OPINION - Police are Responsible for Traffic Safety

The publisher's commentary in the January 2013 edition of Blue Line Magazine takes a position that I strongly agree with. The police are responsible for traffic safety. If there are no consequences for bad driving behaviour, then there is no need to behave properly.

Blue Line magazine is Canada's national law enforcement magazine.

Link:

Publisher's Commentary - Blue Line Magazine, January 2013

OK Opinion

but Mine,,If we had a sticktly Traffic Police Force,were 100% of their job and time was enforcing traffic,,You may persued me better,,But if Police have to spend 75% of their time while at work on Dimestic Issuse,,Where is the time left for Traffic Safety?

The other part of My Opinion is even when Police do their job 100%,,Justice comes along and pulls the rug out from under that officer,,and then no consequences for the actions they got Caught at to Begin with,,That nice Judge for whatever reason has to let off who you spent all that time catching,,,,,,and your the police officer,,,go figure.

Other than that I guess I gotta agree somewhat.

I agree with the editorial,

I agree with the editorial, it is the job of the Police to enforce the law. That said, the Police have a number of constraints put on them. First of all is the 10 km rule. Most courts will not prosecute a speeder unless there is proof that he was exceeding the speed limit by at least 10 kph. Then the officer has to spend 40% of his time filling out forms on his computer. Then he has to spend a half a day in court waiting for the case to come up if the driver decides to dispute the ticket. I don't wnat to sound like an apologist for the Police, but the cards are all stacked against them. No wonder they tend to look the other way.

If you want to see a change, write to your local Mayor and Council and ask them to consider lowering the speed limit in residential areas to 30 kph. Get your friends and neighbours to do the same. Make it an election issue if they don't wnat to listen. Many of them won't.

30kph has been the norm in many cities in Europe and the UK for 20 years. It works, and it has many side benefits.

10 KMH "rule"

There is no rule like this. As long as you can show the court that the speed is over the limit and that the accuracy of the instrument is taken into account they can convict.

Most officers decide on the amount of "leeway" that they are comfortable prosecuting in a given situation and write accordingly.

10 kph rule

There is no "official" rule, but without exception every police officer I have asked about this, from constable, to Staff Sgt., to Inspector, have all agreed that is what they do in practice. The reason given is also consistent. They feel it is a waste of their time to go to all the effort required when a ticket is contested and then have the judge throw it out.

Technically you are correct, a ticket can be given if you are doing just 1 kph over the limit, but in my area that never happens.

Technically Never Happens Your Area?

Your Area,,,Do you live someplace outside plant earth?

NEVER?? UM,,,,,So I am thinking YOUR AREA,,,,Does NOT have ANY PLAYGROUND ZONES or SCHOOL ZONES for example.

Or Can I come to where YOU LIVE,,and risk the childrens lives at 10kph over the POSTED LIMIT in these ZONES????? And You can Gaurantee I won,t get a TICKET,,,,WITHOUT EXCEPTION?????

WOW,,,,would love to run that by ANY OFFICER or right up to that STAFF SGT. That YOU TALKED TOO,,I bet I get a whole lot Different Respone that You Get.

Police