The chief of police in Eustis, the first-ever city in Florida to install speed cameras in a school zone and send out tickets, got a surprise after activating the cameras on April 3.
Capri pointed out driver after driver speeding through the 40 mph school zone. A Forty MPH school zone? They are nearly all 20 around here. There are a few 30s, but I've never seen a 40 MPH school zone. I'm still a bit confused by them. It's not like anyone walks.
Many people don't give a shit about speed laws, because humans are emotional reacting, instant gratification creatures. They do what they want and when they get nailed for 25 over, they whine about "it's not fair", shell out moola for the fine and the next day it's all forgotten. I'm not defending the shoot fish in a barrel 1 mph over gets a $100 fine, but there are sensible limits to everything.
I’ve had a 180 degree change of opinion on speed cameras. When they first came out, I was totally opposed to them.
But then after a while, two things occurred to me: 1) there’s a lot of people that just drive too damn fast and they need to tamp that sh!t down. 2) cops around here no longer run speed traps or pull people over for speeding anymore, so your odds of having an inconveniently timed contact with law enforcement are now essentially zero, which is a real plus for those of us who choose to keep a gun close at hand in our vehicles, which is sometimes at odds with local laws.
The cameras only issue a ticket at 11mph over the posted limit. That seems pretty fair to me. 45 in a 35 school zone is pushing it. Any more than that and you frankly deserve a ticket.
This doesn't surprise me. A friend's wife was a police officer for 25 years. She was one of the good ones. She said her favorite assignment was school zones. She never had trouble writing enough tickets to meet requirements (she never called it a quota, that was implied), and would often write two or three tickets to the same driver every week.
So, here's the spot where it's installed: https://maps.app.goo.gl/uC7eDXayRkV51b32A
It's a main drag through town. It's actually the main way out of town towards Daytona Beach from there. I've driven through the area many times, but I don't think I've ever gone more than about 45 through the area, the speed limit is 40. The school zone is a regular 20 mph zone, and it's well marked. But people can be stupid, and they tend to treat the straight roads here like it's a drag strip, so I can understand why they want to try something to fix the issue.
I will admit, though, that I've never seen a kid cross that road, it's a four lane with a middle turn lane, so even adults would be leery of crossing there.
Speed limits were set in the 1920s and are too low for most locations (I'm not talking about not school zones). When you learn how they set the speed limits back then, you will not be happy. They were set by the 85% rule. In other words they set the limit by measuring the speed that 85% were going. Can you imagine our government accepting the fact that 85% of our people have good sense?
I was 16, fifty plus years ago. Just got my Schwinn 10 speed bicycle, remember bicycles? Where I lived at the time,10th gear wasn’t always possible to peddle. So here it was, slight downhill for a loooog way. I’m in highest gear and peddling my ass off…..In a school zone! Cop clocked me at 34mph in a 15 and chewed me out for running the crosswalk stop sign.
Capri pointed out driver after driver speeding through the 40 mph school zone.
ReplyDeleteA Forty MPH school zone? They are nearly all 20 around here. There are a few 30s, but I've never seen a 40 MPH school zone.
I'm still a bit confused by them. It's not like anyone walks.
30 around here most places, but it seems like the school zone in Westmoreland on Hwy 52 has a 35mph speed limit when the lights are flashing.
Delete20mph round these parts
DeleteMany people don't give a shit about speed laws, because humans are emotional reacting, instant gratification creatures. They do what they want and when they get nailed for 25 over, they whine about "it's not fair", shell out moola for the fine and the next day it's all forgotten. I'm not defending the shoot fish in a barrel 1 mph over gets a $100 fine, but there are sensible limits to everything.
ReplyDeleteGuess they never heard of speed bumps.
ReplyDeleteI’ve had a 180 degree change of opinion on speed cameras. When they first came out, I was totally opposed to them.
ReplyDeleteBut then after a while, two things occurred to me: 1) there’s a lot of people that just drive too damn fast and they need to tamp that sh!t down. 2) cops around here no longer run speed traps or pull people over for speeding anymore, so your odds of having an inconveniently timed contact with law enforcement are now essentially zero, which is a real plus for those of us who choose to keep a gun close at hand in our vehicles, which is sometimes at odds with local laws.
The cameras only issue a ticket at 11mph over the posted limit. That seems pretty fair to me. 45 in a 35 school zone is pushing it. Any more than that and you frankly deserve a ticket.
Don't like speed cams, but, really, 80MPH in a school zone?
ReplyDeleteFrank G
This doesn't surprise me. A friend's wife was a police officer for 25 years. She was one of the good ones. She said her favorite assignment was school zones. She never had trouble writing enough tickets to meet requirements (she never called it a quota, that was implied), and would often write two or three tickets to the same driver every week.
ReplyDeleteSo, here's the spot where it's installed: https://maps.app.goo.gl/uC7eDXayRkV51b32A
ReplyDeleteIt's a main drag through town. It's actually the main way out of town towards Daytona Beach from there. I've driven through the area many times, but I don't think I've ever gone more than about 45 through the area, the speed limit is 40. The school zone is a regular 20 mph zone, and it's well marked. But people can be stupid, and they tend to treat the straight roads here like it's a drag strip, so I can understand why they want to try something to fix the issue.
I will admit, though, that I've never seen a kid cross that road, it's a four lane with a middle turn lane, so even adults would be leery of crossing there.
Speed limits were set in the 1920s and are too low for most locations (I'm not talking about not school zones). When you learn how they set the speed limits back then, you will not be happy. They were set by the 85% rule. In other words they set the limit by measuring the speed that 85% were going. Can you imagine our government accepting the fact that 85% of our people have good sense?
ReplyDeleteI was 16, fifty plus years ago. Just got my Schwinn 10 speed bicycle, remember bicycles?
ReplyDeleteWhere I lived at the time,10th gear wasn’t always possible to peddle.
So here it was, slight downhill for a loooog way.
I’m in highest gear and peddling my ass off…..In a school zone!
Cop clocked me at 34mph in a 15 and chewed me out for running the crosswalk stop sign.