[bootlegga]

Lemmy Lemmy:

Yogi Yogi:

Long overdue! Yes there are a multitude of laws which cover the various instances of 'driving while distracted. This new law brings them all together.

No. This is a photo-op; a public relations move, nothing more. The cops already have the laws they need to deal with distracted drivers. They just need to start enforcing the laws they've already got. Driving while distracted is careless driving. Call it what it is. We don't need a careless driving law and a bunch of laws for each specific breed of careless driving. We don't have a charge of "murder" and separate charges for "murder with a knife" and "murder with the lead pipe in the conservatory".

Not really, the law currently here in Alberta requires too much burden of proof from the judge to allow the fine (as the article says). Therefore, if someone gets nailed these days, all they have to do is show up for the court date and deny whatever the police officer says.

[Lemmy]

bootlegga bootlegga:

Not really, the law currently here in Alberta requires too much burden of proof from the judge to allow the fine (as the article says). Therefore, if someone gets nailed these days, all they have to do is show up for the court date and deny whatever the police officer says.

Then that same problem will exist with any new law that's introduced. The solution is to smarten-up the judges, not continue to pass unenforceable legislations.

[uwish]

bootlegga bootlegga:

ASLplease ASLplease:

I agree that $172 dollars isn't enough, but I'm pissed at how many fines are in the $500 or higher range. when a person is taking home less than 40k after taxes, someone ought to have his balls cut off to suggest that a $1200 speeding ticket - where no harm was done - is reasonable.

The answer is easy, don't break the law and you won't pay the fine. Guess how many $1200 speeding tickets I've gotten on the Banff - Lake Louise highway, even though I drive it a couple times a year? ZERO. Signs notifying drivers of that law are posted throughout the province, even on secondary highways, so ignorance of the law is no excuse either.

That safety law that you bitch about so much was instituted because some dumbass was driving at highway speed and rammed a police cruiser, sending the officer in it across the QE 2 highway, through the ditch and across the other side of the highway, killing him. How did this happen? He was writing a speeding ticket for someone else and was rear-ended a guy in a 5 ton truck.

while I do agree with your post then answer me this...why do cruisers not pull over all the way when stopping a vehicle? In Calgary, the last 10 cop cars I have seen stopped with lights on were completely in the middle and in two cases not only in the right lane but sticking into the left lane as well? I phoned the local detachment and asked what the policy is. I was told 'we always pull over as far as possible to avoid and possible safety issues' I called BS and gave 10 times and cruiser #'s.

Its it more do as I say not as I do BS from the boys in blue.

[Alta_redneck]

uwish uwish:

why do cruisers not pull over all the way when stopping a vehicle?

They use their car to protect themselves from getting run over while there out talking to the other driver.

[uwish]

well according to their own SOP's it is against protocol.

[Scape]

Lemmy Lemmy:

bootlegga bootlegga:

Not really, the law currently here in Alberta requires too much burden of proof from the judge to allow the fine (as the article says). Therefore, if someone gets nailed these days, all they have to do is show up for the court date and deny whatever the police officer says.

Then that same problem will exist with any new law that's introduced. The solution is to smarten-up the judges, not continue to pass unenforceable legislations.

There is NOTHING a cop can do if some fool is using her compact to do her lipstick while changing her song on her Mp3 player and texting on the cell phone while driving through an intersection. He can only pull over if there is probable cause like excessive swerving like a drunk driver. That why we had to pass the law here in BC so they could at least stop people texting while driving but you can not pull some one over for being stupid while driving.

I like this law, and yes by the letter of it can been seen as excessive but I defer to the judgment of the officer at the time rather then that of the idiot driver who has no regard for anyone else on the road. If there is a discrepancy or abuse the courts can sort that out but the fact is there are FAR too many careless drivers on the roads and the fines are far to low.

[DerbyX]

uwish uwish:

well according to their own SOP's it is against protocol.

I don't know about their SOPs but AR is quite correct it is done to protect the officer and for good reason. If they pull their car completely over then they are a great risk to getting hit by cars driving in the same lane and simply swerve around the police car. Police have been hit and killed. By not pulling over fully they create a zone of protection where a driver has to serve farther around.

Not only that but provinces should have mandatory slow down pull over laws like Ontario enacted a few years back. Under those laws when a cop pulls somebody over all cars are required to slow down and to merge into the farthest lane opposite the stopped cars.

[Yogi]

DerbyX DerbyX:

uwish uwish:

well according to their own SOP's it is against protocol.

I don't know about their SOPs but AR is quite correct it is done to protect the officer and for good reason. If they pull their car completely over then they are a great risk to getting hit by cars driving in the same lane and simply swerve around the police car. Police have been hit and killed. By not pulling over fully they create a zone of protection where a driver has to serve farther around.

Not only that but provinces should have mandatory slow down pull over laws like Ontario enacted a few years back. Under those laws when a cop pulls somebody over all cars are required to slow down and to merge into the farthest lane opposite the stopped cars.

We do have such a law here in Ab. It protects any police, ambulance, highway workers, construction zones,emergency workers, tow truck operators etc. If an emergency vehicle is pulled off to the side of the road then the lane closest must slow down to 60 km/hr. Or if it is only a 2 lane hiway. Fines for violation are high-in the thousands+ ar least 6 demerits or loss of licence, and no warnings are given.