Eye in the sky .....
05-12-08, 02:51 PM
#1
Eye in the sky .....
Everyone becareful this long weekend as we have a new eye in the sky watching your every move...
A policeman looks down on dangerous drivers
PETER CHENEY
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
May 10, 2008 at 12:27 AM EDT
After five years of highway patrol in his trusty Ford Crown Victoria, OPP Sergeant Joe Pileggi has seen everything from cottagers drinking behind the wheel to a Porsche doing 207 kilometres an hour (a stunt that earned the driver a $700 ticket plus demerit points). But now the veteran officer has traded in his cruiser for a new ride – a $540,000 Cessna 206 aircraft.
“It's great,” said Sgt. Pileggi as he took a recent shakedown flight. “Very, very effective.”
The Cessna, which will cost $1.4-million a year to staff and operate, is designed to spot dangerous drivers on Canada's busiest roads, the 400-series highways around the Greater Toronto Area. Sgt. Pileggi took to the skies last week, fine-tuning the techniques he will use on the coming long weekend.
Sgt. Pileggi rode in the back seat, and looked down on Highway 400 while the pilot manoeuvred the Cessna around low-hanging rain clouds.
In Sgt. Pileggi's hand was a digital stopwatch, which he used to clock the time a car took to travel between white marks painted on the shoulder – the marks were 500 metres apart, so a car that took less than 18 seconds to travel between them was over the 100-kilometre-an-hour speed limit.
But that wasn't the focus of his efforts.
Sgt. Pileggi was looking for drivers whose habits made them stand out from the surrounding traffic due to high speed, tailgating and/or numerous lane changes. “That's what creates the risk,” he said. “That's what we watch for.”
In its first day of operation, the airplane nabbed four drivers, including one who was charged under the province's new street-racing law, which applies to drivers doing more than 50 km/h above the speed limit.
The law, which was passed last year after a series of high-speed highway incidents, provides for fines of up to $10,000 and on-the-spot seizing of vehicles.
Police see the new Cessna as a powerful tool in their crackdown on dangerous driving. “You see the whole highway,” Sgt. Pileggi said.
“That makes a big difference. If someone's out of step with the rest of the traffic, you see it right away.”
The airplane operates in concert with officers on the road below.
When Sgt. Pileggi spots an offender, he radios a cruiser and gives them a description of the car and its location, then instructs the pilot to orbit overhead while the car is stopped.
The airplane is equipped with digital still and video cameras that document the scene, providing critical evidence in case the charge is disputed.
The Cessna is equipped with computerized flight instruments and infrared cameras that give it the ability to fly (and spot speeders) even in darkness and poor weather.
“It's state of the art,” pilot Gord Magee said. “Welcome to the 21st century.”
Inspector Jim McDonnell, co-ordinator of the OPP aircraft program, said the Cessna was acquired after extensive consultation with highway enforcement officials in Ohio, which is considered a world leader in aerial patrol.
(The state has what amounts to a small air force, with 14 fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopters that are responsible for thousands of traffic busts every year.)
“We learned a lot from them,” Insp. McDonnell said. “Now we're bringing that to Ontario.”
Despite their high price tag, police consider aircraft cost-effective tools because they allow officers to patrol extremely large areas and pick out dangerous drivers far more effectively than someone on the ground.
Whether cruising through traffic or hiding behind a roadside billboard, an officer at road level sees only the cars that are immediately around him – but an aircraft provides an omniscient, God's-eye view.
“It's a huge advantage,” said OPP Constable Al Widish, who has spent nine years on the road in OPP cruisers and motorcycles. “It's completely different.”
Although the plane is highly effective at spotting speeders, tailgaters and other types of dangerous drivers, the traditional cruiser still offers advantages in some areas.
While the airborne spotter gets a macro view of the highway, the officer in a cruiser gets close-up exposure to the drivers around him.
During his years on the road, Constable Widish's observations have ranged from beer-swilling drivers to fistfights carried out in a moving vehicle, and he has occasionally pulled over drivers after the smell of marijuana or hashish wafted into his cruiser.
“You see it all,” he said. “You'd be amazed at what happens on the road.”
The new airplane has already drawn its share of detractors. NDP critic Peter Kormos dismissed it as an expensive toy for OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino.
