Comment by akira2501 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by akira2501 | Hacker News Reader

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> have speed limits and fines set based on the idea that cops won't catch most speeders

I don't think there is any truth to this at all.

> We set a relatively low max speed

We made the mistake of mixing vehicle and pedestrian infrastructure. Our speed choices have way more to do with this than with imagined enforcement outcomes.

> because you are only going to be pulled over a fraction of the time.

Many cites engage in "zero tolerance traffic enforcement" programs. This is where they patrol a single stretch of road and stop every single person who is even 1mph above the limit.

> most are designed based on the enforcement capabilities of the time.

Most are "designed" (a.k.a rapidly created and pushed into existence) in reaction to disasters that occurred and people broadly feel could have been prevented if there was a law curtailing the behavior that led up to the accident.

We didn't make speeding laws based upon "enforcement capabilities" we made them in response to "wasteful deaths."

> We made the mistake of mixing vehicle and pedestrian infrastructure

Who is "we"? Vehicles and pedestrians mixing is something that predates recorded history.

> who is even 1mph above the limit.

Neither the radar gun, not the speedometer on a car are accurate enough for that.

> Who is "we"? Vehicles and pedestrians mixing is something that predates recorded history.

The collective "we."

> Neither the radar gun, not the speedometer on a car are accurate enough for that.

You have a radar gun. You clock a car. The gun says 30mph. You clock the next car. The gun says 31mph. In the latter case you write a ticket.

You're free to argue the vagaries of measurement systems in court. Good luck.

> You're free to argue the vagaries of measurement systems in court. Good luck.

Won't need much luck, the first time this shows up in court it will be thrown out and officers told to stop writing false tickets.

There's a reason cops don't ticket anything less than 10mpg over - the tools they use are not just that accurate. It's a fake number.

> You're free to argue the vagaries of measurement systems in court

This is incredibly common [1].

[1] https://www.findlaw.com/traffic/traffic-stops/can-i-challeng...

A lot of your post wreaks of 'citation needed' but I'll choose this one.

>Many cites engage in "zero tolerance traffic enforcement" programs. This is where they patrol a single stretch of road and stop every single person who is even 1mph above the limit.

Searching this all I find is Virginia where over 80 is an automatic reckless driving, but the highest speed limit in the state is actually 70. I've never heard of anyone being pulled over for 1mph over the limit.

It's called "STEP." The NHTSA encourages states to do it. Several California cities engage in it once a month. Search a little harder before you victoriously declare "citation needed!"

https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/hs810851.pdf

> Search a little harder before you victoriously declare "citation needed!"

FWIW, that's the opposite of how citation requests work. Support your claims

"Reeks" (stinks) not "wreaks" (inflicts). And for any linguistic archaeologists of the future, yes, this is evidence that those two words are audibly indistinguishable in American English in this time period.

Yeah, they'll do it. You'll typically see a pair of cops with a speed gun. Then as you pass a curve, bridge, or other obstruction there will be six or more squad cars lined up. Speeders are picked up by radioing ahead. I've seen it in Illinois.

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