersey

 

As a member of an (ineffective) HOA here in Evans, GA I support this effort to report speeders.

We have speed humps which I hate because they are used by spoiled teenagers driving lifted 4WD pickups as ‘jump bumps.’ They try to see just how fast they can take these humps and maybe get some ‘air.’

Parents are to blame but talking to them is ineffective. They are so clueless since they give these spoiled brats $40K ‘toys.’

Talking ‘sense’ to them is useless. A couple letters from the County Sheriff might make them aware that their little darlings are endangering everyone in the neighborhood.

What these young drivers do in this case would be a firm foundation for a liability lawsuit when (not “if”) they hurt someone with their careless driving.

Paul Mallon, Georgia

 

We should NEVER tolerate any program that encourages people to snitch on others. That is how tyrants control people’s normal and acceptable behavior, which just happens to dissent from their preferred propaganda.

A person without a radar gun has no way to judge speed anyway. It would be highly subjective. The solution for the 35 mph zones is to put in a pedestrian light. This program sounds like an invitation to get angry and become a scofflaw.

Quote from the Newsletter #713

“Perhaps, motorists themselves need to check their speed more consistently so that community surveillance, cams, and traffic calming do not become entrenched.”

Motorists are not the problem!

The problem is, these methods are calculated to fleece the drivers, and as long as this motive remains, what drivers actually do, and occasionally slip up (which has happened once to me), has very little bearing on what kinds of measures they use.

Certainly Vision Zero is not intended to control speed, but to discourage cars altogether. These measures are fueled by greed, not safety concerns.

Speeding is usually not the primary problem in an accident. It is simply a convenient way to pull someone over because the police observed other behavior they consider a risk for accidents. If everyone is speeding at the same rate, there is little danger of speeding causing an accident. Disparity in speeds is much more dangerous, and a speed limit set too low encourages disparity.

Anonymous, Arizona

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