Traffic Crackdown in Red Deer

[sweetchariot]

Jan 11 2006
Traffic crackdown



Red Deer drunk driving charges in 2005 surged 41 per cent ahead of 2004 numbers and have increased a staggering 100 per cent since 2002, RCMP report.
Sgt. Bob Bell, head of city RCMP traffic services, said on Tuesday that there were 480 impaired driving charges laid last year, compared with 341 in 2004.
In 2002, the number of charges was 240 and in 2003 it was 266.
Bell said police will implement a year-round CheckStop program intended to reduce impaired driving.
Photo radar and red light camera tickets issued also increased significantly in 2005 compared with 2004 figures.
Photo radar tickets increased more than 2,000 last year, to 17,144 from 15,033 in 2004.
Red light camera tickets jumped almost 200 to 1,277 in 2005 from 1,090 in 2004.
Seatbelt infractions also jumped in 2005 to 1,871 tickets issued compared with 1,475 the previous year.
Bell said the major reason for the increases in 2005 was increased enforcement.
“That’s exactly what it was and we could probably double those numbers again,” with more enforcement, Bell said in reference to drunk driving charges.
Peggy Gougeon, president of the Red Deer chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), said she’s not surprised by the increase.
She said many drunk drivers don’t think it’s a crime.
“To me, it’s like they get in that car with a loaded weapon.”
She agrees with police that the drunks are out there and increased enforcement is catching more.
Gougeon said RCMP are working hard to reduce the number of drunk drivers. “They’re going into schools and increasing the CheckStops.”
Bell said manpower is always a factor.
“If we had more people, we could reduce the number of collisions and the number of injuries in this city.
“We could make a real difference if there were more of us.”
Bell said the number of collisions increased somewhat from 2004 numbers but he didn’t have final figures.
The collision number in 2004 was 3,229, up from 2,633 in 2003.
Increased traffic is a major cause.
Bell said the increased CheckStops also help reduce crimes and catch people wanted on outstanding warrants.
“When we’re out there and visible, there’s less stealing and break-ins going on.”
He said some criminals are less likely to travel when the police presence is increased.
The heightened CheckStops also increased seatbelt tickets.
Other drivers breaking traffic laws such as driving with suspended licences or no insurance should also be wary.
Bell said he’s surprised the number of photo radar tickets increased 14 per cent in 2004.
But the 2005 figure still doesn’t match the first year of photo radar in 2000, at 18,096.
“They’ve had the same minivan out enforcing the limits for years and they’re usually at the same locations over and over again.”
He said the number of enforcement hours hasn’t increased much.
September, April and June were the months with the most tickets, each at more than 1,824.
A September seatbelt survey conducted by Transport Canada in the city is a little puzzling, Bell said.
The four-hour survey totalled 860 vehicles. It revealed that seatbelt compliance was only 78.5 per cent or a drop of almost 10 per cent from a similar survey in 2001.
Bell said he believes the numbers may be a little off.
He said when he sits in his vehicle, even if he’s off duty, he observes seatbelt use and finds its higher than the survey figures.
“I tend to have a hard time believing those number.
“When we do CheckStops, we have a hard time detecting (people not wearing seatbelts).
“If we can get people to wear seatbelts we’ll see less people going to hospital for treatment of injuries.”
By jack wilson
Advocate staff

[iceburns288]

Excellent:thumbsup:

Normally if they were doing cash-raking like with speed traps and such it'd be annoying, but as long as it catches more DUIs... I'm all for it.

[pinoyhero]

I agree with iceburns, if its a cash grab, not so cool, but putting away people that are truly endangering society is great if they have the resources.

[googe]

^^did you not read it?

they are doing speed traps, as well as seatbelt crackdowns

checkstops :thumbsup:
photo radar :thumbsdow
seatbelt tickets :thumbsdow

[95EagleAWD]

Originally posted by googe



seatbelt tickets :thumbsdow

You serious?

Not wearing a seatbelt = you're a tool.

Seatbelt ticket: :thumbsup:

[Tyler883]

OMG!!! it looks like you might have to follow all traffic laws when you are in Red Deer!?!?!?!?!?!:rolleyes:

[Kirbs17]

Red Deer drunk driving charges in 2005 surged 41 per cent ahead of 2004 numbers and have increased a staggering 100 per cent since 2002, RCMP report.

Thats not surprising... As soon as the rigs heat up, the 18-25 year olds get more money, think they're invincible when they come back for a week, and drunk driving/drunk violence sky rockets in red deer.. Glad to see they're finally doing something about it

[Maxt]

Originally posted by 95EagleAWD


You serious?

