Outrageous Moving Violations As Always

[S30rb25]

I used to drive a lowered and fixed up integra and was coming home from the gym. I wasn't speeding and was coming up to a intersection and the light turned yellow tried to brake, but realized I couldn't stop so I blipped the gas and went through. As I was going through I noticed a cop sitting at the corner of the intersection ( thinking to myself oh f*#%). Needless to say he pulled out and followed me for bout a mile and finally pulled me over. I explained that I tried to stop, but didn't have enough time. He let me off with a warning. He then proceeded to tell me that I have a nice lowered car with wheels and stuff, and it'll draw "attention" from the police. So basically he told me that he profilled me and my car. Even when your doing nothing wrong and you come up to a cop with a bad attitude look out.

Edited November 7, 2011 by S30rb25

[getoffmyinternet]

Yeah, great advice. If you're going to speed like a madman, you better do it when there's a bunch of other cars nearby...

[260DET]

Lots of revenue getting attention in AU, fixed speed cameras everywhere. Modified cars cop it so the idea is to have a modified car that does not look modified. When I used to drive a lot in a job on one occasion in the outback I drove with the accelerator on the floor flat out for several hours, used to change feet when the accelerator one got sore Get caught doing that now and you would lose your car and your licence.

[Tony D]

Bastards put a limit in The Territory!

[Noddle]

If a cop passes me, when I'm on the speed limit, and he does not have his lights or siren going, I will sit behind him at the same speed, ( with enough braking distance )

 

my thinking is, we all governed by the same law. if it's OK for him to break it, it must be fine for me to do it.

 

it has not brought me undone yet....

 

Nigel

[getoffmyinternet]

 

it has not brought me undone yet....

 

 

Oh it will. It will. All it takes is another cop to see you. I'm sure the cop in front of you had a perfectly good reason to be speeding. Oh look he's on his cell phone too, now you know it must be important.

[Michael]

What is it about the speed limits in Australia? I've driven a bit around Victoria (mostly the Melbourne area). Yes, there are some urban areas with congestion.... but there are some really wide-open areas, with excellent and largely empty roads - even in Victoria. How does the public countenance 100 kph limits?

 

In the US, in many circumstances driving 10 mph over the limit is still within the safe-zone. In LA or Atlanta, 15 mph-over is generally safe. But in Australia, 7 kph (or sometimes less!) will get you nailed.

 

Again I ask: where is the public outcry?

[260DET]

That's an awkward question, basically the State governments agressively market the 'speed kills' message which a lot of people accept which then justifys the revenue grab. There are more reasons, AU just being AU is one of them

[kiwi303]

Aussie being Aussie sounds right... Some whacko uses a semi-auto rifle to kill someone and instead of beefing up the mental health services to chase down whackos, the AU feds ban semi-auto anythings and beef up the police to chase down innocent gun owners.

 

If the Napier shooting here in NZ when a nutso shot a cop and the army had to send in a LAV to cover the body recovery team had happened in Aussie, they wouldn't be allowed to own peashooters or waterpistols any more...

 

Same attitude to cars and road deaths too, despite Aussie being home to FPV Australia and HSV, they're way tougher than NZ is on car safety and ownership...

 

 

I pity them poor Aussies....

[getoffmyinternet]

Too many mutha' 'uckas 'uckin' with our shi'

[BLOZ UP]

What is it about the speed limits in Australia? I've driven a bit around Victoria (mostly the Melbourne area). Yes, there are some urban areas with congestion.... but there are some really wide-open areas, with excellent and largely empty roads - even in Victoria. How does the public countenance 100 kph limits?

 

In the US, in many circumstances driving 10 mph over the limit is still within the safe-zone. In LA or Atlanta, 15 mph-over is generally safe. But in Australia, 7 kph (or sometimes less!) will get you nailed.

 

Again I ask: where is the public outcry?

 

You can be pulled over for going 1mph over. It's just a matter of how much the officer cares to spend time. The faster you go the more they care. Or the worse you drive.

 

That, and older cars (pre-2004 or so), for the most part, have innacurate speedos. My 2001 Pathfinder for example, is ~5mph at 60mph. So if the speed limit is 65, And I go "70", I'm really going at or under the speed limit.

