Watch the speedometer, it's getting costlier

[Townsend]

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0308/505340.html



With spring break coming to an end and the holiday weekend approaching, there are sure to be a lot drivers on the highways.

Oklahoma Troopers will be out too with motorcycle patrols. If you drive too fast, you will be paying more than in previous years because fines have gone up recently.

Troopers have been using motorcycles to catch speeders for two years. All they do is stop in plain sight on the side of the highway, but now the troopers are using high tech laser radar to accurately detect individual speeders.

"The laser is pinpoint, so we can pinpoint with the heavy traffic. You can put it on the grill of the car and when you pull the trigger, it's a small laser beam, compared to a laser beam that's broad," said Trooper Steve Najera.

Tickets from troopers on the highway start at $183.50 and go to $406. And the fines are even steeper in the construction zones. Fines in a construction zone range from $221.50 to $611.50.

Here's the breakdown of fines:

MPH over limit - Dollar Amount

1-10 - $183.50

11-15 - $221.50

16-20 - $236.50

21-25 - $276.50

26-30 - $336.50

31-35 - 356.50

over 36 - $406.50

[inteller]

actually the 21-25 range (where I'm at most of the time) is not too bad.  you got to pay to play!

[EricP]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

actually the 21-25 range (where I'm at most of the time) is not too bad.  you got to pay to play!

Bahaha... Yeah, compare it to neighboring states though and we have a clear goal in generating revenue. Good lord. Makes me want to go speed through Iowa.

[Wilbur]

quote:Originally posted by EricP

quote:Originally posted by inteller

actually the 21-25 range (where I'm at most of the time) is not too bad.  you got to pay to play!

Bahaha... Yeah, compare it to neighboring states though and we have a clear goal in generating revenue. Good lord. Makes me want to go speed through Iowa.

Are you saying the fines are too high, thus generating more revenue?  Or are you saying the fines are too low, which causes more people to speed because the fines aren't that much of a burden, which causes more people to get caught, generating more revenue?

The whole idea of speeding tickets is to correct behavior.  The fine is supposed to hurt a little.  Even though, some people look at it like collecting trophies.

[TheTed]

Why are our speeding ticket fines so high but seat belt tickets are only $20? That's not even a deterrent.

I always  wear my seat belt but if I didn't, the threat of paying $20 every few years would do nothing to make me consider wearing it.

It should be $50-75, something to actually make enough of a difference in peoples' pocketbooks.

[EricP]

As to the prices, I am saying it has nothing to do with a deterrent and everything to do with revenue. Nobody is trying to keep anyone safe. I want to throw up every time there is a story on the news about cops out "keeping people safe" by nabbing speeders. Bull$@!#. Your job is to increase revenue.

[sauerkraut]

Speeding fines are just a source to get money. Oklahoma's fines are very high though. But one must remember the speed limet is now 75mph, it's not a good idea to go too much faster than that. 75mph is a good clip... Back when the speed limet was 55mph it was another story. 55 is way, way too slow on the freeways (or Tollways in Oklahoma)I can see going faster than that- besides at $4.00 a gallon for gasoline driving over 75mph will burn alot more fuel.

[sauerkraut]

Hey gang, I heard that the state of Maryland will be using alot of "Speed cameras" all over the state. (I guess they are installing them this year)- It will snap a picture of the driver and of the car's license plate and mail you a ticket- it works like those red light cameras. I don't know if the "speed cameras" will allow any tolerance for 1-2 mph over the limet, I would hope so. I also understand that in the state of VA they have $1,000.00 speeding fines but only for residents of that state, a non-resident has cheaper fines. I don't know the details of that. I think in time those speed cameras will be used all over. It's a huge money maker.[xx(]

[RecycleMichael]

Are there discounts if you have cash and don't need a receipt?

[Wilbur]

quote:Originally posted by EricP

As to the prices, I am saying it has nothing to do with a deterrent and everything to do with revenue. Nobody is trying to keep anyone safe. I want to throw up every time there is a story on the news about cops out "keeping people safe" by nabbing speeders. Bull$@!#. Your job is to increase revenue.

Since the police don't make anybody speed, and the speed limits are actually set by the people who drive on the street (ask the engineers who put up the signs), not sure why it's the police's fault for enforcing the speed limit.  It's not rocket science that everyone going the same speed is the safest.  Those that don't grasp that concept are actively contributing to those pesky 1,400 wrecks every month in Tulsa, with the majority cause by speed.

Sorry, but government is strictly a non-profit business.

[custosnox]

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur

quote:Originally posted by EricP

As to the prices, I am saying it has nothing to do with a deterrent and everything to do with revenue. Nobody is trying to keep anyone safe. I want to throw up every time there is a story on the news about cops out "keeping people safe" by nabbing speeders. Bull$@!#. Your job is to increase revenue.

Since the police don't make anybody speed, and the speed limits are actually set by the people who drive on the street (ask the engineers who put up the signs), not sure why it's the police's fault for enforcing the speed limit.  It's not rocket science that everyone going the same speed is the safest.  Those that don't grasp that concept are actively contributing to those pesky 1,400 wrecks every month in Tulsa, with the majority cause by speed.

Sorry, but government is strictly a non-profit business.

I'm not sure how you get that the speed limits are set by those that drive on the street.  Always found it kinda funny when they repave 10 miles of highway, then turn around and drop the speed limit on that stretch by 5 to 10 miles per hour.  Don't know anyone in their right mind that drives on these roads that say "hey, they just improved this road, so now we need to lower the speed that we travel".  