Not wearing a seatbelt = you're a tool.

Seatbelt ticket: :thumbsup:
I am not sure of your age, but to alot of us the seatbelt thing still doesnt compute. Everyone thats in there 30's in this forum grew up before the era of seatbelts babyseats etc etc
If you look at the safety avalanche thats its hit society in the last 15 years its kinda funny, being that the we made it this far without being in a child seat as kid, never wearing a seatbelt as child or teen, bicycling , skiing, and skateboarding without helmets. On top of that our parents cars had bias ply tires, no antilock brakes , no traction control, no third brake lights, no child safety door locks, no speed limiters, while speed limits have decreased across Canada etc etc ... The list goes on and on, and guess what people still fucking die every year, and the government makes more and more money off the fining those that dont buy into it...
Man those were the days as a kid, riding in the box of the truck with your friends on a hot summer day going fishing, whoops cant to that anymore either, the world might stop spinning...

I hate to say it , but the war on drunk driving is alot like the war on drugs, almost pointless... It will go on as along as cars and booze are both part of our lives. And those that do get caught, either get special driving conditions, get off on a technicality or just drive illegally.. I dont know anyone with one imparied conviction, I do know some people though with multiple convictions. It should carry a 1 year mandatory jail sentence.

[googe]

Originally posted by 95EagleAWD


You serious?

Not wearing a seatbelt = you're a tool.

Seatbelt ticket: :thumbsup:

notice i said doing seatbelt stings is lame, i didnt advocate not wearing a seatbelt. as far as im concerned, if someone doesnt wear a seatbelt theyll only be hurting themselves and if cops have nothing better to do than crack down on seatbelts then they should hire less and waste less tax dollars trying to enforce petty crap. myself i wear my seatbelt 100% of the time, thats besides the point.

[95EagleAWD]

Originally posted by googe


notice i said doing seatbelt stings is lame, i didnt advocate not wearing a seatbelt. as far as im concerned, if someone doesnt wear a seatbelt theyll only be hurting themselves and if cops have nothing better to do than crack down on seatbelts then they should hire less and waste less tax dollars trying to enforce petty crap. myself i wear my seatbelt 100% of the time, thats besides the point.

Well, if you wear your seatbelt 100% of the time, then what's the problem with traffic cops checking to make sure people are wearing them? It's the law, it's not petty crap, seatbelts save lives. Why people don't wear them is beyond me... they're not uncomfortable, they don't restrict you... they'll just save you from going through the windshield.

[googe]

Originally posted by 95EagleAWD


Well, if you wear your seatbelt 100% of the time, then what's the problem with traffic cops checking to make sure people are wearing them? It's the law, it's not petty crap, seatbelts save lives. Why people don't wear them is beyond me... they're not uncomfortable, they don't restrict you... they'll just save you from going through the windshield.

did you not read what i just said? :nut:

[Alex_FORD]

Originally posted by 95EagleAWD


Well, if you wear your seatbelt 100% of the time, then what's the problem with traffic cops checking to make sure people are wearing them? It's the law, it's not petty crap, seatbelts save lives. Why people don't wear them is beyond me... they're not uncomfortable, they don't restrict you... they'll just save you from going through the windshield.

Actually my seatbelt does restrict me.

I can't turn on my wipers or adjust my heater without taking the seat belt off ( fucken ford trucks)

[blueToy]

Originally posted by Maxt

I am not sure of your age, but to alot of us the seatbelt thing still doesnt compute. Everyone thats in there 30's in this forum grew up before the era of seatbelts babyseats etc etc
If you look at the safety avalanche thats its hit society in the last 15 years its kinda funny, being that the we made it this far without being in a child seat as kid, never wearing a seatbelt as child or teen, bicycling , skiing, and skateboarding without helmets. On top of that our parents cars had bias ply tires, no antilock brakes , no traction control, no third brake lights, no child safety door locks, no speed limiters, while speed limits have decreased across Canada etc etc ... The list goes on and on, and guess what people still fucking die every year, and the government makes more and more money off the fining those that dont buy into it...
Man those were the days as a kid, riding in the box of the truck with your friends on a hot summer day going fishing, whoops cant to that anymore either, the world might stop spinning...

I hate to say it , but the war on drunk driving is alot like the war on drugs, almost pointless... It will go on as along as cars and booze are both part of our lives. And those that do get caught, either get special driving conditions, get off on a technicality or just drive illegally.. I dont know anyone with one imparied conviction, I do know some people though with multiple convictions. It should carry a 1 year mandatory jail sentence.



Wow . Just wondering . Have you been in a serious car accident , or are you just showing early signs of dementia ?