Riders on a motorcycle website called GTAmotorcycle.com, meanwhile, derided the OPP's new aerial program: “Instead of wasting money on that ****, they should put more money into training the retards going slow in the passing lanes,” wrote a motorcyclist who goes by the username Dr Drtg.
Some jested about the plane's effectiveness: “What about the Tim Hortons calculation?” asked a rider called Alkaline Nine. “… speed, distance, coffee and doughnuts? How long can this plane be in the air without this? One flight up the 400 corridor and they will be setting down at Deerhurst airport and running to Huntsville for a coffee. Let the speeding begin.”
The province approved $2-million last August to fund the new OPP aircraft program. Initially, it will patrol about 25 kilometres of Highway 400 and Highway 69 that have been calibrated with the roadside markers needed to determine a vehicle's speed. Police hope to expand the aircraft program once its value has been proved, and say the majority of Ontario highways will eventually be marked for airborne spotting.
“We think it's going to work really, really well,” Insp. McDonnell said. “It's the way of the future.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...pecialEvents2/
A policeman looks down on dangerous drivers
PETER CHENEY
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
May 10, 2008 at 12:27 AM EDT
After five years of highway patrol in his trusty Ford Crown Victoria, OPP Sergeant Joe Pileggi has seen everything from cottagers drinking behind the wheel to a Porsche doing 207 kilometres an hour (a stunt that earned the driver a $700 ticket plus demerit points). But now the veteran officer has traded in his cruiser for a new ride – a $540,000 Cessna 206 aircraft.
“It's great,” said Sgt. Pileggi as he took a recent shakedown flight. “Very, very effective.”
The Cessna, which will cost $1.4-million a year to staff and operate, is designed to spot dangerous drivers on Canada's busiest roads, the 400-series highways around the Greater Toronto Area. Sgt. Pileggi took to the skies last week, fine-tuning the techniques he will use on the coming long weekend.
Sgt. Pileggi rode in the back seat, and looked down on Highway 400 while the pilot manoeuvred the Cessna around low-hanging rain clouds.
In Sgt. Pileggi's hand was a digital stopwatch, which he used to clock the time a car took to travel between white marks painted on the shoulder – the marks were 500 metres apart, so a car that took less than 18 seconds to travel between them was over the 100-kilometre-an-hour speed limit.
But that wasn't the focus of his efforts.
Sgt. Pileggi was looking for drivers whose habits made them stand out from the surrounding traffic due to high speed, tailgating and/or numerous lane changes. “That's what creates the risk,” he said. “That's what we watch for.”
In its first day of operation, the airplane nabbed four drivers, including one who was charged under the province's new street-racing law, which applies to drivers doing more than 50 km/h above the speed limit.
The law, which was passed last year after a series of high-speed highway incidents, provides for fines of up to $10,000 and on-the-spot seizing of vehicles.
Police see the new Cessna as a powerful tool in their crackdown on dangerous driving. “You see the whole highway,” Sgt. Pileggi said.
“That makes a big difference. If someone's out of step with the rest of the traffic, you see it right away.”
The airplane operates in concert with officers on the road below.
When Sgt. Pileggi spots an offender, he radios a cruiser and gives them a description of the car and its location, then instructs the pilot to orbit overhead while the car is stopped.
The airplane is equipped with digital still and video cameras that document the scene, providing critical evidence in case the charge is disputed.
The Cessna is equipped with computerized flight instruments and infrared cameras that give it the ability to fly (and spot speeders) even in darkness and poor weather.
“It's state of the art,” pilot Gord Magee said. “Welcome to the 21st century.”
Inspector Jim McDonnell, co-ordinator of the OPP aircraft program, said the Cessna was acquired after extensive consultation with highway enforcement officials in Ohio, which is considered a world leader in aerial patrol.
(The state has what amounts to a small air force, with 14 fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopters that are responsible for thousands of traffic busts every year.)
“We learned a lot from them,” Insp. McDonnell said. “Now we're bringing that to Ontario.”
Despite their high price tag, police consider aircraft cost-effective tools because they allow officers to patrol extremely large areas and pick out dangerous drivers far more effectively than someone on the ground.
Whether cruising through traffic or hiding behind a roadside billboard, an officer at road level sees only the cars that are immediately around him – but an aircraft provides an omniscient, God's-eye view.
“It's a huge advantage,” said OPP Constable Al Widish, who has spent nine years on the road in OPP cruisers and motorcycles. “It's completely different.”
