Rural Speed Cameras on the Way

[tm3308]

I drive around 62/63 on the two-lane and just over 80 on the interstate. I've gone by cops plenty of times, and not gotten pulled over. I'll never pass one that's in front of me, but if you're driving 80 on the interstate, and that's pretty much the pace of traffic, you're not going to get pulled over because you're not a danger.

These cameras are just a money-grab, nothing more. Imagine how much money they'll generate when the traffic flow is over the speed limit? Nobody's in danger, but they'll all get fined. The cops in those instances tend to use common sense.

 

[letsCYber]

Let's occupy somewhere b/c of this.

 

[tm3308]

Agree, I can always tell when someone is on their phone becaue they are either swerving or they continue to speed up then slow down.

It's one of those walk/chew gum things, IMO. I'm able to talk on the phone and drive just fine, especially on the interstate, where there is little turning involved. On the two-lane, if there's a turn and traffic coming from the other direction, I just set the phone in my lap and put both hands on the wheel, then pick the phone up again and continue the conversation, all without taking my eyes off the road. It isn't difficult, but some people do struggle mightily with it.

 

[Clonefan94]

Agree, I can always tell when someone is on their phone becaue they are either swerving or they continue to speed up then slow down.

And this is pretty much the problem. I will agree, that speed cameras are an easy way to grab some revenue off of tickets/ The thing is though, we do need speed limits because there are way too many dipshits on the roads. Come over the hill at 70 mph to see the teenager who's texting their friend about their hot date tonight, going 45, and you've got a recipe for disaster. This world is full of jackasses and most of them are on the road with you.

 

[KnappShack]

From what I read on here crimes are only committed in the 'big city'. The cameras will never catch anyone and be dismantled

 

[IcSyU]

It's one of those walk/chew gum things, IMO. I'm able to talk on the phone and drive just fine, especially on the interstate, where there is little turning involved. On the two-lane, if there's a turn and traffic coming from the other direction, I just set the phone in my lap and put both hands on the wheel, then pick the phone up again and continue the conversation, all without taking my eyes off the road. It isn't difficult, but some people do struggle mightily with it.

I would agree that I'm a person who can talk/text perfectly fine without much distraction (have a head set and I don't look at the phone when I text and just drive with my knees) from driving but I'll give up the privilege to do so if it keep some jackwagon who can't drive let alone talk on the phone at the same time from doing so.

 

[LindenCy]

If they want to make the roads safer, make it harder to get a driver's license.

And the more I see it, the more I wouldn't mind a no talking on the phone period when you're driving. Most stupid driving I encounter the offending party is on their damn phone. Get off the phone and drive.

This is the real solution. I would like to see it much harder to get a driver's license.

 

[IcSyU]

This is the real solution. I would like to see it much harder to get a driver's license.

Unfortunately it has gotten to the point people view it as a right and not a privilege. People are getting licenses and the only driving they have done is with their driver's ed instructor for a couple hours. Then you have 95% of the population who can't remember very basic laws which make the roads a PITA for everyone.

Pet Peeves:
- Use your damn blinkers in traffic. It isn't difficult.
- When turning, turn in the lane nearest you, not the far lane because you didn't slow down enough and can't make the sharper turn. You have the right to the lane nearest you, not whatever lane you feel like turning into.
- Worry about the road, not the person you're on the phone with.
- The left lane is for passing, not cruising. When using the left lane, don't go the same speed as the right lane. Also is courteous not to sit in someone's blind spot.

 

[MissouriCyclone]

Unfortunately it has gotten to the point people view it as a right and not a privilege. People are getting licenses and the only driving they have done is with their driver's ed instructor for a couple hours. Then you have 95% of the population who can't remember very basic laws which make the roads a PITA for everyone.

Pet Peeves:
- Use your damn blinkers in traffic. It isn't difficult.
- When turning, turn in the lane nearest you, not the far lane because you didn't slow down enough and can't make the sharper turn. You have the right to the lane nearest you, not whatever lane you feel like turning into.
- Worry about the road, not the person you're on the phone with.
- The left lane is for passing, not cruising. When using the left lane, don't go the same speed as the right lane. Also is courteous not to sit in someone's blind spot.

This is so bad on I-35 between here and KC..... It royally pisses me off.

 

[VeloClone]

Unfortunately it has gotten to the point people view it as a right and not a privilege. People are getting licenses and the only driving they have done is with their driver's ed instructor for a couple hours. Then you have 95% of the population who can't remember very basic laws which make the roads a PITA for everyone.

Pet Peeves:
- Use your damn blinkers in traffic. It isn't difficult.
- When turning, turn in the lane nearest you, not the far lane because you didn't slow down enough and can't make the sharper turn. You have the right to the lane nearest you, not whatever lane you feel like turning into.
- Worry about the road, not the person you're on the phone with.
- The left lane is for passing, not cruising. When using the left lane, don't go the same speed as the right lane. Also is courteous not to sit in someone's blind spot.

It would be nice if you had to show a little more proficiency to get a DL, but it would require all 50 states plus the district and territories to get on board since each state issues their own and they are good in the entire US.

As far as turning into the nearest lane, I'm with you. However, when I moved to MN and had to take the written test I was disappointed to see that even their instruction manual said to "finish your turn in any lane available to you" accompanied by a picture showing the car able to finish in any lane. People are bound to do it wrong if they are instructed by the authority that it is okay.