I'm over thirty , hell I'm over 40 :eek: , but I'll be damned if I were to ever put a vehicle in gear without my seatbelt . I'm old enough to remember the people that died horrific deaths with their noggins smushed all over the windshields and dash . I've actually watched a old man pass away on my parents lawn after his vehicle was t-boned at a intersection near their home . He was ejected from the vehicle . Very sad , and a really unnecessary death ( truck that hit his vehicle contained three drunks fresh out of the Highlander ).


Your appathy towards check stops is what really scares me . Living in a lawless society would be uncivilized . If you don't like it , or can't deal with it , why not get out ? Plenty of third world countries , ignorant and backwards , could suit your needs . Hell , most of the cars in those countries don't even have seatbelts . You'd be in heaven ....

[blueToy]

Originally posted by googe


theyll only be hurting themselves





Here is your big mistake . The majority of those injured in car accidents and are not belted in , or even those who don't like wearing helmuts and fall off of whatever their riding ( be it quads , dirtbikes , even bicycles ) usually end up with some form of brain damage . In some cases , they recover and everything is great , but in most cases , brain injured patients become a strain on community and family services . You no longer are just hurting yourself , because you no longer can take care of yourself . Yes , there are varing degrees of brain injuries ,and some learn to deal with it very well . But lots don't . What a lot of people don't realise , or don't want to , is that your brain is a very , very sensitive and complex organ . Easily injured , and usually very slow to heal , if it heals at all .
I had a fella working for me this year who got all pissed up , had a fight with GF , then got onto a buddies bike to head to another bar . Booze and bravado make a leathal combination . He ended up waking up in the hospital four days later , and although he has worked extememly hard to rejoin society ( at a huge cost to all tax payers , not to mention all the emotional stress to his loved ones ) , he'll never be the person he once was . Nor will he be able to do anything more complicated then what a 10 year old could do .
So , again , it's just not you hurting yourself . Thats just obtuse thinking . Just my too ....

[Gondi Stylez]

Originally posted by Alex_FORD


Actually my seatbelt does restrict me.

I can't turn on my wipers or adjust my heater without taking the seat belt off ( fucken ford trucks)

:rofl:

[gt4]

seatbelts do save lives, but i beleive it's bs that we are forced to wear them. we are adults not little kids. we are capable of making our own decisions. ticketing to save our selves from ourselve is just an exuse to take our money. tickets used to be 50 60 dollars now they are 2-300 dollars. how do they justify that.
we pay for health care and some of use never use it's service or very rarely. there are people who abuse the health care system and have nothing wrong with them. how is that not a burden on society or the health care system? i don't see the police or government doing anything about that. bottom line I DON"T THINK ANYONE HAS THE RITE TO TELL YOU AN ADULT THAT YOU HAVE TO WEAR YOUR SEATBELT, HELMIT OR THAT YOU CAN"T RIDE IN THE BACK OF A TRUCK. it's your life and you should be able to do what ever you like with it so long as you are not harming anyone else. there are a lot of thingsthat are a burden to society that are not ticketed for. by the way some yaers they do 100 check stops and others they do 10 so of corse the numbers are going to be astonashing. the same statistics could be used in many different ways to supporrt many different statments.

[blueToy]

Originally posted by gt4
seatbelts do save lives, but i beleive it's bs that we are forced to wear them. we are adults not little kids. we are capable of making our own decisions. ticketing to save our selves from ourselve is just an exuse to take our money. tickets used to be 50 60 dollars now they are 2-300 dollars. how do they justify that.
we pay for health care and some of use never use it's service or very rarely. there are people who abuse the health care system and have nothing wrong with them. how is that not a burden on society or the health care system? i don't see the police or government doing anything about that. bottom line I DON"T THINK ANYONE HAS THE RITE TO TELL YOU AN ADULT THAT YOU HAVE TO WEAR YOUR SEATBELT, HELMIT OR THAT YOU CAN"T RIDE IN THE BACK OF A TRUCK. it's your life and you should be able to do what ever you like with it so long as you are not harming anyone else. there are a lot of thingsthat are a burden to society that are not ticketed for. by the way some yaers they do 100 check stops and others they do 10 so of corse the numbers are going to be astonashing. the same statistics could be used in many different ways to supporrt many different statments.



Helmit ... thats cute . :clap:


Again , let's run through this more simply . We'll start from the beginning .

