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If local laws permitted, would you report traffic violations to the police?

Would you report traffic violations to the police?

  • Yes, under all circumstances

    Votes: 3 7.1%

  • Yes, but only if I received compensation

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Yes, but only in some cases (please specify in thread)

    Votes: 29 69.0%

  • No, not under any circumstances

    Votes: 10 23.8%
  • Total voters
    42
  • Poll closed .
Harry Guerrilla said:
Assuming the sight line is clear and there is no traffic, I really don't care or when one is stopped at a red light, with absolutely no traffic, proceeding should be fine.
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Until that vehicle you can't see gets you... I have seen the sad results of that conclusion numerous times...

I'd prefer more traffic lights be replaced with stop signs.
So many lights are poorly timed and don't correctly control the flow of traffic.
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I live in an urban area. Lights are generally pretty well timed where I live, but there are exceptions.


I live in a somewhat rural area, I see people with kids of ATV's all the time, without helmets, with their children in lap.
It's dumb but going a slow speed isn't a big deal, it's when they're on the road, going a fast speed where it turns to dumb.
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I live in a city of 2.5 million people and a metro area of 3.5 million. Riding a scooter (or even a bicycle) without a helmet is hazardous. Adults MUST put helmets on their kids heads for their own safefy. Once again, kids DIE in accidents from head injuries...
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
It's practically never enforced around here.
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Nor here, sadly...

That's true too, but I'm pretty sure that where you are, the scooter is the prime choice for transportation.
Around here, it's the opposite.
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It does make more sense here for urban transportation than a car, and the climate here makes it far more viable than in most of the U.S. I am still partial to the bicycle myself, however...

Some make sense, others do not.
The pedestrian has gotten an entitlement idea, because they are supposed to have the right of way, when they have he ability to respond and stop faster than a vehicle.
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Pedestrians ARE supposed to have the right of way on crosswalks at uncontrolled intersections and with the light at controlled intersections. If you are turning left, yield to the pedestrian. Pedestrians should not jump out in the crosswalk in front of a vehicle, but vehicles should slow down in crowded urbal areas anyway and if someone IS walking in the crosswalk, they are required to yield to them...
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
Assuming the sight line is clear and there is no traffic, I really don't care or when one is stopped at a red light, with absolutely no traffic, proceeding should be fine.
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Sometimes, intersections occur at places with 'blind spots' or curves that are just before the intersection. It is not safe to assume that there are no vehicles most of the time, as visability can be limited in hard to discern ways.


Regarding slow drivers, I completely sympathize. Everywhere I've been in the world is different than Miami. In Miami, there is absolutely no sense of 'slow traffic keep right'. It seems there is always someone in the left lane going less than the speedlimit. It's dangerous and positively maddening.



I would report an obvious drunk or madman, but that's about it (oh, and slow drivers).
 
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Kandahar said:
Not unless it was something serious. I'd probably report a drunk driver, but not someone who was going 15 mph over the speed limit.
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Ironically, I couldn't report a drunk driver if I wanted to. Talking on the cell phone while driving is illegal where I live.
 
If I see someone driving recklessly, speeding wildly, or weaving as if impaired, yes I would and have reported their location and license plate to the police. The police will locate the vehicle, observe the condition, and the police will make the final determination of stopping or not stopping it. If I see someone run a red light or blow a stop sign, no way am I going to report them, then go to court where it would be my word against the driver's and I would be promptly sued.
 
ludahai said:
I live in a place where moving and parking violations are commonplace and often put the safety of all users of the road at risk. Law here also permits people to report any and all traffic violations to the police with photograph/video evidence for the issuance of tickets after an investigation from the traffic police authorities.

More and more people are reporting such situations. I would only report those that I think put people at risk. I am especially sensitive to those parents and grandparents who ride scooters without putting helmets on the heads of the children, but so many things go on that put people's safety at risk that I think all are fair game.
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That also goes on in Mexico and I don't understand why the police don't throw the adult in jail for putting the child in mortal danger.
 
samsmart said:
I voted no.

Both me and the police probably has better things to do than to track down every traffic violator. I would definitely report a drunk driver, though, and I may call the police about bad traffic areas, but that's probably it.
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Would you report a driver going 40 mph downthe street with their kids heads sticking out of the sunroof?
 
WI Crippler said:
If they don't have both hands on the steering wheel at 10 and 2 o'clock, I'm making a call.
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It is supposed to be 9 and 3 now that cars have airbags.
 
ludahai said:
Examples? Parking on the corner of the road, for example, makes a lot of sense in an urban environment. Red lights? Obstructing crosswalks? Parking in traffic lanes? Wrong way on a one-way road? No helmet on children riding on a scooter? Any of those not make sense?



Video evidence can often show this too. Here, you can submit that to traffic police. I hate bus drivers who drive 5 cm off your rear bumber at 90 kph



Going under the speed limit is a traffic violation???
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IN Mexico the worst drivers in order are

Bus Drivers
Taxi Drivers
Police Officers

The bus driver is first because he puts multiple lives in danger at one time, and the police have absolutely no respect for the traffic law what-so-ever.
 
