Avoidable Accident??

[PrivatePilot]

Another alternative is some cameras. With enough strategically placed cameras and big fines, jumping across the line would be financially non-viable for most people. Hell, after a couple camera tickets, they could ban your plates from HOV entirely so if a cop caught you in HOV they could use the big stick.

Just to play devils advocate, weren’t you against speed camera fines in the other thread a while back? Automatic camera tickets for one thing is good whilst not for the other?

 

[GreyGhost]

Just to play devils advocate, weren’t you against speed camera fines in the other thread a while back? Automatic camera tickets for one thing is good whilst not for the other?

I'm always against fishing. Conditioning people to watch for the lights to know when speed limit is lower and/or changing the speed limit six times a day to ensure confusion and/or posting a speed limit many tens of km below road design speed are for naximum revenue and nothing to do with safety. I am very much against those aspects. Implemented reasonably with a reasonable threshold, I don't have problems with automated speed enforcement. Cameras that determine who is jumping across the line that is never to be crossed (while almost always creating a dangerous situation as the aholes don't pay proper attention) seem reasonable to me.

 

[nobbie48]

I recall seeing that accident…brutal and I pass that section every time I come home from work.

As for HOV and closing speed…don’t care what the proper blocking position is. I go and keep as far left of the lane as possible just to give myself most time to react, and swerving doesn’t need to be as high of an angle as from the right track to avoid.

I also tailgate cars in the HOV lane because there’s a much smaller chance of the car I’m following being cut off than there is of me getting cut off.

I was touring through Virginia and traffic slowed for construction. I like space around me so kept back a bit from the car ahead of me.

A deer saw that space as a crosswalk to the other side of the highway. I slammed on the brakes and the deer did a U turn. If my right hand wasn't clenched on the brakes, I could have swatted the thing on its rear end.

 

[ReSTored]

Another alternative is some cameras. With enough strategically placed cameras and big fines, jumping across the line would be financially non-viable for most people. Hell, after a couple camera tickets, they could ban your plates from HOV entirely so if a cop caught you in HOV they could use the big stick.

I think we underutilize technology and camera enforcement could change drver behavior for the better,

Focus on the gross behaviors that increase the risk of an accident. These could include crossing the solid line re HOV lanes. Extreme speeding, left lane hogs, tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic. Whatever. All of these parameters could be programmed into an AI system. Start with parameters set wide to capture the worst drivers, assess results and then tighten up the parameters as time goes on.

I maintain that a pretty small percentage of driver make life miserable for others. Hammer them with fines and force them to modify their behavior. Aggresively pursue repeat offenders with excalating fines / license suspensions, even vehicle seizures if it comes to that.

Use license plate readers to highlight those vehicles without proper registration, no insurance, those owned by people with suspended drivers licences or repeated DUI convictions.

Surely there must be a large city somewhere that is doing this that we could learn from?