Where is Our Traffic Enforcement?

I've been complaining about this to the police and ICBC , I've tweeted about it, I added my comments on Facebook. Any media available. Yet, I get the same candid responses: call your local police department, it's not our responsibilty, this is not an ICBC concern.

We all pay our vehicle insurance to ICBC, we pay our taxes. ICBC runs campaigns about drinking and driving, occasional 'road sense" tips, and take the credit for less accidents or issues on the road (or wherever their statisticians tend to manipulate the numbers).  

Whenever there is anything good in the news about driving or the roads, ICBC will jump right in and take the credit. When it comes to traffic enforcement, they pass the buck to the police who despite all the [known issues] they have internally and their drachonian culture, one fact remains: they do not have the resources to police the roads and traffic. I cannot accept the blame lies with the police forces in the province. I submit the blame is on ICBC.  

Many other countries, states, etc have reporting mechanisms in place where you call a toll free number to report aggressive, traffic violators, and dangerous drivers. Not only do these government agencies seriously take these complaints, they action them. Whether it be someone is driving erratically on the road, someone is tailgaiting you, or someone who is running red lights. 

In this day and age, we have smartphones with video and more and more people are driving with tiny video cameras mounted on their windshields. Any excuse to dismiss the need of pursuing these violaters or proving their 'guilt' is pointless. If anything, there is a record of the incident, unlike now when ICBC merely says call 911. Of course, calling 911 is inappropriate just because someone cut you off or can't keep their vehicle in their lane. Not to mention, this is not a serious issue like drinking and driving.

The bottom line is ICBC have the power, money and resources to make our roads safer.  If for whatever 'legal reason" they may not, change the law so they do.  However, they don't want the accountablilty. They rather blame the police that it's their problem, not theirs when in fact, it is everyone's problem.

396 positions for traffic enforcement seems kind of low for an area the size of BC, however, it seems to me that the problems have nothing to do with enforcement, but in fact have everything to do with attitude of the driving public. To me, it seems, there has been a shift in driver etiquette.

Everyone seems out for themselves and god forbid that you get in my way. I drive the speed limit most of the time and I guarantee you that in the 40 kms I commuute that there will be someone who is in a rush and will put 1 meter between their front bumper and my rear bumper regardless of how fast the speed limit. There have been instances where drivers will cross the double yellow to pass me.

I've even had 18 wheelers do this! Once I thought that I'd report the trucker to his company and got the truck number. Turns out if was some place in a remote part of the Kooteneys and it was hard to find the number.

The point is that enforcement isn't possible if a majority of citizens choose to ignore the law. The 55 MPH speed limit in the US failed because many people in the western US have to drive great distances and most drivers simply ignored it.

I agree entirely with the editorial.  The Police in our community are not out on the roads; unless they all have a Harry Potter cloak of invisibility.  Our local force claims to have 25% of its' officers dedicated to traffic duty, and yet we never see them.  They will come out for an hour or so if you put in a complaint, but they are reluctant to do so.  The last time I asked them to do that, I got a call back from the corporal in charge who told me they had given out a few tickets, but basically in his opinion, they thought they were wasting their time.

Recently, I went on the Blueline forum (a group of forums for polcemen/women) to ask their opinions on a reduced speed limit for residential areas.  There is a ton of research from all around the world to support this, btw.  Boy did I get jumped on!  One officer asked what planet I lived on.  Most were more polite, but still quite hostile.  They told me in no uncertain terms that enforcement was a waste of their time, that drivers will go at whatever speed they feel comfortable (true, but usually illegal and very dangerous to the rest of us), and that they felt they had better things to do.

Don't get me wrong.  I support our local police and I recognize they have many competing priorities.  Traffic duty is perhaps one of the more dangerous of them.  Would you want to be standing out in the poring rain with cars and trucks whizzing by you only a meter away while giving someone a ticket?  On the other hand, don't we pay our police officers a very good salary to enforce our laws, traffic laws among them?

If it is true, that the police think they have better things to do, then perhaps it is time to reintroduce photo-radar.  There is no greater deterent to speeding than knowing that it is likely you will be caught.  In Australia, they have privatized speed limit enforcement (using photo-radar) and from what I hear it is very successful at getting everyone to slow down.

I wanted to report an older Corolla sedan with modified front headlights (illegal on two counts) and who was also speeding, zig zagging through traffic like he was Mario Andretti. 

I called the police department in the area where I saw the car. I told the operator that I wanted to report the vehicle so an officer (when time permits) could visit this person and speak to them as well as examine the vehicle. I also made it clear that I won't go to court.

Because I was not prepared to go to court, the operator candidly replied no action will be taken. Only a report will be filed.  

And that people is the situation why driving is getting out of hand these days...that plus people driving way below the speed limit. I noticed this today and the driver was oblivious to the rest of the world.

The media is of no help either in this regard. They will freely report where the radar/speed traps or road blocks are but they won't promote reporting bad or aggressive drivers to the authorities. 

Canadians, fortunately, I suppose, aren't aggressive due to our culture/ Road rage is not common place; however,  perhaps one day, we will see more incidents of reported road rage and then only then will this be taken seriously. 

I don't agree with your thinking. Would the police officer be charged with trespassing if he simply  walked around the front yard, assuming the vehicle was not parked indoors? I don't think so. 

In any event, maybe you don't feel commmication or education is not necessary. however, one might be surprised how a simple "talking to" from the police might do to change one's behavior. Besides, if law enforcement would waste tax payers money in trying to find a lost cell phone owned by a pretty blonde, they can come knocking on someone's door for what would be a safety issue.

Likely the drivers mentioned in these posts also speed regularly.Why would some one take a day's pay cut to go to court for a maybe conviction. This process makes little sense, other than serious criminal cases. Surely speed monitoring technology would regularly identify high risk drivers and the superintendent of motor vehices would suspend their licence-a wake up call to prevent a probable collision .

What is the hold up on speed camera technology in BC?

These posted complaints on enforcement are common -in many places in BC and driver behaviour is why injuries and costs are increasing on BC Roads.

It seems to be taboo to the present Government, but they are missing an opportunity to help police our many miles of roads.Yes it is electronic monitoring of speed- speed cameras. Well advertised ,portable and moved to the many crash sites in the Province to educate high speed drivers -too many who also drive distracted and impaired.

ICBC rates are going up due to the increased number of injuries and severity of injuries. As a customer I want them to start to work smarter on preventing accidents.The technology is available, while police are overloaded with many other issues

I agree that to change behaviour, consequences need to be soon and certain- Therefore any speed camera ticket should be delivered as timely as possible. Likely ICBC has access to the vehicle home address - the ticket could arrive the same day/next day by courier. With a drone system who knows - the ticket could be delivered much sooner, perhaps when the driver exits the vehicle.

Back to the topic. Police should have all the tools possible to prevent accidents caused by excessive speed, impaired and distracted - the 3 major causes of fatalities and most injuries on BC Roads.

Injuries are increasing - change is required.

Interesting that Drones have been approved in BC, to aid firefighters in spotting hot spots in wild fires. They can fly at night and crews can respond next morning.

It seems that similar technology could be used to spot aggressive drivers,excessive speeders, potential impaired drivers - and be used in conjunction with police cruisers to get high risk drivers off BC roads.

Great to see Highways Minister Todd Stone installing new cameras on roads in the Comox Valley. The article states 650 installed cameras on BC roads. It seems that the BC Government is finally helping educate drivers and.... helping police to identify aggressive, distracted, impaired driver can't be too far down the road.