Being a adult , in most societies , means you have to nut up and take responcibilities for yourself . You know , change your own diaper . For most , it happens around 18-20 where you stop whining about how everything sucks and the world is unfair , and you start to do something worthwhile , like obey laws , volenteer , find a significant other , buy a home , get a good job , etc . You know , do thing most grown ups have done in the past or are currently doing . This usually makes for a healthy, growing community .
BUT , sometimes , it doesn't always work out so good . Here comes Johnny Bravado who thinks his shiat don't stink and the world revolves around him . Cocky and cool are his middle name . He doen't need rules . He doesn't need any stupid laws . He's better then the average fool . He's made it to 25 and broken almost every law around ,and he's still alive .
Well , one day , dear old Johnny is cruising down the deerfoot , oblivious to all around him , cutting in and out of traffic and on his phone . On top of the world really because he can handle anything . Unfortunately , one small error in judgment , say , he got an incoming call and had to momentarily look at his phone , has him just cross the lane slightly and tap into the vehicle next to him . Now , normally , this might not have been devastating, except today the vehicle he hit happens to be a fully loaded Kenworth . The aftermath of his error has Johnny now splattered up into a tangled mess of bone and blood and steel and glass , but luckily ( because he's Johnny Bravo ) he's survived !! The problem though , is that in the time Johnny got tossed around in his car , he banged his head off of a few things , and now arrives in the Emergency Ward of the local hospital as a possible brain injured patient . So , what Johnny failed to realize was that by his own disreguard for his own safety , he's now sitting in a emergency room , bones broken and brain injured .Well ,the broken bones will heal , but the brian injury is another story . One way to familiar to hospital workers around the world .
Some brain injuries are not too bad .Maybe a lifetime of the odd headache . Some others though , turn the healthiest of humans into babbeling vegetables who can't even wipe the drool from their faces . And who do you think takes care of those cases ? Their families ? Maybe , if they have one . And if they don't ? They may become wards of the government . You and me . We may also be reponcible to pay for all his medical bills , legal bills , even all the damage to the others in the accident because he was Johnny Cool , and why pay insurance , eh ?
Anyway , I'm making light of a very serious and common problem . As a group . As a society ; as a community of humans living together , we are only as strong as the weakest link . Thats why laws are put in place , to even out the playing field for everyone . Someone , at some point , figured out that what's best for us in the long run is to impliment certain laws to basically try and keep us from become yet another grim statistic , another possible future drain on society . Thats why we've got signal lights .thats why we've got speed limits , that's why we have rules of the road . You don't want to follow them , either have enough cash to pay for it ,or take public transit and let others take responcibility for you .

[googe]

Originally posted by blueToy






Here is your big mistake . The majority of those injured in car accidents and are not belted in , or even those who don't like wearing helmuts and fall off of whatever their riding ( be it quads , dirtbikes , even bicycles ) usually end up with some form of brain damage . In some cases , they recover and everything is great , but in most cases , brain injured patients become a strain on community and family services . You no longer are just hurting yourself , because you no longer can take care of yourself . Yes , there are varing degrees of brain injuries ,and some learn to deal with it very well . But lots don't . What a lot of people don't realise , or don't want to , is that your brain is a very , very sensitive and complex organ . Easily injured , and usually very slow to heal , if it heals at all .
I had a fella working for me this year who got all pissed up , had a fight with GF , then got onto a buddies bike to head to another bar . Booze and bravado make a leathal combination . He ended up waking up in the hospital four days later , and although he has worked extememly hard to rejoin society ( at a huge cost to all tax payers , not to mention all the emotional stress to his loved ones ) , he'll never be the person he once was . Nor will he be able to do anything more complicated then what a 10 year old could do .
So , again , it's just not you hurting yourself . Thats just obtuse thinking . Just my too ....

thats a fair argument, but unfortunately its not the reason behind these crackdowns and we all know it. for me to buy into it, the police force would have to NOT profit off writing tickets, especially seatbelt type tickets. only then will they get any credibility, until then its a conflict of interest and yet another cash grab.

personally i think a good solution would be to deny health care to anyone injured doing something illegal. cant see that happening anytime soon though :)

[Maxt]

Originally posted by blueToy




Wow . Just wondering . Have you been in a serious car accident , or are you just showing early signs of dementia ?

I'm over thirty , hell I'm over 40 :eek: , but I'll be damned if I were to ever put a vehicle in gear without my seatbelt . I'm old enough to remember the people that died horrific deaths with their noggins smushed all over the windshields and dash . I've actually watched a old man pass away on my parents lawn after his vehicle was t-boned at a intersection near their home . He was ejected from the vehicle . Very sad , and a really unnecessary death ( truck that hit his vehicle contained three drunks fresh out of the Highlander ).