Although the plane is highly effective at spotting speeders, tailgaters and other types of dangerous drivers, the traditional cruiser still offers advantages in some areas.
While the airborne spotter gets a macro view of the highway, the officer in a cruiser gets close-up exposure to the drivers around him.
During his years on the road, Constable Widish's observations have ranged from beer-swilling drivers to fistfights carried out in a moving vehicle, and he has occasionally pulled over drivers after the smell of marijuana or hashish wafted into his cruiser.
“You see it all,” he said. “You'd be amazed at what happens on the road.”
The new airplane has already drawn its share of detractors. NDP critic Peter Kormos dismissed it as an expensive toy for OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino.
Riders on a motorcycle website called GTAmotorcycle.com, meanwhile, derided the OPP's new aerial program: “Instead of wasting money on that ****, they should put more money into training the retards going slow in the passing lanes,” wrote a motorcyclist who goes by the username Dr Drtg.
Some jested about the plane's effectiveness: “What about the Tim Hortons calculation?” asked a rider called Alkaline Nine. “… speed, distance, coffee and doughnuts? How long can this plane be in the air without this? One flight up the 400 corridor and they will be setting down at Deerhurst airport and running to Huntsville for a coffee. Let the speeding begin.”
The province approved $2-million last August to fund the new OPP aircraft program. Initially, it will patrol about 25 kilometres of Highway 400 and Highway 69 that have been calibrated with the roadside markers needed to determine a vehicle's speed. Police hope to expand the aircraft program once its value has been proved, and say the majority of Ontario highways will eventually be marked for airborne spotting.
“We think it's going to work really, really well,” Insp. McDonnell said. “It's the way of the future.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...pecialEvents2/
05-12-08, 02:52 PM
#2
The next level in war on bad driving
May 08, 2008 04:30 AM
Vinay Menon
More bad news for speed demons: The skies have eyes.
This week, the OPP unveiled a new weapon in the War on Bad Driving, a fleet of B-2 Stealth Bombers piloted by androids. Using sonar, laser, wave radar and a propriety technology known as FantinoVision, the bombers soared into provincial airspace Tuesday and –
–What's that? No fleet? Just one Cessna 206 manned by a dude with binoculars, an hourglass and a dog-eared copy of the 2003 Ontario Pocket Road Atlas?
So, one airplane watching nearly 10 million ground vehicles for possible traffic violations? Well, obviously, this is all about the element of – hey, what's that on your shirt? – surprise!
Did the Cessna just follow you to the grocery store? Is it hiding in your backyard, disguised as a recycling bin? Is it flying a holding pattern over your home, knowing you're running late for work and likely to exceed the posted speed limit as you careen across the 401, making improper lane changes and brushing your teeth in the rear-view mirror?
There's no way to know. And spending $1.4 million on not knowing makes everyone safer.
The point: The fuzz is now watching from way up high.
"We've all seen how dangerous drivers hit the brakes when they see a police vehicle," exaggerated Premier Dalton McGuinty this week. "They won't get away with that when this plane is on patrol."
No, not unless they see the plane! Make that any plane! In which case, the GTA will be hobbled by new commuter chaos as thousands of motorists – wrongly identifying the 680 News traffic jet as the crime-fighting Cessna – skid onto the shoulder and come out with their hands up.
But mass hysteria be damned. Because owning this Cessna means the OPP no longer needs to "lease" like some macaroni-eating college kid. That's right, no more frantic calls to Frugal Rent-A-Plane before the long weekend. No more exorbitant penalties for excessive mileage. No more embarrassing internal emails: "Did anyone see the spare keys to the rental? I accidentally locked my Metallica CDs in the cockpit."
To understand the tactical benefits of a police plane, simply watch an informational video on the Ohio State Highway Patrol's website. (Connection to Ontario: after a summer visit to the Buckeye State, OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino begged for a plane the way a little girl might beg for a pony.)
According to the video: "An aircraft working in conjunction with several ground officers at the same time results in a more efficient enforcement method than one officer working alone. This can be thought of as a `force multiplier.'"
It can also be thought of as basic arithmetic. Speaking of which, more than 4,500 Ontario drivers have received licence suspensions since the Highway Traffic Act was toughened last fall. And now with the Cessna on the lookout for weaving and speeding lawbreakers, there is a chance reckless driving will be completely eliminated by Christmas.