As far as your last point - when working on a road construction project I learned that on a four lane road the lanes were called driving (right) lane and passing (left) lane. In MN a few years ago the MN legislature had a bill to post reminder signs on multilane highways to move right when not passing. The legislature inexplicably declined to authorize the signs by a wide margin.

 

[LindenCy]

This is a reminder not to make it political.

 

[agrabes]

I would agree that I'm a person who can talk/text perfectly fine without much distraction (have a head set and I don't look at the phone when I text and just drive with my knees) from driving but I'll give up the privilege to do so if it keep some jackwagon who can't drive let alone talk on the phone at the same time from doing so.

You'd be surprised. The simple fact that you don't even have one hand on the wheel is a pretty massive impairment to your driving ability. What happens if anything at all happens in front of you and you need to steer reactively? At highway speeds, you would be dead.

I'm not saying I drive perfectly or without any distractions, but I always keep at least one hand on the wheel.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Government feeding on citizens. That's about it. Haven't you seen all the sob stories on the news about cut backs? All the political ads asking us to give a rip about some cause that may get a budget cut?

Allow them this, and eventually you will be monitored and fined for every little misstep that you take. See England if you want a glimpse of that type of society.

 

[IcSyU]

You'd be surprised. The simple fact that you don't even have one hand on the wheel is a pretty massive impairment to your driving ability. What happens if anything at all happens in front of you and you need to steer reactively? At highway speeds, you would be dead.

I'm not saying I drive perfectly or without any distractions, but I always keep at least one hand on the wheel.

I'm intelligent enough to not do it in bumper to bumper traffic...unlike some of the idiots I see on 235 at rush hour. :skeptical:

I like my chances of nothing too terribly important happening during those 3 seconds I send a quick text on Hwy 20 or I35. I'm still seeing everything happening in front of me so if I know something is coming I won't grab my phone in the first place.

 

[Acylum]

It would be nice if you had to show a little more proficiency to get a DL, but it would require all 50 states plus the district and territories to get on board since each state issues their own and they are good in the entire US.

As far as turning into the nearest lane, I'm with you. However, when I moved to MN and had to take the written test I was disappointed to see that even their instruction manual said to "finish your turn in any lane available to you" accompanied by a picture showing the car able to finish in any lane. People are bound to do it wrong if they are instructed by the authority that it is okay.

As far as your last point - when working on a road construction project I learned that on a four lane road the lanes were called driving (right) lane and passing (left) lane. In MN a few years ago the MN legislature had a bill to post reminder signs on multilane highways to move right when not passing. The legislature inexplicably declined to authorize the signs by a wide margin.

The lane thing I've always wondered about. Recently I was turning left onto an access road with two lanes in that direction. A woman in an oncoming vehicle was turning right. So I went ahead and began my turn thinking I'd take the left lane, she'd take the right, and either of us could change lanes after entering. She ended up slamming on her brakes and blasting her horn at me because she assumed she had a right to the left hand lane. I always assumed you turned into the lane nearest you, established your position there, and then changed if needed. Maybe I'm wrong since technically she had the right of way, i.e. I would've had to yield to her had she not been turning. I don't know.

 

[IcSyU]

The lane thing I've always wondered about. Recently I was turning left onto an access road with two lanes in that direction. A woman in an oncoming vehicle was turning right. So I went ahead and began my turn thinking I'd take the left lane, she'd take the right, and either of us could change lanes after entering. She ended up slamming on her brakes and blasting her horn at me because she assumed she had a right to the left hand lane. I always assumed you turned into the lane nearest you, established your position there, and then changed if needed. Maybe I'm wrong since technically she had the right of way, i.e. I would've had to yield to her had she not been turning. I don't know.

I'm pretty sure the Iowa Code is written how you interpreted the situation. I remember a diagram in the stupid driver's education book from way back when.

 

[Cyclonepride]

This is a reminder not to make it political.

Oops....can't see the forum on my CF app.

 

[longtimeclone]

This is the real solution. I would like to see it much harder to get a driver's license.

A few years ago, I didn't realize I my license was expired by a few months so I had to take the written test for my regular driving license and my motorycle license. I missed only one on the regular test and missed one too many on my motorcycle test. I thought the regular test was a joke because there were only 3 possible answers and the questions were very easy. In comparison, the motorycle test had 4 possible answers and I thought a lot of the questions could arguably have more than one possible answer so it was a little more difficult. After I was done I could not believe how easy the regular test was compared to the motorcycle one. I realize that motorcycles accidents are generally more serious than a car accidents but it is not helping the fact when you allow poor car drivers.

 

[alarson]

I'm pretty sure the Iowa Code is written how you interpreted the situation. I remember a diagram in the stupid driver's education book from way back when.

I remember something like that too, but i'll never assume that lane is going to be open as you never know how wide someone is going to make that turn.

 

[jbhtexas]

Allow them this, and eventually you will be monitored and fined for every little misstep that you take.

There's no point to having a law if the government isn't going to enforce it, and if there is no consequence for breaking that law.

If you don't like the law, that's fine and reasonable, and you can take action to get it changed. But I don't understand why people get so bent out of shape when the governemnt tries to enforce active laws. It really doesn't make any sense, because it is the government's job to enforce laws.

Why is a cop sitting in the median with a radar gun so much different than a speed camera on a pole in the median? The real issue isn't that it's a speed camera versus a live cop, but rather that people don't really want the speeding laws enforced in the first place...