Your appathy towards check stops is what really scares me . Living in a lawless society would be uncivilized . If you don't like it , or can't deal with it , why not get out ? Plenty of third world countries , ignorant and backwards , could suit your needs . Hell , most of the cars in those countries don't even have seatbelts . You'd be in heaven ....
What magic insight do you have to know for a fact he would have lived if he had not been ejected, you dont, so you are talking out of your ass.
And guess what, I have seen the same carnage involving people who have bought into the safety mantra... The world is full of ugly stories and death, with and witout seatbelts, but anecdotes dont save lives...
People like you will be wrapping their kids in plastic bubblewrap in a few years...

[nadroj23]

why i like this, because they are actually doin something to make the roads safer. seatbelts are just a cash grab yeah might be a cash grab but you know the rules you know you will be ticketed for it so why not wear your seatbelt.

if you abide by the rules of the road there will be no problems with tickets for you. i havent had a ticket for anything in the last year why because i have goin the speedlimit not following to closely wearing my seatbelt. so i havent had problem with this shit, neither should you, it wouldnt be a cash grab if everyonedid wear their seatbelts, drove the speed limit, but since people have to pay money its a cash grab????

THEY ARE RULES YOU HAVE TO ABIDE BY DONT LIKE THEM TAKE THE FUCKIN BUS......

[blueToy]

Originally posted by googe


the police force would have to NOT profit off writing tickets, especially seatbelt type tickets. only then will they get any credibility, until then its a conflict of interest and yet another cash grab.




First of all , I don't mean to hyjack this thread , and what I have to say really should be it's own thread , but I'm short of time today . Maybe later

This goes to all of you that think tickets are a cash grab by the Police . This is going to be a big surprise to most of you , but the Cops don't get the money !!!!! Have you ever noticed you send the payment for a infraction to the municiple/provincial/federal government , and NOT the Police ?? Have you ever made the synaptic connection that .... " hey , I got the ticket for being a asshat from the cops , but now I send in my money to the Provincial Treasurer or some government body " ? Huh , did you ????? The cops don't get one damn cent for the tickets they write . The City of Calgary pays for the Policing budget here , surprise , surprise , to Enforce the laws . There are no quotas , but that said , if you are a cop doing the traffic control beat , and don't find anything wrong that warrants a ticket , well , its more then likely you're sleeping behind a garbage bin in some hidden alley because it takes me approximatly 1 minute of driving around this town to see some major annoyance on the road . You know , Mr. Cool on the phone going Mach 7 down Crowchild . Mr. Cool zipping in and out of traffic and not using their signal lights . Mr. Cool stepping out of the bar or buddies place after a hockey game and thinking since he only has to go 3miles across town , he can do it even though he's had 9 beers in one hour , etc . You get the idea . I'm actually glad The Police service in this city does their Job , and I think they do it well . If you're not happy about the laws , call your Alderman and MP's . They wrote them , NOT the Police . The cops are just the enforcers . Can it be any clearer ?

[nadroj23]

^^^^^ well fuckin put, your right, this "Quota" was put in place by the government not the police, so anything considered a cash grab blame on the government not the CPS, they are doin their jobs as they are told, pretty sure you do the same at yours. right a letter if you are not happy, or as a said before abide by the rules and have no problems as i have.

[nadroj23]

i forgot to add this but do you guys remember back when this was in the news, and the city of calgary told the chief of police that he had to raise his quota to $1 mil this year and the chief of police said he didnt want to. yeah well dont blame the police this $1mil isnt goin to the cops, goin to the government.

to many people bitchin about tickets and shit on here, obey the rules and no tickets its simple.....

[blueToy]

Originally posted by Maxt

What magic insight do you have to know for a fact he would have lived if he had not been ejected, you dont, so you are talking out of your ass.
And guess what, I have seen the same carnage involving people who have bought into the safety mantra... The world is full of ugly stories and death, with and witout seatbelts, but anecdotes dont save lives...
People like you will be wrapping their kids in plastic bubblewrap in a few years...