If not, the War on Bad Driving shall enter Stage 3.
Starting in 2009, new vehicles sold in Ontario will include a special electronics panel. Once the speedometer tips past 130 km/h, a GPS module will guide the owner to Fantino's house. Upon arrival, The Commish will torch the vehicle, berate any passengers and severely beat the driver.
Next, Stage 4: Every licensed Ontario driver will receive an android that looks and sounds like McGuinty. If the android senses any erratic manoeuvering during a road trip, it will launch into a methodical recitation of every speech McGuinty has delivered while in public office.
People, if this doesn't slow us down, nothing will.
Vinay Menon can be reached at
vmenon@thestar.ca
http://www.thestar.com/News/Columnist/article/422792
I love Stage 3 and 4!
May 08, 2008 04:30 AM
Vinay Menon
More bad news for speed demons: The skies have eyes.
This week, the OPP unveiled a new weapon in the War on Bad Driving, a fleet of B-2 Stealth Bombers piloted by androids. Using sonar, laser, wave radar and a propriety technology known as FantinoVision, the bombers soared into provincial airspace Tuesday and –
–What's that? No fleet? Just one Cessna 206 manned by a dude with binoculars, an hourglass and a dog-eared copy of the 2003 Ontario Pocket Road Atlas?
So, one airplane watching nearly 10 million ground vehicles for possible traffic violations? Well, obviously, this is all about the element of – hey, what's that on your shirt? – surprise!
Did the Cessna just follow you to the grocery store? Is it hiding in your backyard, disguised as a recycling bin? Is it flying a holding pattern over your home, knowing you're running late for work and likely to exceed the posted speed limit as you careen across the 401, making improper lane changes and brushing your teeth in the rear-view mirror?
There's no way to know. And spending $1.4 million on not knowing makes everyone safer.
The point: The fuzz is now watching from way up high.
"We've all seen how dangerous drivers hit the brakes when they see a police vehicle," exaggerated Premier Dalton McGuinty this week. "They won't get away with that when this plane is on patrol."
No, not unless they see the plane! Make that any plane! In which case, the GTA will be hobbled by new commuter chaos as thousands of motorists – wrongly identifying the 680 News traffic jet as the crime-fighting Cessna – skid onto the shoulder and come out with their hands up.
But mass hysteria be damned. Because owning this Cessna means the OPP no longer needs to "lease" like some macaroni-eating college kid. That's right, no more frantic calls to Frugal Rent-A-Plane before the long weekend. No more exorbitant penalties for excessive mileage. No more embarrassing internal emails: "Did anyone see the spare keys to the rental? I accidentally locked my Metallica CDs in the cockpit."
To understand the tactical benefits of a police plane, simply watch an informational video on the Ohio State Highway Patrol's website. (Connection to Ontario: after a summer visit to the Buckeye State, OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino begged for a plane the way a little girl might beg for a pony.)
According to the video: "An aircraft working in conjunction with several ground officers at the same time results in a more efficient enforcement method than one officer working alone. This can be thought of as a `force multiplier.'"
It can also be thought of as basic arithmetic. Speaking of which, more than 4,500 Ontario drivers have received licence suspensions since the Highway Traffic Act was toughened last fall. And now with the Cessna on the lookout for weaving and speeding lawbreakers, there is a chance reckless driving will be completely eliminated by Christmas.
If not, the War on Bad Driving shall enter Stage 3.
Starting in 2009, new vehicles sold in Ontario will include a special electronics panel. Once the speedometer tips past 130 km/h, a GPS module will guide the owner to Fantino's house. Upon arrival, The Commish will torch the vehicle, berate any passengers and severely beat the driver.
Next, Stage 4: Every licensed Ontario driver will receive an android that looks and sounds like McGuinty. If the android senses any erratic manoeuvering during a road trip, it will launch into a methodical recitation of every speech McGuinty has delivered while in public office.
People, if this doesn't slow us down, nothing will.
Vinay Menon can be reached at
vmenon@thestar.ca
http://www.thestar.com/News/Columnist/article/422792
I love Stage 3 and 4!
