Time to end traffic tickets as revenue
By our readers Thursday, June 14, 20071 comment(s) | Default | Large
Anyone who has driven through small towns in South Carolina will understand very well that many posted speed limits are designed for revenue, in far too many instances. (As an example, the Springfield Police Department writes, on average, 60 to 90 citations per month, and in my opinion, mainly for revenue.)
Early on, I wish to convey to the reader that I am certainly not opposed to traffic citations for those drivers who are endangering property and lives. Not stopping for stop signs, DUI, passing on yellow lines and driving at speeds that are dangerous for a particular location are some good reasons for citations.
The overall stopping distances for an automobile are: 30 mph, 75 feet; 40 mph, 120 feet; and 50 mph, 175 feet. The overall stopping distance is the time the driver reacts to a hazard and comes to a complete stop. In our area an average city block is about 450 feet in length and width. Therefore, at 40 mph the average driver in an average automobile can easily stop in less than one third the length of a city block. Even at 55 mph, the overall stopping distance would be about half of a city block.
Our legislators should enact a law that would allow SCDOT to determine uniform speed limits in all towns and cities based on stopping distances relative to the potential hazard. (Almost all paved roads within town limits are paved and maintained by the SCDOT.) Towns should not have the authority to determine what speed limits should be posted, because of the potential to take advantage of motorists for monetary reasons.
On Feb. 11, 1993, HR 3389 was passed by the S.C. House that allows small towns and counties to write citations for “careless driving” without affecting the driving record of the driver. Local police departments then determined that drivers would not voice much opposition because drivers would feel they were getting a break. Therefore, the floodgates were opened for municipalities to write citations more for revenue than safety.
Legislators should enact a new law that would allow municipalities to retain only about 10 percent of the amount charged to a driver for a “careless driving” citation, and the remainder should be sent to the SCDOT. Those funds should then be used exclusively for bridge and road repair.
Police departments should be created and operated for the protection of citizens, not revenue. Mayors would then learn to spend more conservatively without their “cash cow.”
– John W. Baxley, Springfield
There is a real problem concerning dirt roads not being paved. The community that I live in has submitted numerous petitions to Orangeburg County, dating back to 13 years ago, to get our roads paved.
Since I have been living in this small community, I have submitted two petitions myself. I have done all the research for alternate ways to fix these dirt roads, contacted the road maintenance supervisors, and even spoken to, at that time, our councilman, Mr. Harry Wimberly, who never returned any of my phone calls concerning this problem.
My neighbors and I have encountered many problems with our vehicles due to the roads not being paved. Who is going to pay for the maintenance on our vehicles, or do we use the money that we pay our taxes with to fix our vehicles? The council wants to enforce paying your taxes on time, but why can’t we get them to take care of these dirt roads?
The postal carrier will not allow us to send out mail because the road scraper has taken so much dirt from the roads that he is not able to reach into the mailboxes. The school buses are not allowed to come down the dirt roads to pick up our primary-aged students, so these kids have to walk almost a mile to get home. Who is going to take the blame when our kids are hit by other vehicles, or kidnapped? Nine times out of 10 they will make it look like the parents neglected their kids. Something needs to be done about this, and our community know that it is not our councilman.
– Timeka L. Hughes, Cordova
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Bryan, Cordova wrote on Jun 11, 2007 6:04 AM: