Traffic police in Michigan and elsewhere in the United States are turning motorists into mobile cash dispensers, as states' fund-raising efforts turn desperate.
Aside from the blatant misuse of law enforcement resources, this trend effectively amounts to a hidden taxation program and hopefully should arouse a public backlash.
Speed traps, focus misplaced
Even the auto insurance companies are getting in on the act. One mild-mannered driver I know recently received a letter from his insurer threatening him with policy cancellation or a much higher premium. His crime: two very modest speeding infractions; 35 in a 30-mph and 55 in a 50-mph zone within a few months. This blow comes on top of an outrageous $180 fine for the first offense, the penalty being doubled because he was in a construction zone, even though the work was on a bridge above the road in question.
Local and state police are going out of their way to set up traps in such “easy pickings” locations. These are not legitimate targets like school zones, but lightly trafficked roads in prosperous neighborhoods that have artificially low speed limits. The results are tickets for school mums and shoppers — not exactly hardened criminal material.
Why not set up the traps in crime-ridden areas where people who deserve to be stopped for much worse than a simple “five over” are likely to be snagged?
Better still, why not concentrate on real driving offenses, like the insane lane weavers we suffer on Detroit freeways or the left-lane hogs who refuse to move over for faster traffic, causing backups and massed frustration in the process?
Interestingly, there is one state, Utah, which actually does the right thing in this regard. Slow drivers who “impede or block the normal and reasonable flow of traffic” can be fined.
Unfortunately, such common-sense legislation is rare.
Consider, for example, the nightmare facing residents of Virginia, where draconian four-figure fines are being levied for the most trivial traffic violations. Going 15 mph over the posted limit in Virginia will cost a driver a whopping extra $1,050 above the normal $200 fine and other court expenses. It gets worse: exceeding 80 mph in Virginia is considered reckless driving — a criminal offense — and fines of $2,500 and jail time are possible. Whether or not Virginia legislators think the 80 mph-plus truly qualifies as reckless is a moot point; they are counting on generating $65 million for the state coffers without raising taxes.
Current speeds acceptable
The issue for Michigan motorists is that if we are not careful we could end up in a similarly repressive “police state” driving environment. In normal, light-to-moderate traffic conditions, the average speed on Michigan freeways is around 80-85 mph. In my book, that is perfectly acceptable, because our roads and vehicles are built to be safe at that speed, if not higher.
Remember that speed itself is not the problem. Bad driving is. And that is a question of improving driver training.
What worries is the thought that if our state legislators envy the fund-raising tactics being employed in Virginia or other like-minded states, they may decide to turn us all into criminals.