No magical insight , just statistics . Really , the only fact I can truthfully verify for you is death . I can guarantee you , at some point on your journey , you will die . That is a FACT .
Statistic though can give us the " benefit of doubt " and verify that given enough observable opportunities ,we can deduce not the outcome , but what the chance are something can happen . You're right i can't say for a Fact that this older fella would of lived had he stayed in the vehicle and not be ejected from it . But , had you been there to see the the car really wasn't that damaged ( it was wrecked , but it wasn't completely destroyed either ) he would of had a much better chance of not having serious head injuries had he stayed in the vehicle . Also , when I first came upon his body , it just looked like he was sleeping . He was just lying there very still , with no visible limbs torn off , or bones protruding etc . But , he was not breathing and even our attempts to revive him failed , as did the attempts of EMS when they arrived , and they were pretty quick as these folks are stationed near nearby ( two blocks ) . Anyway , we were later told he died of massive blunt trama to his head . He must of either hit part of one of the vehicles or when he bounced off of the concrete onto our lawn ( it was winter and ground frozen as well ) . Anyway , there is no way I can factually state that had he been wearing a seat belt , he would of survived . BUT , statistics have shown that the chances from dieing after being thrown from the vehicle are much greater then if you stay in the vehicle . Is it absolute ? No way , just greater . Soooo from that deduction , as well as other factors , laws were put in place to make sure the average person uses the Safety device put in place to help them if they ever do get into accidents . Think about it for a second too , why do you think car manufactorers put them in the first place ? Because they want too ? No way . They just learned that even small accidents can be lethal for someone caught off guard and smoking the windshield with your head was proving if not death , certain , mostly non-repairable brain damage . And that became unacceptable to those people who have to foot the bill in the long run . You and me .




Google:



As far as if you are caught not abiding by the law and are injured , then you are responcible for yourself . Well , what then ? Do we just throw these people into the street to fend for themselves ? Do we force their families to accept responcibilities and burden ? I'd like to as well ,because I really think a lot of societies problems stem from poor upbringings and sometimes unfortunate circumstances , but we can't . As a society at the moment in this country , we are more compassionate toward those who can't , or will not take care of themselves .
Wasn't it a member from this very board who recently did something very stupid , and got himself and others seriously injured ? Should the hospital refused to put them back together because of their momentary lack of judgement ? By the way , that does happen in other countries , and it's a harsh lesson for friends and families of the injured . Many people live in countries where the VALUE of human life is almost nil . It would be like going back hundreds of years in human evolution or progress .

Back to Maxt

" Quote : People like you will be wrapping their kids in plastic bubblewrap in a few years "Unquote .. .... doh , that would be suffocating to say the least . I don't want to kill my kids , just make sure they are as safe and responcible as possible because you never know about the idiots-waiting-to-happen driving next to you . You know , the " it can't happen to me " person . I'm not saying become a paranoid zealot of safety , just do your part so if something does happen , we shouldn't have to pay someone to keep the drool off your face .
Oh and one more thing , you're right , a anecdote wouldn't save your life , but common sence will . You know , never stand in from of a moving train . Never jump from a plane without a parashute . Never lay down on a highway at night to sleep . Never get totally blasted and drive around this city at high speeds . To some degree , it's a shame some can't learn the easy way , and some have trouble just learning . Life's lessons can be so ugly .

[Toma]

Seat belts.... Ghey.

If I wanna get injured....whats it to you?

I grew up before mandatory seat belts... funny.. whiplash claims are up....
Just a PROVEN FACT... in City driving conditions, most accidents are low speed, and seat belts cause more injury then they prevent...

[sweetchariot]

Originally posted by Toma
Seat belts.... Ghey.

in City driving conditions, most accidents are low speed, and seat belts cause more injury then they prevent...

:rofl: :rofl: LOL...Are you for real?????

Why do you think they are installed?. Hope you enjoy your trip through the windshield.

[googe]

Originally posted by blueToy



First of all , I don't mean to hyjack this thread , and what I have to say really should be it's own thread , but I'm short of time today . Maybe later

This goes to all of you that think tickets are a cash grab by the Police . This is going to be a big surprise to most of you , but the Cops don't get the money !!!!! Have you ever noticed you send the payment for a infraction to the municiple/provincial/federal government , and NOT the Police ?? Have you ever made the synaptic connection that .... " hey , I got the ticket for being a asshat from the cops , but now I send in my money to the Provincial Treasurer or some government body " ? Huh , did you ????? The cops don't get one damn cent for the tickets they write . The City of Calgary pays for the Policing budget here , surprise , surprise , to Enforce the laws . There are no quotas , but that said , if you are a cop doing the traffic control beat , and don't find anything wrong that warrants a ticket , well , its more then likely you're sleeping behind a garbage bin in some hidden alley because it takes me approximatly 1 minute of driving around this town to see some major annoyance on the road . You know , Mr. Cool on the phone going Mach 7 down Crowchild . Mr. Cool zipping in and out of traffic and not using their signal lights . Mr. Cool stepping out of the bar or buddies place after a hockey game and thinking since he only has to go 3miles across town , he can do it even though he's had 9 beers in one hour , etc . You get the idea . I'm actually glad The Police service in this city does their Job , and I think they do it well . If you're not happy about the laws , call your Alderman and MP's . They wrote them , NOT the Police . The cops are just the enforcers . Can it be any clearer ?