Mason66 said:
That also goes on in Mexico and I don't understand why the police don't throw the adult in jail for putting the child in mortal danger.
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Here, it is merely a fine, and not a very big one... Nothing I see on the roads (and I see a lot of crap on them) makes my blood boil more than this one... and this is one where I definately have reported to the police with photographic evidence. The fine isn't much (and the reporter gets half of it) but hopefully it will make them aware of the need to put helmets on the kids' heads...
 
Mason66 said:
IN Mexico the worst drivers in order are

Bus Drivers
Taxi Drivers
Police Officers

The bus driver is first because he puts multiple lives in danger at one time, and the police have absolutely no respect for the traffic law what-so-ever.
Click to expand...

In Taiwan it is:

Scooter riders
Taxi Drivers
Bus drivers
 
ludahai said:
Here, it is merely a fine, and not a very big one... Nothing I see on the roads (and I see a lot of crap on them) makes my blood boil more than this one... and this is one where I definately have reported to the police with photographic evidence. The fine isn't much (and the reporter gets half of it) but hopefully it will make them aware of the need to put helmets on the kids' heads...
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I am glad at least it is against the law where you are. In Mexico it is not. These people blow by police standing on the side of the road and nothinghappens. They are never stopped.
 
Mason66 said:
I am glad at least it is against the law where you are. In Mexico it is not. These people blow by police standing on the side of the road and nothinghappens. They are never stopped.
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They are rarely stopped here as well, though it IS against the law... to my knowledge, most of the time it is citizen reporters who nab them...
 
ludahai said:
Going under the speed limit is a traffic violation???
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(h) No person shall operate a motor vehicle on the highway at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law; provided, this provision shall not apply to farm tractors and other motor vehicles operating at reasonable speeds for the type and nature of such vehicles.

GS_20-141
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
Assuming the sight line is clear and there is no traffic, I really don't care or when one is stopped at a red light, with absolutely no traffic, proceeding should be fine.

I'd prefer more traffic lights be replaced with stop signs.
So many lights are poorly timed and don't correctly control the flow of traffic.



I live in a somewhat rural area, I see people with kids of ATV's all the time, without helmets, with their children in lap.
It's dumb but going a slow speed isn't a big deal, it's when they're on the road, going a fast speed where it turns to dumb.
Click to expand...

The problem with stop signs replacing traffic lights is that pompous assholes will just go when its not their turn at a 4 way stop.

For a great example, just go to your local wal-mart or target shopping center and see how well those signs work...
 
I see many Nazis are hiding under Conservative cloaks. 'Turn in your neighbour' was a Nazi tactic and is still used in Ploice Sates.
 
Yukon said:
I see many Nazis are hiding under Conservative cloaks. 'Turn in your neighbour' was a Nazi tactic and is still used in Ploice Sates.
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If you wish to compare it to Nazis, so be it, but there are times when people need to be turned in for doing something dangerous. I don't think very many people on here have said that they would turn people in without the caveat that the action was actually something that was likely to cause an accident, either immediately or in the near future or something to that affect.

There is a big difference between telling on someone for being a Jew and calling the police on someone who just ran a red light through a busy intersection or without regard to pedestrians who may have been trying to cross. Sometimes people do stupid things and don't realize it, other times people are just reckless and that can lead to harm to themselves or others. I am most worried about the harm to others and unfortunately in a car, harm to others is likely when someone is driving recklessly.
 
Roguenuke,

Heil Hitler my friend.
 
Caine said:
The problem with stop signs replacing traffic lights is that pompous assholes will just go when its not their turn at a 4 way stop.

For a great example, just go to your local wal-mart or target shopping center and see how well those signs work...
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I can understand that, but I've been reading some stuff that when traffic cues are removed, in some places, accident rates go down.

Has to do with the psychological impact of traffic signals watching for us, instead of us watch for ourselves.
 
Caine said:
(h) No person shall operate a motor vehicle on the highway at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law; provided, this provision shall not apply to farm tractors and other motor vehicles operating at reasonable speeds for the type and nature of such vehicles.

GS_20-141
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That should be enforced, way more often than it is.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
I can understand that, but I've been reading some stuff that when traffic cues are removed, in some places, accident rates go down.

Has to do with the psychological impact of traffic signals watching for us, instead of us watch for ourselves.
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The psychological impact of the traffic signals watching for us makes sense....... and I can see that as long as the intersection never had a traffic light in the first place it might work.

However, Ive worked some VERY nasty wrecks that occurred when the power went out in a large section of the city and folks decided since there is no light I just go balls to the wall through the intersection... Everyone else will stop for ME!!!!! (it didn't work out that way unfortunately)
 
Caine said:
The psychological impact of the traffic signals watching for us makes sense....... and I can see that as long as the intersection never had a traffic light in the first place it might work.

However, Ive worked some VERY nasty wrecks that occurred when the power went out in a large section of the city and folks decided since there is no light I just go balls to the wall through the intersection... Everyone else will stop for ME!!!!! (it didn't work out that way unfortunately)
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Oh I understand.
Wouldn't mind seeing more experimentation with it though.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
That should be enforced, way more often than it is.
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Problem is that Im sure it doesn't cover what you are hoping it does. It states "except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.

Which means.... Grandma driving 65 in a 65mph zone cannot be written a citation under this law.


An interesting off topic, This was the first traffic ticket I ever wrote after being cut loose from my field training officer and assigned to my shift to work solo.
 
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