05-12-08, 04:17 PM
#3
In Sgt. Pileggi's hand was a digital stopwatch, which he used to clock the time a car took to travel between white marks painted on the shoulder – the marks were 500 metres apart, so a car that took less than 18 seconds to travel between them was over the 100-kilometre-an-hour speed limit.
But that wasn't the focus of his efforts.
Sgt. Pileggi was looking for drivers whose habits made them stand out from the surrounding traffic due to high speed, tailgating and/or numerous lane changes. “That's what creates the risk,” he said. “That's what we watch for.”
But that wasn't the focus of his efforts.
Sgt. Pileggi was looking for drivers whose habits made them stand out from the surrounding traffic due to high speed, tailgating and/or numerous lane changes. “That's what creates the risk,” he said. “That's what we watch for.”
From the air I would look like I'm cruising along in one lane, pretty much with the flow of traffic, being very steady and giving lots of following distance. Sure I go through the markers a little quicker than 18 seconds, but there are others on the road who are changing lanes without looking, tailgating me when I'm doing 120 in the fast lane, etc...
It may give them an easier way to nab me going 120, but if it also gets rid of a bunch of idiots who do the *real* reckless driving (blind lane changes, tailgating etc...) then I guess I can live with it.
Basically it's a breath of fresh air to me to hear an officer focusing on something more than the speed of a vehicle or the type of vehicle as his main focus.
Jon
05-12-08, 08:43 PM
#4
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At $1.4M/year that $3836/day and in the day mentioned in the article they caught four people. What a great use of resources!
Let's say the average OPP officer makes $60k/year (I'm guessing, I don't know what the real number is), so that's $255/day and let's say $45/day for a Crown Vic, $300/day total. I can't imagine how a plane could be more effective than having 12 cops in cars on the road. Besides, the plane must be accompanied by at least one cop in a car. How many extra people are they going to catch by having cruisers work with a plane?! I have to say that I agree with Peter Kormos, it seems like another typical Fantino political stunt.
Let's say the average OPP officer makes $60k/year (I'm guessing, I don't know what the real number is), so that's $255/day and let's say $45/day for a Crown Vic, $300/day total. I can't imagine how a plane could be more effective than having 12 cops in cars on the road. Besides, the plane must be accompanied by at least one cop in a car. How many extra people are they going to catch by having cruisers work with a plane?! I have to say that I agree with Peter Kormos, it seems like another typical Fantino political stunt.
05-12-08, 11:05 PM
#6
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Ponder no more:
O.P.P. Salary Grid Position Service Time Salary (per year)
Cadet $ 32,436.00
Probationary Constable 0 – 12 months $ 41,684.00
Constable 12 – 18 months $ 53,148.00
18 – 24 months $ 60,744.00
24 – 36 months $ 67,578.00
36 months to 7 years $ 75,926.00
Table 1: O.P.P. Salary Grid
O.P.P. Salary Grid Position Service Time Salary (per year)
Cadet $ 32,436.00
Probationary Constable 0 – 12 months $ 41,684.00
Constable 12 – 18 months $ 53,148.00
18 – 24 months $ 60,744.00
24 – 36 months $ 67,578.00
36 months to 7 years $ 75,926.00
Table 1: O.P.P. Salary Grid
05-12-08, 11:12 PM
#7
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I'd be willing to bet that with this kind of announcement (free publicity through the news media) just before the long weekend, will be cost effective as far as being a proactive response when you consider that some people may actually alter their driving habits on a weekend that traditionally holds a higher rate of injuries and deaths as compared to the average weekend on the 400 series hiways. Factor in the saved costs of rescue workers, medical resources etc... The actual "costs" involved goes way beyond just the face value cost of a new 'toy'.
Trending Topics
05-12-08, 11:15 PM
#8
The toronto star and the OPP do not get along at all, ever since they busted them for some internal affairs scandal and published something they weren't supposed to, the opp has withheld interviews and info from them.
Good find, thanks for posting up the warning.
Good find, thanks for posting up the warning.
05-13-08, 03:52 PM
#11
If my car was actually stable on its wheels at speeds above the "get your car impounded" line, I wouldn't admit online to doing it, let alone where and when!
Honestly I just hope that more of the focus moves *away* from speeding and "street-racing" (BS) and towards things that are potentially more dangerous. Unsignaled lane changes, tailgating, cutting from the fast lane on the express all the way across to the collectors, to an exit... etc...
Speeding in and of itself doesn't kill. Speeding only increases the severity of the accident to lethal levels. If you work on the root of the problem (eliminating the main sources of accidents instead of the main thing that turns non-lethal accidents into lethal ones) then you're better off.
It's like the old saying : Falling doesn't hurt, it's the sudden stop at the bottom that will do you in.
Jon
05-13-08, 04:28 PM
#12
I wouldn't have a problem with this initiative by the OPP if:
A) It hadn't been begged in to place by conveniently misinforming the public
B) Fantino had nothing to do with it
C) People would OBEY THE LAW in the first place and STAY THE F&%K OUT OF THE PASSING LANE. "Slower traffic keep right" and other signs do nothing! Moving around ******* doing 100-110 in the passing lane makes me look like an *** even if I'm only going 120-125 moving in and out of these rolling roadblocks.
On the way home from Mosport on Saturday I came to one of those areas on highway 7 where you have a passing lane for roughly a kilometre clearly marked and more than once with "Keep right except to pass". It was a 80 or 90 zone and I was doing twenty over. Imagine my luck when every single person stayed in the left lane and I cruised past them (at a reasonable speed). I wish I had a dash mounted camera to send Fantino regular situations like that.
A) It hadn't been begged in to place by conveniently misinforming the public
B) Fantino had nothing to do with it
C) People would OBEY THE LAW in the first place and STAY THE F&%K OUT OF THE PASSING LANE. "Slower traffic keep right" and other signs do nothing! Moving around ******* doing 100-110 in the passing lane makes me look like an *** even if I'm only going 120-125 moving in and out of these rolling roadblocks.
On the way home from Mosport on Saturday I came to one of those areas on highway 7 where you have a passing lane for roughly a kilometre clearly marked and more than once with "Keep right except to pass". It was a 80 or 90 zone and I was doing twenty over. Imagine my luck when every single person stayed in the left lane and I cruised past them (at a reasonable speed). I wish I had a dash mounted camera to send Fantino regular situations like that.
05-14-08, 03:16 PM
#13
My 7 is my girlfriend.
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On the way home from Mosport on Saturday I came to one of those areas on highway 7 where you have a passing lane for roughly a kilometre clearly marked and more than once with "Keep right except to pass". It was a 80 or 90 zone and I was doing twenty over. Imagine my luck when every single person stayed in the left lane and I cruised past them (at a reasonable speed). I wish I had a dash mounted camera to send Fantino regular situations like that.[/QUOTE]
Check Ebay for "car camera mount". There's one there that suctions to the windshield and will hold a camera up to 3lbs. Buy it now price is about $25US. I plan to get one for next years DGRR. Whenever you get caught up with drivers like you said, hit the record button. Upload at home and email to Fantino. Let him know if there was retraining for people that did not have to go through graduated licencing at the time they got their licence and fines for ******** clogging up traffic either in the wrong lane, or with a driving speed under the average flow of traffic, then maybe we wouldn't need to spend an extra $1.4mil on a plane for one city area.
I also thought designated speed lanes would be a good idea. Right lane is for 100-110. Anything over or under and you get a ticket. Centre lane 110-120, over or under, yep, you get a ticket. Left lane a reasonable 120-140. Make someone in another lane slow down significantly to pass, you get a ticket. Passing only when clear (the way I was trained anyway). Yes this would be very difficult to implement, but it would smooth things out, and police officers dedicated to enforcing those laws would cut down on reckless driving.
One thing people seem to forget is that people who get tickets, usually don't keep it to themselves. They tell their friends and family when, where and why. Handing out tickets for the stupid things that people do that don't seem like a big deal but are actually dangerous will be a good way to change most peoples habits.
Unfortunatly in this country and this province, there are just bad drivers. Horrible drivers actually. As the older generations stop driving and all the drivers left on the road have been through the graduated licence program, then we will see some of an improvement, but until we upgrade to a much more comprehensive licencing system, then the dumbasses we all hit our brakes, swerve around and speed up for will still be there, some will just have lighter wallets.
Check Ebay for "car camera mount". There's one there that suctions to the windshield and will hold a camera up to 3lbs. Buy it now price is about $25US. I plan to get one for next years DGRR. Whenever you get caught up with drivers like you said, hit the record button. Upload at home and email to Fantino. Let him know if there was retraining for people that did not have to go through graduated licencing at the time they got their licence and fines for ******** clogging up traffic either in the wrong lane, or with a driving speed under the average flow of traffic, then maybe we wouldn't need to spend an extra $1.4mil on a plane for one city area.