Originally posted by blueToy




No magical insight , just statistics . Really , the only fact I can truthfully verify for you is death . I can guarantee you , at some point on your journey , you will die . That is a FACT .
Statistic though can give us the " benefit of doubt " and verify that given enough observable opportunities ,we can deduce not the outcome , but what the chance are something can happen . You're right i can't say for a Fact that this older fella would of lived had he stayed in the vehicle and not be ejected from it . But , had you been there to see the the car really wasn't that damaged ( it was wrecked , but it wasn't completely destroyed either ) he would of had a much better chance of not having serious head injuries had he stayed in the vehicle . Also , when I first came upon his body , it just looked like he was sleeping . He was just lying there very still , with no visible limbs torn off , or bones protruding etc . But , he was not breathing and even our attempts to revive him failed , as did the attempts of EMS when they arrived , and they were pretty quick as these folks are stationed near nearby ( two blocks ) . Anyway , we were later told he died of massive blunt trama to his head . He must of either hit part of one of the vehicles or when he bounced off of the concrete onto our lawn ( it was winter and ground frozen as well ) . Anyway , there is no way I can factually state that had he been wearing a seat belt , he would of survived . BUT , statistics have shown that the chances from dieing after being thrown from the vehicle are much greater then if you stay in the vehicle . Is it absolute ? No way , just greater . Soooo from that deduction , as well as other factors , laws were put in place to make sure the average person uses the Safety device put in place to help them if they ever do get into accidents . Think about it for a second too , why do you think car manufactorers put them in the first place ? Because they want too ? No way . They just learned that even small accidents can be lethal for someone caught off guard and smoking the windshield with your head was proving if not death , certain , mostly non-repairable brain damage . And that became unacceptable to those people who have to foot the bill in the long run . You and me .




Google:



As far as if you are caught not abiding by the law and are injured , then you are responcible for yourself . Well , what then ? Do we just throw these people into the street to fend for themselves ? Do we force their families to accept responcibilities and burden ? I'd like to as well ,because I really think a lot of societies problems stem from poor upbringings and sometimes unfortunate circumstances , but we can't . As a society at the moment in this country , we are more compassionate toward those who can't , or will not take care of themselves .
Wasn't it a member from this very board who recently did something very stupid , and got himself and others seriously injured ? Should the hospital refused to put them back together because of their momentary lack of judgement ? By the way , that does happen in other countries , and it's a harsh lesson for friends and families of the injured . Many people live in countries where the VALUE of human life is almost nil . It would be like going back hundreds of years in human evolution or progress .

Back to Maxt

" Quote : People like you will be wrapping their kids in plastic bubblewrap in a few years "Unquote .. .... doh , that would be suffocating to say the least . I don't want to kill my kids , just make sure they are as safe and responcible as possible because you never know about the idiots-waiting-to-happen driving next to you . You know , the " it can't happen to me " person . I'm not saying become a paranoid zealot of safety , just do your part so if something does happen , we shouldn't have to pay someone to keep the drool off your face .
Oh and one more thing , you're right , a anecdote wouldn't save your life , but common sence will . You know , never stand in from of a moving train . Never jump from a plane without a parashute . Never lay down on a highway at night to sleep . Never get totally blasted and drive around this city at high speeds . To some degree , it's a shame some can't learn the easy way , and some have trouble just learning . Life's lessons can be so ugly .

you are wrong about the following:

1. CPS not getting money for fines issued
2. quotas not existing
3. if it takes 1 minute to find a moron endangering lives or driving drunk, what the hell are they doing wasting time writing dumb shit like seatbelt tickets, exhaust tickets, and uncovered christmas tree tickets? go where the danger is, not where the money is.
4. cops are not blameless in the tickets they write. for example, when writing an uncovered load ticket, it is up to them to decide "does this law exist for loose dangerous objects and gravel, or for a law abiding family man taking his secured, tied down tree to the dump?" to a non-moron this is an easy question, yet they get stuff like that wrong all the time.

ive always had a lot of respect for cops and rolled my eyes when kids talk about hating them because its the cool thing to do. unfortunately, its getting really hard to keep that respect with all the bs going on and the prick cops i meet. there are definitely good ones, and i dont hate them all, but their coworkers are sure leaving a bad taste in lots of peoples mouths.

anyway, pointless to continue the argument

[Toma]

Originally posted by sweetchariot


:rofl: :rofl: LOL...Are you for real?????

Why do you think they are installed?. Hope you enjoy your trip through the windshield.
You ever been hit at 60k.hour?

