• madcaesar@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Speed traps have been shown to cause more accidents than they prevent. They aren’t about safety, they are about extracting money from people.

    As for DUI checkpoints I have no idea on what they do or don’t do, but I do know that avoiding unnecessary police interaction is a good thing.

    • N-E-N@lemmy.ca
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      2 days ago

      The solution to reckless driving shouldn’t be police checks, but the alternatives are politically unpopular (public transit, cycling infrastructure, narrowing roads, etc)

      Until those proper fixes are implemented in a city, I view speed traps as a net benefit tbh.

      • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        People who are driving recklessly typically do it because it is either fun or they are in a rush, high speed transit may mitigate that but it won’t stop the people who do it for fun/want to street race. So long as there are cars on the road there has to be some kind of system to prevent reckless driving and breaking of other laws. The drivers whom do drive recklessly or dangerously should be held accountable for their actions

        • N-E-N@lemmy.ca
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          2 days ago

          Travelling in Europe I noticed people drive much much slower and safer than in Canada.

          That’s not because Europeans inherently find dangerous driving “less fun”, nor because they’re in less of a rush (altho that likely plays a part too).

          It’s because Canada is lacking in high speed/frequency public transit, so people who don’t want/don’t like to drive are often forced to.

          It’s also because Canada has straight, wide roads which encourage high speeds.

          I’m not saying not to ticket reckless drivers. Im saying ticketing isn’t a solution to the problem, it’s a bandaid.

            • N-E-N@lemmy.ca
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              1 day ago

              By 60km, if you hit a pedestrian it’s likely going to be fatal.

              Highways being 80-100km is fine, they’re not an area for people, homes, schools, etc.

              It’s within the city where high speeds are the problem

              Edit: https://youtu.be/JRbnBc-97Ps

            • Obi
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              1 day ago

              Technically but it’s basically not enforced until 120km/h (for the region I know).

          • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            I agree the road design doesn’t help, it still isn’t an excuse though, especially with most vehicles having cruise control these days.

            I still don’t think good transit = safe drivers, I’ve just known too many rednecks and guys who think they own race cars to believe that.

    • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      You got a source for that speed trap claim? This is the first I’ve heard of it. Is it actually the speed trap causing the accidents or are drivers failing to slow down and move over when passing emergency vehicles (its the law in my area).

      I’m sure many drunk drivers agree they would rather not deal with the cops, is that really fair to the people they may harm? In my area recent soberity checks are dedicated to a group of children who were murdered by a drunk driver while the children were walking on a sidewalk.

      • OneWomanCreamTeam@sh.itjust.works
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        2 days ago

        I think it comes more from people slamming in their breaks when they see a cop. People do it out of panic even when they aren’t speeding.

        • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          So the problem is following too closely and not paying attention.

          Edit: downvote me all you want, drivers need to be prepared for other drivers to brake for ANY reason, be that a pedestrian, a firetruck, a deer or a cop.

          • OneWomanCreamTeam@sh.itjust.works
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            2 days ago

            Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it’s good to add more random, unnecessary reasons to slam on your breaks.

            No matter what people should do, the reality is that people aren’t perfect. Minds wander, people get tired, and many just wont pay attention even though they should. This is reality and it isn’t going to change.

            Throw it on the laundry list of reasons why we should be making steps to move away from our insane dependency on cars.

            • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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              2 days ago

              So what it is your solution to dealing with drunk, reckless, or excessively speeding drivers if the police aren’t going to do radar/patrols? How is a cop on the side of the road any different from a powerline worker, a pulled over motorist, or a guy changing a billboard?

              People won’t be slamming on their brakes if they are already traveling a safe and legal speed.

      • lemming741@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        A system’s purpose is what it does. If speed traps are causing fender benders and backed up traffic, that is their purpose.

        DUI checkpoints were found unconstitutional, but the judge said it’s ok to ignore that little detail.