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I think fines and enforcement for all intersection related offences should increase.
Cops focus way too much on speeding along the highways and not enough with trying to catch people running red lights and stop signs, blocking intersections, taking left turns while pedestrians are crossing, etc.
So many people die from intersections and pedestrian crossing yet cops focus on highway speeding for some reason.
Cause its easy. Hangout at a busy spot inthe highway and you can see a ton more cars speeding than if you hung out at an intersection
I can think of several specific intersections in both my home city and current city where nearly every light cycle a law is broken. Running reds, continuing advanced lefts several cars after signal change, near pedestrian misses, blocking the intersection, texting while driving, lane changes mid intersection, turning left but jumping 1-2 lanes extra to the right.
If your city has a stroad, you probably have an intersection experiencing this daily.
It would free up so much more time for police if they instead spent money on cameras at highways.
If you have a camera at two fixed points along a highway you can easily calculate the speed that a car travels between those two points.
Have one car pictured at 9am and then pictured again at 9:50am 100km away through a stretch that's 100km/h?
Automatic ticket, easy. Obviously they had to have gone over the speed limit unless they know how to break the laws of physics.
I remember reading about a particular speeding camera that is actually turned off the majority of the time due to the sheer number of speeding tickets that are produced from it alone. It's so much that it clogs up the entire system so they just gave up and turned it off for like 2/3rd of the time so the people processing those tickets have time to work on other cameras.
Raising the fines is good and all (rather it really should be done), but I think the entire ticketing system needs to be overhauled as well so that it's far more streamlined to handle massive loads without hiring thousands of more people to brute force the problem.
The number of people who brag about their fines is staggering, treating them like badges of honor. If you check out automotive forums, you'll see it all the time, with people trading tips on how to push the limits of the demerit system to avoid having their license revoked without actually fixing their habits. There's even tips on how to legally obscure your license plate so you can't get caught on speed cameras.
Also regarding those highway speeding cameras, normal speeding cameras just take two pictures and measure how far the vehicle has moved during that time. Though if you just equip the camera with a doppler radar, you can just directly measure the speed that way.
I feel like at that point just raise the minimum speeding threshold for an auto ticket from the camera to lower the amount of tickets rather than have times of day where there are none being given out at all. Like donβt advertise the threshold but just have it be a backend thing.
The problem is being pulled over is more effective then a photo radar ticket. Just the way we are wired immediate punishment for the act vs delayed.
Until you get enough points that your licence is suspended
No points for photo radar tickets
That sounds like the confectionary that stopped carrying a particular chocolate bar because they couldn't keep it stock. True story.
If they can't keep up to infractions, the solution is not to ignore infractions but to scale up. Or, in this case, put some traffic engineers on the case to see what's special about that stretch of road.
yet cops focus on highway speeding for some reason.
I'm not even opposed to focusing on speeding. But maybe the 30kph road infront of a school is more important than some stretch of rural transcan?
Reliable punishment beats harsh punishment. You could just spritz bad drivers in the face, like a cat, and they'd improve through reinforcement learning.
Its time to increase fines for drivers*
And make fine based on income, not just static sum. Works well in Finland.
Income method breaks down for extremely wealthy. Top net worth individuals typically have very low or zero income and most of their wealth comes from assets.
Make it like a lien, but against their average yearly capital gains
This would just encourage cops to target people they perceive as wealthy, and not bother with people who look poor
I still see that as a positive trend...
Wait, why would cops get to keep the fines???
Sounds great to me!
Has anyone ever seen anyone actually get pulled over for this?
I would be surprised and amazed, if anyone has.
Not this, nor driving slow in the left lane.
If it's anything like in the US sometimes the intersections are screwed up and you can sit at a light through a few greens without moving because the road you need to go on gets filled by turning lanes before the light turns red and fills up before yours is green again.
Which is what makes the next people feel like they have to pile in to the box or they'll never get anywhere.
It's the same where rights are allowed on reds. If you don't pile into the box and there is a line of cars waiting to make a right, someone WILL steal that spot when it opens up just past the box, because people are selfish assholes, full stop.
It's time for police to have powers to make people take thier license again if needed.
Yes please.
Link to article without paywall.
RemovePaywall.com/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/mobility/article-its-time-to-increase-the-fines-for-drivers-who-block-intersections/
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Entitlement, carelessness, audacity and a single-minded devotion to self-interest all swirl together and trigger a brain response that tells the driver, βThis is okay.β
It delays other drivers and puts pedestrians and cyclists in danger, as they must squeeze around vehicles that could move at any moment.
In 2018, NYPD uniformed officers began to crack down on violators at 50 select New York City intersections and βDonβt Block the Boxβ signs were posted to warn drivers.
In April 2023, Toronto city council approved a motion from Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie imploring the provincial government to implement severe penalties.
In April 2023, Toronto assigned 30 traffic agents to work troubled intersections and prevent drivers from blocking the box, but thatβs cold comfort.
And so, in Toronto and the rest of the country, irresponsible drivers will continue to plug our intersections.
The original article contains 667 words, the summary contains 139 words. Saved 79%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
Also, people who don't engage their turn signal until after the light turns green. If you didn't warn me to change lanes before getting behind you because you're planning to turn, you shouldn't get to block my procession. Unenforceable, but it bothers me.
Wow, the number of people here who are all "The meth addicts who carry firearms on the job and have a rich and unwavering history of racial profiling should be more involved in minor non-violent offenses" is kind of crazy. Have any of y'all thought this one through at all?
Don't need a cop to enforce don't block the box. Just a camera.