You ever played demolition derby with your buddies? You ever seen a 5000 pound 4x4 ram the back of a tempo on purpose at 80k/hr??

You ever seen your buddy drive a mustang at 80+ k an hour through a field, hit a small hill, and launch it 6 feet in the air for 50 feet dukes of hazard style?

These are just a few antics we used to pull up at Rick's...

Common thread? You dont go through your windshield even in these extreme circumstances....

So yeah, I think I am much more "for reall" then you.

[AllGoNoShow]

Anyone know if they are cracking down on outlying areas around Red Deer *Sylvan lake in specific*?

[sweetchariot]

If the stats/data showed that the dead occupants of vehicles were belted in...then would we be having this conversation??...24% of non-seatbelt wearers account for 40% of all vehicle occupants killed (RCMP K Div Traffic).

Nationally 10% of the population were not wearing seatbelts which accounted for 40% of all dead occupants.

78% seatbelt wearing rate for Alberta (stats Can) Red Deer area - 69%

51 % of dead occupants were unrestarined - 9% restrained.

You do the math!!!!

And yes, I was in an accident 3 months ago when some bone head blew a stop sign in front of me...I was wearing my seatbelt....funny thing, I walked away un-scathed.

[googe]

to further support the "serve and collect"...

friend got a jaywalking ticket today.

he was crossing while the hand was flashing.

:banghead:

[sweetchariot]

Originally posted by AllGoNoShow
Anyone know if they are cracking down on outlying areas around Red Deer *Sylvan lake in specific*?

Kinda / Sorta :-


Off-road crackdown on lake






Jan 16 2006


Uniformed officers noticed violations with off-highway vehicles soon after they drove onto Sylvan Lake.
It took less than an hour on Saturday for two Sylvan Lake Provincial Park conservation officers and six Mounties to give several warnings and a handful of traffic tickets to snowmobile and quad users.
Law enforcement employees were also out on Sunday.
“We’re going to be doing this on a routine basis now,” said conservation officer Grant Santo near the main pier. “We’re seeing more and more people out here unaware of the rules, and doing flagrant violations.”
Officers say they want to teach off-highway vehicle users how to use the lake properly.
Balmy winter weather has attracted a lot more snowmobiles and quads to the lake than in recent years.
Some have been tearing up the beach. Others are riding too close to the skating rink. Both practices are forbidden under provincial law.
Off-highway vehicles must be used outside park boundaries, unless they are being unloaded.
Officers on the weekend approached drivers with off-highway vehicles on the back of their trucks as soon as they stopped on the lake.
The drivers were asked to hand over their insurance and registration.
“Generally speaking, people are great. They have their insurance and registration up to date,” said Sylvan Lake RCMP auxiliary Const. Kevin Halsey. “Most people are complying with the rules.”
But some were handed tickets.
One man exploded with rage after officers fined him nearly $3,000 for no insurance on his snowmobile and pickup truck.
Santo said the man eventually calmed down and apologized to the officers.
The tickets would be withdrawn if the man can show valid proof of insurance, Santo said.
Another man was ice fishing with his two buddies when two Mounties drove up in quads.
They checked his snowmobile and realized the licence plate wasn’t on.
The Red Deer man said he had the licence with him, but it couldn’t be put on properly because a piece was missing from the snow machine.
He was given a $115 ticket for failing to display a licence plate.
“I could see it if I was spinning doughnuts (near the pier), but I’m sitting out here a mile from shore,” said the 25-year-old, who didn’t want his name used.
“It’s a witchhunt,” added his friend.
Conservation officer Dan Neath spoke with a man who had planned to ride his snowmobile while pulling his two children behind on a sled.
Neath told him that was dangerous and unlawful.
The driver also had insurance for his snowmobile, but no registration.
“I think he was a little surprised to see us out here,” Neath said.
Officers also spotted a six-year-old boy driving a small quad, while towing his sibling on a sled.
Santo said the children’s parents were given a warning. They could have faced a $287 ticket for unauthorized operation of a motor vehicle/off-highway vehicle in a park area.
A car driver was also ticketed after spinning a doughnut near the rink.
Sylvan Lake resident Penny Forster took her two young children to the rink. While she’s never seen problems with off-road vehicles, she’s glad the officers are out.
“They should be patrolling, just like they do in the summer time,” she said.
By laura tester
Advocate staff
Photo by RANDY FIEDLER/Advocate staff
Conservation officer Dan Neath checks an all terrain vehicle rider for registration and insurance as RCMP officers Steve Kelly and Geoff Buxcey talk to a man disputing the ticket for no snowmobile insurance that he received in Sylvan Lake Provincial Park on Saturday.