 

What I can't stand is the obsession over "speeding", when it's not paying attention and/or following too close that cause the majority of accidents. Maybe it's different for everyone else, but I RARELY hear about anyone getting pulled over for following too close, but I see it more than I see speeding.

Edited November 11, 2011 by BLOZ UP

[getoffmyinternet]

What I can't stand is the obsession over "speeding", when it's not paying attention and/or following too close that cause the majority of accidents. Maybe it's different for everyone else, but I RARELY hear about anyone getting pulled over for following too close, but I see it more than I see speeding.

 

Ditto. They call it "speeding" like it's a law of nature or something. A mater of physics rather than just some arbitrary number that somebody came up with a long time ago. If anything, the number could be increased simply on account of the fact that cars are safer these days. When the laws were passed, I'm sure they considered stopping distance etc. on cars that were made exclusively with drum brakes and no abs. They probably even considered mortality rate for when an accident will occur, and nowadays you can get hit at a higher speed and still walk away from it. But like you said, how close you follow has an even greater effect on the safety of the situation. If you're far enough away, forget about the speed, the accident won't happen in the first place. People follow the closest when there's traffic but it's stop and go or is just starting to let up and we're all rushing. That's why one accident often causes so many others. Everyone's speed is starting to climb gradually, but the gap between them isn't getting any wider--they're still following as close as when they were going 5mph. Cops seem to follow closer than anybody, perhaps because they live on the road they're the best drivers ever and have the reactions of a hockey goalie. I'm sure a lot of the time they're getting way up in my business so they can read my plate, which is obviously super safe.

 

Half the reason people follow so close in the first place though is because of all the jerks cutting in and out. If there's any gap at all people assume that the lane is secretly going faster than all the others and they are the one car that discovered it so they have to rush in to capitalize on the find. I once drove to phoenix on the 10 when it was under construction and completely gridlocked and I never left my lane once. There was a guy next to me that changed lanes every 30 seconds and slowly got ahead. I stopped paying attention and figured he was long gone, but then almost four hours later I passed him up. Hey buddy, all of the lanes are going slow, you don't know anything we don't. Ugh, traffic really grinds my gears.

[BLOZ UP]

Half the reason people follow so close in the first place though is because of all the jerks cutting in and out. If there's any gap at all people assume that the lane is secretly going faster than all the others and they are the one car that discovered it so they have to rush in to capitalize on the find. I once drove to phoenix on the 10 when it was under construction and completely gridlocked and I never left my lane once. There was a guy next to me that changed lanes every 30 seconds and slowly got ahead. I stopped paying attention and figured he was long gone, but then almost four hours later I passed him up. Hey buddy, all of the lanes are going slow, you don't know anything we don't. Ugh, traffic really grinds my gears.

 

Yeah, that's true. It's the effect of being isolated in your own little castle, thinking that no one can really do anything to you so you behave selfishly. There've been a few studies on it somewhere.

 

 

But yes, for most normal drivers there seems to be a complete lack of ability to be able to plan ahead. It's always "which lane is going faster right now". I try to coast in one gear during stop and go traffic. This usually means that I leave 10+ car lengths in front of me, so that the stop-and-go of the cars in front has a "buffer" of sorts, and I can just cruise along. This is usually futile as there's a mad dash to "fill in" the empty space, for whatever reason. And people will literally floor it in there and then slam on their brakes--and be right back in the same situation. Then of course, the one thing that really baffles me, are the people behind me who honk. I can only assume they honk because they want me to "stop and go" instead of just maintaining a nearly constant speed, so that people won't get in the lane.

 

What it boils down to is a lack of proper education given on the DMV's part. There is a very noticeable drop in these symptoms in other countries I have visited.

 

Don't get me started on cell phone usage and driving. What with it's effects that are largely worse than DUI.

[getoffmyinternet]

But yes, for most normal drivers there seems to be a complete lack of ability to be able to plan ahead. It's always "which lane is going faster right now". I try to coast in one gear during stop and go traffic. This usually means that I leave 10+ car lengths in front of me, so that the stop-and-go of the cars in front has a "buffer" of sorts, and I can just cruise along. This is usually futile as there's a mad dash to "fill in" the empty space, for whatever reason. And people will literally floor it in there and then slam on their brakes--and be right back in the same situation. Then of course, the one thing that really baffles me, are the people behind me who honk. I can only assume they honk because they want me to "stop and go" instead of just maintaining a nearly constant speed, so that people won't get in the lane.