And the government is non-profit?  ummmm... what country do you live in?  I don't know about you, but I live here in the good ole US of A and last I checked, the government does everything it can to add to it's coffers.

[si_uk_lon_ok]

quote:Originally posted by custosnox

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur

quote:Originally posted by EricP

As to the prices, I am saying it has nothing to do with a deterrent and everything to do with revenue. Nobody is trying to keep anyone safe. I want to throw up every time there is a story on the news about cops out "keeping people safe" by nabbing speeders. Bull$@!#. Your job is to increase revenue.

Since the police don't make anybody speed, and the speed limits are actually set by the people who drive on the street (ask the engineers who put up the signs), not sure why it's the police's fault for enforcing the speed limit.  It's not rocket science that everyone going the same speed is the safest.  Those that don't grasp that concept are actively contributing to those pesky 1,400 wrecks every month in Tulsa, with the majority cause by speed.

Sorry, but government is strictly a non-profit business.

I'm not sure how you get that the speed limits are set by those that drive on the street.  Always found it kinda funny when they repave 10 miles of highway, then turn around and drop the speed limit on that stretch by 5 to 10 miles per hour.  Don't know anyone in their right mind that drives on these roads that say "hey, they just improved this road, so now we need to lower the speed that we travel".  

And the government is non-profit?  ummmm... what country do you live in?  I don't know about you, but I live here in the good ole US of A and last I checked, the government does everything it can to add to it's coffers.

One reason they lower speed limits, is that the faster and heavier your car is the more damage you do to the road surface. By lowering speed limits you can be assured that they are protecting the investment in roads made by your tax dollars.

I really, really can't understand why so many law abiding citizens have such a problem with a law that quite clearly has public safety in mind. Especially as these same people are the ones who complain when cars go too fast down their street, but want to drive quickly down everyone elses.

I think the fairest way of catching speeders, it average distance cameras. They register your number plate and time at one junction on the highway, they count you out at a junction miles down the road. I think its fairer as it acknowledges, that sometimes you may want to pass people above the speed limit. I think its also a bit harsh to catch people for going less than 5mph over the limit just due to the fact that not everyone's speedometers are that accurate.

[Wilbur]

quote:Originally posted by custosnox

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur

quote:Originally posted by EricP

As to the prices, I am saying it has nothing to do with a deterrent and everything to do with revenue. Nobody is trying to keep anyone safe. I want to throw up every time there is a story on the news about cops out "keeping people safe" by nabbing speeders. Bull$@!#. Your job is to increase revenue.

Since the police don't make anybody speed, and the speed limits are actually set by the people who drive on the street (ask the engineers who put up the signs), not sure why it's the police's fault for enforcing the speed limit.  It's not rocket science that everyone going the same speed is the safest.  Those that don't grasp that concept are actively contributing to those pesky 1,400 wrecks every month in Tulsa, with the majority cause by speed.

Sorry, but government is strictly a non-profit business.

I'm not sure how you get that the speed limits are set by those that drive on the street.  Always found it kinda funny when they repave 10 miles of highway, then turn around and drop the speed limit on that stretch by 5 to 10 miles per hour.  Don't know anyone in their right mind that drives on these roads that say "hey, they just improved this road, so now we need to lower the speed that we travel".  

And the government is non-profit?  ummmm... what country do you live in?  I don't know about you, but I live here in the good ole US of A and last I checked, the government does everything it can to add to it's coffers.

Traffic engineers conduct speed studies on roads to determine speed limits.  When you see a double strip across the road, that is a speed study.  They will usually leave the speed strips out for a certain amount of time, then take the 85th percentile of how fast the cars that drove on that street during that time frame and use that as the speed limit.

Many streets actually have a natural comfort level for speed, which is what most drivers drive at.  It is that comfort level where the 85th percentile comes from.  Speed limits that are set too low are called 'artificially low', which means, most people won't drive that slow.  It would be like putting a 25 mph speed limit on the Broken Arrow expressway.  You can do that, but no body will drive that slow.

[Ed W]

quote:Originally posted by sauerkraut

Hey gang, I heard that the state of Maryland will be using alot of "Speed cameras" all over the state. (I guess they are installing them this year)[xx(]

The Brits have speed cameras along dual carriageways and at many intersections.  They're used to ticket speeding motorists and those who run redlights.  According to Transportation Alternatives in NYC, intersections equipped with cameras have seen a 56% reduction in pedestrian deaths and injuries.  The figure for dual carriageways is more problematic due to inconsistent data, but overall there's been a reduction of 10-20 percent, if I'm reading this properly.

So while some may complain of speeding tickets as a revenue enhancement, another way of looking at them characterizes them as a tax on stupidity.  Then again, if cameras can reduce speeding and red light running, thereby saving 10% of those lives lost every year, we'd have another 4,000 citizens.  

Terrorists killed 3,000 Americans in 2001.  As a nation we were incensed.  But every year since then, Americans have killed 42,000 of their fellow citizens.  We yawn and turn the page.

[booWorld]

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur

Speed limits that are set too low are called 'artificially low', which means, most people won't drive that slow.  It would be like putting a 25 mph speed limit on the Broken Arrow expressway.

Yet, according to the commuter rail study report presented to Tulsa Transit way, way, way back in 2007 by Lockwood, Andrews, and Newnam, thousands of commuters would choose to ride a train which made its journey between Tulsa and Broken Arrow at an average speed of 27 mph.


"Why it's the Model T Ford made the trouble - made the people wanna go,
wanna get, wanna get, wanna get up and go seven, eight, nine, ten, twelve, fourteen, twenty-two, twenty-three miles to the county seat..."  
~Meredith Willson