Highway Driving
- Thread starter Dartman
- Start date
OPP getting rich on others stupidity...boggles the mind...even with the cost of fueling up you car...bet its mainly guys in their teens with only 2 years under their belt drive.Dartman said:
Those numbers don;t really mean anything. For all we know, some of those people may not have been speeding at all. They can ticket and tow ANYONE who rubs them the wrong way and put them through the hassle guilty or not - since there is no refund to people when the charges don't stick, and no penalty to the officer or Crown for bogus charges...Dartman said:
I seen that 2/3 of the charges are getting reduced once in court--thats 75%--but the police claim the law doesn't need to be updated 
And yes, you need not to even speed, sequel your tires, it might be you next!!
And yes, you need not to even speed, sequel your tires, it might be you next!!
The fines may be getting reduced in court, but I have yet to hear any incident of someone claiming to have been wrongfully charged. I'm not talking about "I was only 45 over" claim, I'm talking about the sort of thing that Hard Idle and SC Joe are alluding to: pissing off the cop and he gives you a racing ticket.
I'd think that if any cop was doing that sort of thing the papers would be all over it.
Now that I have to commute I can tell you that there's still plenty of idiots who would qualify for a racing ticket between Hamilton and Mississauga.
I'd think that if any cop was doing that sort of thing the papers would be all over it.
Now that I have to commute I can tell you that there's still plenty of idiots who would qualify for a racing ticket between Hamilton and Mississauga.
For the fines to be reduced, that means that there was a conviction.S.C. Joe said:
Normally, the offender pleads guilty with an explanation and the judge shows lenience and reduces the fine.
Another common scenario is that the charging officer doesn't appear in court and the defendant gets the charges dropped.
These are not a problem with the laws, they are problems with the system.
(oh, and Joe 2/3 is actually only 66.6%. I think your calculator needs a sequel)
I guess that would be me. I drive at 115-120 and I think I am allowed to use the fast lane for passing.Amazon_woman said:
Hint...if that's you that pulls up 6 inches behind me thinking you're going to intimidate me into pulling over....my normal reaction is to slow down to the posed limit and maintain my lane.
When I'm driving at 118 and a car is overtaking me at a high rate of speed, that means they are going way too fast. I am, not the bad guy in this scenario.asn said:
But what I said was that I use the left lane for passing. Which I have ever right to do and that means that the other lanes are occupied.
And that would/could bring a charge on it's own.....Believe it or not cruising at the speed limit or below in the passing lane was made illegal a few years ago. I think it was called the grid lock law or something like that and applies to all 400 series highways.HafDun said:I guess that would be me. I drive at 115-120 and I think I am allowed to use the fast lane for passing.
Hint...if that's you that pulls up 6 inches behind me thinking you're going to intimidate me into pulling over....my normal reaction is to slow down to the posed limit and maintain my lane.
As stated, if there was as much "wrongfully accused" as everyone is alluding too there would be a massive outcry from the media and the ones who have been falsely accused but I have NOT heard one peep from anyone about it.
yeah, 2/3 66% ha ha....getting old stinks..http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2008/06/09/street-racing.html
Street racing: thousands charged, few convicted
CBC News has learned that the vast majority of people charged under the new laws are never convicted of the crime.
George Papazov says he's a perfect example.
Last October, the 23-year-old got stuck in traffic on Toronto's Don Valley Parkway.
He wasn't far from his exit, so he crept slowly between the idle cars on his motorcycle. It didn't take long until he saw the flashing lights of a police cruiser.
"First thing he said is, 'Your bike is gone for a week,'" said Papazov.
The officer seized Papazov's motorcycle and licence for seven days right on the side of the road.
Papazov was charged with stunt driving and his bike was towed — at a cost of almost a $1,000.
When Papazov got his day in court, the charges didn't stand up. Papazov was found guilty of making an illegal lane change and fined $600.
OPP Const. Dave Woodford says what happens in court is not his concern. "My concern is getting those people off the road."
