cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/44712264

These up-eds usually complain that photo radar would be fine if the radar worked properly. This one doesn’t even do that. It just complains that speed limits aren’t fair and now drivers have to change their behavior. jfc

It is true that drivers can avoid such tickets by sticking to the posted speed limits, but it is also true that drivers are hardly ever expected to strictly observe those limits.

…

It’s like the generally accepted contract between drivers and police – just drive at a reasonable speed and you’ll be fine – has been broken.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-photo-radar-is-becoming-increasingly-common-that-doesnt-make-it-any/

  • @Tudsamfa@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3•10 days ago

    There literally is a machine that can ticket everyone equally. And it gets called unfair here because the poor and rich both have to pay 100$. Yeah okay, I get the sentiment, proportional fines all the way. But…

    “The roads are too poorly designed, everyone speeds here!” is no excuse. If the road design tempts you to sin, you shouldn’t drive. Ignore the bigger picture, you’re moving 3 tons of steel faster than your eyes can process, take some responsibility for ensuring no one dies because of you. Drive a safe speed, which is the only speed everyone can agree on, which is the speed limit. Driving “what feels right” is not safe. You aren’t the one driver who can get away with this.

    Yes, traffic engineers share the blame, and on a political level this is where you need to improve the situation. But on an individual level, like this anecdote about the authors random fine, the individual is to blame. Its not a scam by the government, you messed up.

    And asking for the traffic cop back is just asinine. How on earth do you think this will be any fairer, them letting most speeders through and then fining “randomly selected” individuals?

    • @FireRetardant@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4•10 days ago

      A camera can’t be racist, can’t rip up the ticket because of some extra cleavage bouncing, can’t wave their buddies through. The camera doesn’t need a break for coffee, it can watch its road 24/7 (a good case for this would be a school/community safety zone). It tickets anything that exceeds the limit. Its also much cheaper than paying a cop and all the associated gear.

      I’ve seen people argue it shouldn’t be legal for cops to do radar and that pulling people over or even jusy doing radar is more dangerous than just letting them speed. Those same people then cry unfair surveillance state when a camera is implemented. Seems to me they just want to speed without any consequences.