 

That's exactly what I go through. In fact when I was going to AZ I was in my moms auto and it almost idled at the right speed for the traffic so I shouldn't have had to brake much. I feel like when I'm doing that the people behind me should love me because it's great speed regulation. If someone in each lane did that it seems like it cold trickle down and pretty much everyone would be just coasting at the proper speed. The whole reason for the stop and go is the people like you said shooting in and slamming on the brakes. In the Z I try to avoid shifting like a madman by doing that too, but it doesn't like coasting at a really low speed as much. Then you got people flying down the other lanes that are connecting to a different freeway so they can cut in at the last second rather than wait their turn. I'd love to force those guys out so they have to commit to going the wrong direction.

 

Plus when two lanes merge and cars fight to be 1 second closer to their destination, then everyone has to stop because two of that same type of person meet and play chicken until the last possible moment.

 

 

As for cell phones, studies have shown that the hand use part isn't really what causes the danger, it's the attention distraction to the conversation. People pay even more attention to a conversation over the phone than one in person, it requires more focus--which takes away from what they need to drive safely. In most cases being hands free isn't much bettter (if at all) than holding a phone, so it's silly to make a law about cell phone use but allow hands free devices.

[Tony D]

Oh it will. It will. All it takes is another cop to see you. I'm sure the cop in front of you had a perfectly good reason to be speeding. Oh look he's on his cell phone too, now you know it must be important.

 

AND he's solo driving in and out of the HOV lane across the double yellows...

 

(Not that celphone video submitted to the chief, detailing time, car number, etc. had any response or effect for that matter.)

Edited November 12, 2011 by Tony D

[kiwi303]

Don't get me started on cell phone usage and driving. What with it's effects that are largely worse than DUI.

 

 

Cell phone use while driving is illegal here unless the operation is entirely Hands-Free. I.E. voice activated dialling and hands-free speakerphone kit, and txting while driving is flat out illegal.

[BLOZ UP]

They are just starting to catch on here. Like getoffmyinternet mentioned, it's the fact that there's no physical presence of the person you are talking to that causes your brain to devote a lot of attention on the conversation. Yet the laws totally disregard that.

 

It should be illegal, period.

 

And texting is far worse. It's like writing a paper while driving.

 

But the gears of law move slowly and rarely use actual scientific research in the output. When they do it's usually just when political agendas and the science coincide.

Edited November 12, 2011 by BLOZ UP

[Tony D]

Well, it's gone political so...

 

"it's like writing on paper"

 

Gawd forbid someone take a note while driving. There are enough laws to enforce allready. Adding more will NOT make anything better. EDUCATION, not LEGISLATION.

 

I can function fine talking on my celphone. Yeah, I've dropped it while talking to someone. No, it was not the end of the world, I did not duck down and try to frenzidly recover it. I was driving. Yeah, the other party called back. Several times. Since the phone was under the seat someplace (and I pretty much didn't care to risk trying to get it back it went unanswered...)

 

I highly resent having my liberties restricted because some slack-jawed moron can't handle the simple task of carrying on a conversation as a secondary task while piloting a vehicle along an interstate freeway (or wherever...) Why not restrict them by ticketing THEM when they are seen weaving. Most places have 'inattentive driving' or 'failure to maintain lane' laws ALREADY on the books. Cite them for what they are DOING.

 

I have a right to freely converse with whomever I so choose. I spend a lot of time in transit. These insane laws which limit an otherwise LEGAL activity because some can't figure out how to prioritize offend me.

 

I'm not weaving. I'm not slowing 20mph in the fast lane to take the call. Why must I be held to a standard of the lowest common denominator yet again? Shouldn't driving be something we concentrate on EXCELLENCE, and not lowering the bar to the lowest common denominator?

 

The interstate highway system isn't the autobhan, and I'm not taking calls at 150mph+. Cell Phone Laws exist because "Law Enforcement" apparently is too dense to interpret a law already on the books, and needs a simple 'check the box' offense to make their jobs easier. Then again, the more laws on the books, the easier it is to generate revenue. It's like the guy who slides off his Harley, under a concrete truck and gets crushed. Fatality gets checked as "no helmet worn"...like it would have prevented it. Same for the guy who dumps it and breaks his arm..."no helmet worn"... like it made any difference.

[getoffmyinternet]

I'm with you on that. Why are we trying to make a bunch of laws that tie the hands of 300 million people in the exact same way? I really don't understand how they come up with a law where your fine gets doubled if you're on your cell phone while speeding or whatever. If you crash, you crash, what difference does it make that you were on your cell phone, is it really that poor of judgement, like driving under the influence or something?

 

It doesn't matter what you're doing while driving, if you get into an accident, then there you are. Do something wrong, something bad happens, that's real world consequences at work. Accidents happen with your hands at 2 and 10 too, so what other laws can we make to confine drivers even further? Perhaps your hands were at 2 and 10, but you got in an accident because you were wearing your wedding ring and it slightly reduced your grip, so we should make a law against wearing wedding rings while driving.

 

If you can talk on your cell phone while eating a slice of pizza and shifting with your greasy hands without spilling your coffee on your lap and still drive safely then godspeed. Some people look like they deserve to get pulled over and given a ticket even though they aren't really breaking a specific law, they just plain suck at driving. How can we make laws that are equal to everyone?

 

Oh crap this is starting to sound like one of those 99% things.

[BLOZ UP]

Well, it's gone political so...

 

"it's like writing on paper"

 

Gawd forbid someone take a note while driving. There are enough laws to enforce allready. Adding more will NOT make anything better. EDUCATION, not LEGISLATION.

 

That's not exactly what I posted: "It's like writing a paper". As in a term paper. As in, when you text you have devote a lot more attention to typing and reading than just talking to someone over the phone. You have to look at the phone to text. At least I would.

 

And earlier up I also said that it boils down to lack of education. You're preaching to the choir.

 

I can function fine talking on my celphone. Yeah, I've dropped it while talking to someone. No, it was not the end of the world, I did not duck down and try to frenzidly recover it. I was driving. Yeah, the other party called back. Several times. Since the phone was under the seat someplace (and I pretty much didn't care to risk trying to get it back it went unanswered...)

 

I highly resent having my liberties restricted because some slack-jawed moron can't handle the simple task of carrying on a conversation as a secondary task while piloting a vehicle along an interstate freeway (or wherever...) Why not restrict them by ticketing THEM when they are seen weaving. Most places have 'inattentive driving' or 'failure to maintain lane' laws ALREADY on the books. Cite them for what they are DOING.

 

Even if you can, the vast majority of people can't!

 

 

I've said this elsewhere, we already have a catch all for this: Reckless Driving. Driving while staring at your phone, or with your eyes closed or whatever is "legal" (in most areas, anyway), but incredibly stupid. Reckless. But it's harder to prove and it's harder to enforce.

 

I have a right to freely converse with whomever I so choose. I spend a lot of time in transit. These insane laws which limit an otherwise LEGAL activity because some can't figure out how to prioritize offend me.

 

I'm not weaving. I'm not slowing 20mph in the fast lane to take the call. Why must I be held to a standard of the lowest common denominator yet again? Shouldn't driving be something we concentrate on EXCELLENCE, and not lowering the bar to the lowest common denominator?

 

This is how it's always been. Welcome to the US.

 

The interstate highway system isn't the autobhan, and I'm not taking calls at 150mph+. Cell Phone Laws exist because "Law Enforcement" apparently is too dense to interpret a law already on the books, and needs a simple 'check the box' offense to make their jobs easier. Then again, the more laws on the books, the easier it is to generate revenue. It's like the guy who slides off his Harley, under a concrete truck and gets crushed. Fatality gets checked as "no helmet worn"...like it would have prevented it. Same for the guy who dumps it and breaks his arm..."no helmet worn"... like it made any difference.

 

Isn't this the endgame of all automobile world? To make things safer and safer and harder for the user to screw up so that in the end, idiots can crash at higher speeds and survive to procreate?

 

Working on autonomous cars at the moment so hopefully daily commutes will be pretty much accident free. Except for the whole skynet thing.