Simply being charged with stunt driving cost Papazov more than $2,000 in non-refundable towing and legal costs. He said he had to sell his motorcycle to pay the fees.
"Anything can be stunt driving," said Papazov. "It gives the officer the power, on the spot, to decide if you're guilty or not."
More than 5,000 drivers have been charged since the law took effect but according to statistics provided by the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General to CBC News, the conviction rate is only about 33 per cent.
As of April 1, 1,080 street racing cases had gone to trial, with 325 convictions. According to the ministry, 526 cases were reduced to speeding, while 229 were either withdrawn, dismissed or stayed.
Most fines for those convicted ranged from $2,000 to $10,000, but some fines have been as low as $200.
Papazov says that means many drivers, like him, are paying for something for which they're never convicted.
But OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley says taking vehicles off the road is the entire point of the law.
"Ultimately, we've seen an increase in safety and really the best thing about this law is [the] immediate consequences."
Yes , the left lane is definitely for passing, by law, which means the middle lane(s) too. In Europe, one gets a ticket for traveling in the left lanes at or below the speed limit, If you don't get a ticket, you could be wearing a beamer going at over 200k. I've spent lots of time on the roads in Europe and never seen a major bang-up, compared to an average trip on 401 when I almost always see one.
Bottom line is that driving skills can be taught, learned and enforced. We need to do more teaching. Of course, it's often older folks, even older than me, cruising along at 105 in the middle lane in their Crown Vic. How do you teach them, other than by doing a rear-ender? They never notice my horn.
Doug
Bottom line is that driving skills can be taught, learned and enforced. We need to do more teaching. Of course, it's often older folks, even older than me, cruising along at 105 in the middle lane in their Crown Vic. How do you teach them, other than by doing a rear-ender? They never notice my horn.
Doug
HafDun said:I guess that would be me. I drive at 115-120 and I think I am allowed to use the fast lane for passing.
Hint...if that's you that pulls up 6 inches behind me thinking you're going to intimidate me into pulling over....my normal reaction is to slow down to the posed limit and maintain my lane. /QUOTE]
Damn right! I do the same thing. Speeding is irresponsible. Your rights to speed on a public highway don't supercede my rights to a safe journey. And if anyone thinks they're a better driver 'cause they've never, (and I dare say think they'll never,) get into an accident they're living on the wrong side of my planet... grow up speedo's your irresponsibilty is taking lives and altering many others who are left behind. Especially dump truck drivers who think that intimidation is the best way to drive.
You guys dont seem to get it. The speed limit is 100kph not faster. If I'm passing at 115kph in the left lane, I should be able to pass safely without worrying about some a-hole speeding up my sphincter because his "car is the bomb and speeding proves it!" Relax, I've seen a lot of death on the highway caused by speeding and over/under reaction. I nearly met my maker on my motorcycle due to a speeder, I've lost 3 friends over the years to traffic fuck ups and I'm sick of the winers who think they are better drivers "than that!"
If you ask me... the street racing law doesn't go far enough. They should seize the car and sell it at auction rather than had it back to the driver and/or the equally irresponible owner. The fact is police officers have the option to reduce the fine on the spot. Most of the cops I've known do that as a routine. Judges can consider circumstances too. If you think they only catch 120 people doing 50km/h over the posted limit during the weekend, I'd say your mistaken.
The highways we have are not suited for driving these sorts of speeds. The quality of the roads isn't good enough and traffic density is too high. Knowing plenty of drivers who will tell stories of how "good" they are to anyone that will listen, I can say without doubt that most all are not that good. What they tend to be are people with issues who think they can prove something by driving overly fast on poor roads with too many cars on the road. They are a menace on the roads.
I can't even count the number of roadkill I've seen that are the fault of individuals driving too fast for road conditions. Anyone on the highways has seen them doing their stupid tricks. How many times have you seen a car approaching much faster than the speed of traffic and end up faced with a car moving in front of them in what seems like a last minute thing -- when in fact it is a function of the common sense expectations of other drivers on the road. I don't think an hour of my highway driving goes by without witnessing an idiot who has to radically slow down and risks losing control or hitting someone just because he's was going too fast to begin with. And I've seen speeders that got panicked and did cause an accident.