I also thought designated speed lanes would be a good idea. Right lane is for 100-110. Anything over or under and you get a ticket. Centre lane 110-120, over or under, yep, you get a ticket. Left lane a reasonable 120-140. Make someone in another lane slow down significantly to pass, you get a ticket. Passing only when clear (the way I was trained anyway). Yes this would be very difficult to implement, but it would smooth things out, and police officers dedicated to enforcing those laws would cut down on reckless driving.
One thing people seem to forget is that people who get tickets, usually don't keep it to themselves. They tell their friends and family when, where and why. Handing out tickets for the stupid things that people do that don't seem like a big deal but are actually dangerous will be a good way to change most peoples habits.
Unfortunatly in this country and this province, there are just bad drivers. Horrible drivers actually. As the older generations stop driving and all the drivers left on the road have been through the graduated licence program, then we will see some of an improvement, but until we upgrade to a much more comprehensive licencing system, then the dumbasses we all hit our brakes, swerve around and speed up for will still be there, some will just have lighter wallets.
05-14-08, 08:41 PM
#14
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the best thing to do now is stick to country roads that are lined with scenery and cows, as opposed to concrete and pigs...hehe...
(i actually have no issue with cops, it's the retarded laws really.)
(i actually have no issue with cops, it's the retarded laws really.)
05-15-08, 02:57 PM
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Traffic collsions are due to driver error. Period. As mentioned earlier, speed affects severity, but is mostly unrelated to cause. After all, people bump into each other in parking lots, and on the other hand regularly travel safetly at 130+ kph along the 407 safely every day.
Stats Canada reports 40% of fatalities occur under 60kph. There is no data presented for racing (while it makes front page news, it is an insignificant part of the problem) There doesn't appear to be any definition of "aggressive driving" and therefore no stats. Stats Canada reports that more than 77% of drivers admit to speeding; there are 6 fatalities per BILLION passenger miles in Ontario ergo speeding is not the cause of collisions.
There are many studies that show that speed limit enforcement is ineffective in reducing collisions and fatalities. While the OPP may actually succeed in getting everyone to go slower, they will not save any lives. But they will get lots of press and collect a lot of money.
Since driver error is the only issue, driver training is the only solution. Get your buns out to an advanced driving school (not just a lapping day.)
(mho)
Stats Canada reports 40% of fatalities occur under 60kph. There is no data presented for racing (while it makes front page news, it is an insignificant part of the problem) There doesn't appear to be any definition of "aggressive driving" and therefore no stats. Stats Canada reports that more than 77% of drivers admit to speeding; there are 6 fatalities per BILLION passenger miles in Ontario ergo speeding is not the cause of collisions.
There are many studies that show that speed limit enforcement is ineffective in reducing collisions and fatalities. While the OPP may actually succeed in getting everyone to go slower, they will not save any lives. But they will get lots of press and collect a lot of money.
Since driver error is the only issue, driver training is the only solution. Get your buns out to an advanced driving school (not just a lapping day.)
(mho)
05-15-08, 03:00 PM
#16
ERTW
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good post turbox8 
do you have any links to the stats Canada studies or other related things? i've always told my friends speeding, let alone fast cars, doesn't have much to do with accidents on the road. i would love to point them to a factual study.
do you have any links to the stats Canada studies or other related things? i've always told my friends speeding, let alone fast cars, doesn't have much to do with accidents on the road. i would love to point them to a factual study.
05-16-08, 12:10 PM
#17
Rotorite
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Effects of Raising and Lowering Speed Limits
http://www.ibiblio.org/rdu/sl-irrel.html
Speed Limits Fear vs. Fact
http://www.ibiblio.org/rdu/sl-fearf.html
Road Safety - Canadian Statistics and Reports
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/stats/menu.htm
This is kind of fun - tests your reaction speed:
Virtual Lab Reaction time java applet
http://webphysics.ph.msstate.edu/jav...ctionTime.html
05-16-08, 11:59 PM
#20
My 7 is my girlfriend.
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Everyone just remember, you may outrun the cars behind you, but there's more of them than you and they have radios, so be ready to stop for the ones they stick in front of you 
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