Where do you live where traffic speed is not enforced? We'll try to survive without your support.
Iowa Senate approves traffic camera regulations
- Thread starter NorthernHawkeye
- Start date
The real danger associate with 'speed' is not 'speed per se,' but rather differentials in speed among vehicles in a close environment.
I live where traffic is enforced by actual people. The people who we pay to do that job.
If they want to turn over their job to a camera, then we don't need as many police anymore.
7.. on state /county roads…72 on interstates…in town and freeways…about the limit…by Waveland… 57 mph…
Haven’t gotten a speeding tix in 30 years..Urbandale got me going 32 in a 25 at 1130 pm coming home from work…(I remember laughing in the cops face when he told me he was writing me! He didn’t like that! ) small town cops are a funny breed.
don't know for sure...but id guess that they have some kind of documentation that shows a problem with excessive speeds
Not true in my case. I will not traverse the traffic camera gauntlet that is HWY150 after a total bullshit one I got (long story linked below) in Oelwein. Plenty of ways to get to SE Minnesota without that BS. I drive to that area a lot and spend along the way in multiple towns. Now I just hit HWY63 and just have to double check in Chester.
Also, I'm not a speeder generally (beyond 5-7mph). Only one officer given ticket in my life. However, as evidenced by my boycott of HWY150, I am one hard headed vindictive son of a bitch when something I deem stupid comes to fruition.
KCCI Investigates: Small Iowa town makes millions on speed camera tickets
Prairie City has made $1.72 million in the fiscal year 2022.
iowa.forums.rivals.com
Well, that's two of us!
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Ask the city fathers…not my issue. Again, drive the speed limit and no one cares! How tough a concept is this for you to grasp?
Yeah, about two traffic stops per day. Sounds like a real problem.
https://webstercity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2.e.1.-REPORTS-Police-activity.pdf
Sure Jan. Like no town has ever set up speed traps by "actual people" to "enforce" traffic speed. There are towns that are famous for it and you know that. but that's ok I guess.
You just admitted that you don't drive the speed limit, and break the law.
You just don't have a problem with the level of speeding that you choose to do.
Calculated risk… yep.
Where did I say I was a saint, jerk wad? If stopped and ticketed guess what…I will pay!
If you get pulled over by an officer, deputy or trooper, then sure. Pay the fine and face the music. I'm not OK with turning over law enforcement to computers, cameras and robots. Because where does it end? If cameras are the solution to stopping speeding in Iowa, then why not have every vehicle owner be required to install an Intoxalock? That would dramatically curb drunk driving. That way cops aren't spending time looking for drunks because technology can solve the problem.
Yeah, it is. Because it was done by actual officers, who likely chose that spot based on actual data and safety concerns. Not just to raise money in the laziest way possible.
So if they started ticketing at 1 mph over the speed limit, would you still be so supportive?
I don’t understand why those who speed and get caught are crying when they have to pay the fine! Those folks should not speed.
I admit I speed occasionally.. but understand, I keep up with the flow for the most part…I ain’t setting trends.
Can we just all (well mostly all of us) agree that speed do-gooders are SOTE and just as bad as the speed cameras themselves?
Stuff like that is the logical extension of where these people want surveillance and enforcement to go.
Joel - 'if you aren't driving drunk, then what's the problem with an interlock on everyone's car?!'
'If you aren't breaking the law, then who cares if a law enforcement drone just follows you around?!'
Such a serious problem that in a two-month window earlier this year they needed to issue more than $1 million worth of tickets. It's almost like this is about money and not safety. Weird.
City’s encourage their police to monitor DWI traffic. I can’t think of a single exception to this. Alcohol inhibits. Speed exasperates. .
Intoxalocks in every vehicle would save lives and keep the public safe from drunk drivers. It would save cities money from having cops patrolling late at night for drunks and the equipment would be courtesy of a private company. You think equipment that would protect the public is needless? Why don't you want to stop drunk driving in Iowa?
What if we just let a private company provide them, and split the profit?
The cognitive dissonance here is impressive.
Since you prefaced your post with a declaration of due dillegence, I assume you asked for and were provided evidence of claimed reduction in speeding. Right?
I'd guess this depends on where the cameras are located. In Cedar Rapids, 380 goes through town. The last time I checked though, Hwy 20 doesn't go through Humboldt, it goes past it. In that case the vast majority are going to be out of towners.
In most states, speed limits are set based on safety. If a massive number of people are driving more than 10 MPH over the limit, perhaps the limit has been set artificially low to generate speeding tickets. It's like when Barney Fife started handing out speeding tickets outside of Mayberry, leading to trucks not being able to make it up the next hill.
not true
usually the speed limit is set based on 85% percentile speed determined in a speed study of the corridor
a lot of places will ask DOTs to lower the speed limits and the DOTs will say no
Getting pulled over by police is high stress situation for both the officer and the driver.
Police are extremely expensive. Most in Iowa get paid 60K just in salary which doesn't include their incredibly good benefits in most cases.
Yes, we should be trying to reduce police forces for mundane tasks like speed enforcement, and getting them back to working a beat in populated areas, not sitting in the middle of nowhere waiting for somebody driving too fast to go by.
I don't know, but according to hawkman who sounds like they have a lot more experience with this it works pretty dang well if violators are reduced by 90%.
you're suggesting the speed limits are intentionally set low to enable fund raising through enforcement
in reality, the speed limits are determined specifically so that they reflect the speeds at which most people (85%) are traveling...
Only problem here is that it makes no sense in this context.
Intoxalocks would be a massive expense that would either cost every driver in Iowa, or the state would have to pay for it which is likely the only way it would be allowed. Thus, it would be a huge expense to the state.
Speed cameras are a huge boon to local governments.
No, I said what I said, and didn't suggest anything. You spout off like everything you say is absolutely true everywhere. It's not.
For instance, you say towns don't have the ability to set speed limits on their own. That's blatantly false because it depends on who maintains the road in most states. State DOT's set the limit for interstates and state roads Counties set the limit for county roads. Cities set the limit for city maintained roads.
I can assure you that 85% of the people traveling on I-10 in Texas are traveling over the speed limit, and probably more than 10 MPH over the speed limit. I'm sure every poster on this board can tell you there are local roads they travel that conflict with your rule.
That's the reason for my complaint — be honest about what this is. Quit pretending this is about public safety, because it's not. It's about grabbing cash, mostly from people who are simply passing through on a major highway. If a city came out and says "We're doing this to rake in money and not raise local taxes," I'd have more respect for such projects.
This is the world we live in. There is not enough tax dollars for municipalities in the new tax law, until millage rates increase, and in the meantime, alternative revenue sources need to be found. But we will be told how good the new tax program is. I am estimating from my office alone, 400k less in Iowa tax from previous years.
Then it's time to cut services.
That's how household budgets works.
Inflation is killing the average family. You make tough decisions. The government should be no different.
Why can’t it be both? I have no problem enforcing laws and attempting to bring unsafe behavior in line while charging those who choose to break them.