Likewise, I fully concur that any car on the 400 series going below 80km/h (short of traffic flow) should at least have the four-ways flashing. Nobody is expecting a car to be doing 150km/h on the 400 series. But no one expects a car doing 50km/h either. Such slow driving is equally dangerous and it should not be tolerated either. That much I grant.
While the idea of the 400 series highways is that the left lane is for passing, this hardly applies on a given hour on say the QEW. Traffic is far too dense. When it does apply, it should be practiced. However, the hard reality is that far too many people move to the middle lane when moving at slow lane speeds. As a result, traffic tends to bottle up on the leftward lanes. That produces another high risk problem, people speeding in the right-hand lane. Again, you tend to find drivers massively exceeding the speed limits doing that. The west bound 403-QEW junction is a classic spot for this as drivers try to get a few car lengths ahead by using the right-most lanes.
Anyway, the whole problem of excessive speeding could be solved rather simply. The government could require governors on all cars to keep them from exceeding say 120 km/h. Any car found without a governor should be seized -- period. There is no need to have cars on the road capable of driving at speeds in excess of 120km/h. Actually, I think 120km is being generous but anyway...
The highways we have are not suited for driving these sorts of speeds. The quality of the roads isn't good enough and traffic density is too high. Knowing plenty of drivers who will tell stories of how "good" they are to anyone that will listen, I can say without doubt that most all are not that good. What they tend to be are people with issues who think they can prove something by driving overly fast on poor roads with too many cars on the road. They are a menace on the roads.
I can't even count the number of roadkill I've seen that are the fault of individuals driving too fast for road conditions. Anyone on the highways has seen them doing their stupid tricks. How many times have you seen a car approaching much faster than the speed of traffic and end up faced with a car moving in front of them in what seems like a last minute thing -- when in fact it is a function of the common sense expectations of other drivers on the road. I don't think an hour of my highway driving goes by without witnessing an idiot who has to radically slow down and risks losing control or hitting someone just because he's was going too fast to begin with. And I've seen speeders that got panicked and did cause an accident.
Likewise, I fully concur that any car on the 400 series going below 80km/h (short of traffic flow) should at least have the four-ways flashing. Nobody is expecting a car to be doing 150km/h on the 400 series. But no one expects a car doing 50km/h either. Such slow driving is equally dangerous and it should not be tolerated either. That much I grant.
While the idea of the 400 series highways is that the left lane is for passing, this hardly applies on a given hour on say the QEW. Traffic is far too dense. When it does apply, it should be practiced. However, the hard reality is that far too many people move to the middle lane when moving at slow lane speeds. As a result, traffic tends to bottle up on the leftward lanes. That produces another high risk problem, people speeding in the right-hand lane. Again, you tend to find drivers massively exceeding the speed limits doing that. The west bound 403-QEW junction is a classic spot for this as drivers try to get a few car lengths ahead by using the right-most lanes.
Anyway, the whole problem of excessive speeding could be solved rather simply. The government could require governors on all cars to keep them from exceeding say 120 km/h. Any car found without a governor should be seized -- period. There is no need to have cars on the road capable of driving at speeds in excess of 120km/h. Actually, I think 120km is being generous but anyway...
Fantino has submitted a request for one of these for himself instead of his Crown Vic....
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Lamborghini_Polizia.JPG
And one of these for Bubba Woolley...
http://www.blogmotori.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/smart-polizia.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Lamborghini_Polizia.JPG
And one of these for Bubba Woolley...
http://www.blogmotori.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/smart-polizia.jpg
HafDun said:
Oh yeah, I get it. Its ok for you to break the law and speed, but you think it is very very very bad for anyone to go faster than you. Talk about being a total jerk.
If someone is comfortable driving faster than you, get the hell out of the way. How do you know that they don't have a family emergency that they have to get to? That they have to suddenly pick up a child that got stranded? Or that they are running away from the bank that they just robbed?
Get off your high horse.
