Traffic Fines: Revenue Rather than Safety
There is a big difference between driving fast, and driving safely. Many slow drivers are exceedingly unsafe - they make decisions randomly, stay in the wrong lanes, don't pay close attention to their driving, and generally approach driving as a rather distasteful activity foisted on them by the necessities of life.
They are also usually the people who think that driving fast is driving badly, and complain about fast drivers all the time. Possibly at the same time as they rear-end someone in stop and go traffic, sit in the left lane while getting passed on the right (you should only be getting passed on the right under extenuating circumstances - you see a car faster than you in your passenger window, you are in the wrong lane my friend), or almost cause multiple accidents at an on-ramp or merge because their general approach is to go slow and hope for the best (its just too scary to look or use the accelerator - and unsafe). Overwhelmingly, they think of themselves as safe drivers, but likely have crashed a few cars and caused or contributed to multiple accidents.
These people seem to dominate state politics. Or really, they seem to dominate the earth. It is why traffic violations in this country are geared towards pulling over people going fast, regardless of safety. A slow driver doing 55mph in the left lane (or one I came across just two nights ago - 45mph in the middle lane) is an incredibly unsafe driver and often causes all kinds of dangerous lane-changes, undertaking, and tailgating. But they would never, in 100 years, get a ticket in this country. This country just sees dollar signs when you talk of road safety. Which is why recently, all across the nation, fines have been increased.
Check out the list over at car and driver.
There is only one change on that list I can support, and support fully. But it does not come from the US:
GERMANY
Infraction: Staying in the left lane of the autobahn when the right lane is free
Previous fine: 40 euros (about $54)
New fine: 80 euros (about $108)
Date of increase: 2009
Rationale: Improve road safety. “Up to now, the fines in Germany were rather low compared with other European countries,” says Lt. Col. Lon Walker, the OPM’s (U.S. Army Europe Office of the Provost Marshal) chief of law-enforcement operations.
YES PLEASE!!!! WE NEED THIS MORE THAN ANYTHING. Holy shit American drivers are bad about this. Get the hell out of the left lane if you are not passing anything. And if someone comes up behind you going faster than you are, get out of the way. I have actually had someone recently tell me they do this on purpose, because they are going as fast as you should be going on the road (shockingly, the person in question's opinion of herself would be described in British understatement as "inflated"). This opinion seems tied into the distortion of the American Dream that when Americans realize they are not really going anywhere in their lives, the dream turns into bitter frustration and anger at those who are. Hence also the American duality of hating the successful and obsession with being successful.
They are also usually the people who think that driving fast is driving badly, and complain about fast drivers all the time. Possibly at the same time as they rear-end someone in stop and go traffic, sit in the left lane while getting passed on the right (you should only be getting passed on the right under extenuating circumstances - you see a car faster than you in your passenger window, you are in the wrong lane my friend), or almost cause multiple accidents at an on-ramp or merge because their general approach is to go slow and hope for the best (its just too scary to look or use the accelerator - and unsafe). Overwhelmingly, they think of themselves as safe drivers, but likely have crashed a few cars and caused or contributed to multiple accidents.
These people seem to dominate state politics. Or really, they seem to dominate the earth. It is why traffic violations in this country are geared towards pulling over people going fast, regardless of safety. A slow driver doing 55mph in the left lane (or one I came across just two nights ago - 45mph in the middle lane) is an incredibly unsafe driver and often causes all kinds of dangerous lane-changes, undertaking, and tailgating. But they would never, in 100 years, get a ticket in this country. This country just sees dollar signs when you talk of road safety. Which is why recently, all across the nation, fines have been increased.
Check out the list over at car and driver.
There is only one change on that list I can support, and support fully. But it does not come from the US:
GERMANY
Infraction: Staying in the left lane of the autobahn when the right lane is free
Previous fine: 40 euros (about $54)
New fine: 80 euros (about $108)
Date of increase: 2009
Rationale: Improve road safety. “Up to now, the fines in Germany were rather low compared with other European countries,” says Lt. Col. Lon Walker, the OPM’s (U.S. Army Europe Office of the Provost Marshal) chief of law-enforcement operations.
YES PLEASE!!!! WE NEED THIS MORE THAN ANYTHING. Holy shit American drivers are bad about this. Get the hell out of the left lane if you are not passing anything. And if someone comes up behind you going faster than you are, get out of the way. I have actually had someone recently tell me they do this on purpose, because they are going as fast as you should be going on the road (shockingly, the person in question's opinion of herself would be described in British understatement as "inflated"). This opinion seems tied into the distortion of the American Dream that when Americans realize they are not really going anywhere in their lives, the dream turns into bitter frustration and anger at those who are. Hence also the American duality of hating the successful and obsession with being successful.
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