Warning: Texas Law

[doh]

One of the main reasons for the new law is that DPS has lost several troopers in the Austin area (some on video tape) due to distracted motorists hitting them - at 70 mph.

This reduces the ability of DPS to collect adequate fines.

There has also been a significantly increased visibility of motorcycle radar cops recently - they must have some new toy's to play with and test. Not unusual to see 3-4 along the side of the road with radar guns.

They are also starting to use the vehicle mounted gizmo that calculates speed of other vehicles while the radar car is moving. This has been around a long time in some states - but seems to be a new toy here.

IH-35 through Austin can be very dangerous.

[Theo]

Originally posted by markdoane

Including some people driving trucks. It is way to easy to get a CDL. Read a few pages about airbrakes, learn how to do a pre-trip inspection, take a quick lesson from a driving instructor and a medical exam and you can drive just about anything with wheels (except hazardous materials and schoolchildren).

I do not know where you got the information, but my CDL took a lot more than that. other than the mandatory 5 days classroom, and many hours instruction on the road, the written test was 500 questions, and the driving test was 75 minutes, with a loaded trailer. On top of that the DOT endorsement tests were required to obtain the licence after the test.

Theo

[BillS]

Originally posted by doh
One of the main reasons for the new law is that DPS has lost several troopers in the Austin area (some on video tape) due to distracted motorists hitting them - at 70 mph....

IH-35 through Austin can be very dangerous.

That's why I avoid I-35 between Waco and San Antonio like the plague!

US 77 and US 281 are much less crowded routes with fewer trucks and "crazies". The highways have paved shoulders with passing lanes on the hills, some 4-lane and plenty of picnic areas that aren't stacked full of 18 wheelers to stop for a break. You'll have more stops going through small towns, but it's much easier on the nerves when towing a trailer.

Bill

[markdoane]

Theo,
Well, I'll feel a lot safer driving through Tennessee than Minnesota. I'm just giving you my experiences. No classroom. Maybe 30 minutes on the road instruction. Written test was about 50 questions (multiple choice). Test took about an hour.

[talmage]

As a former police officer, I can honestly say that I NEVER had a quota. They ALWAYS let us write as many tickets as we wanted to!
----on a more serious note----
Isn't this law simply trying to instill a little common courtesy? I challenge anyone to be standing beside the roadway and have a vehicle pass you going 55 or more MPH within a few feet of you and not get scared, feel uneasy, etc.
Courteous drivers have always pulled to the left when there was a vehicle [not just a police officer] on the right shoulder of the roadway.
Texas also, like many other states, has a law also that automatically double traffic fines in a construction zone if workers are present.

[dscluchfc]

My 2 cents...
I got a finger shook at me for not pulling over a couple days ago by an officer who had someone pulled over at the bottom of an overpass....on the downhill side of it. You could not even SEE there was an officer there until I was within 100 yards of him. If the Trooper wants me to pull over into the left lane, or slow down, he needs to be VISIBLE with enough distance to accommodate compliance with the law. I will gladly comply given a chance to do so.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by 85MH325

John...

I'd be calling the Texas Governor's office to raise hell! Doesn't Texas DPS have anything better to do with their time than to 'simulate' an emergency to catch move-over violators who are otherwise minding their own business? Geez! Aren't there any 'REAL' emergencies in Texas that they ought to be legitimately dealing with? What a waste of taxpayers' money!

More importantly, depending on how that law is written, I'm not entirely sure that it was violated if DPS wasn't operating in the due course of their duties; in other words, if they only had the lights going to see who wasn't going to move over, I'm not sure that there was an exigency that made it NECESSARY for traffic to move in accordance with the statute... Hmmmm....

Roger

So they have a real purpose, why not send out a couple of extra units to a bonafide emergency, and then pull over people that don't comply. No one's ire would be raised from wasted imitation emergencies, the law would be enforced, and think how secure you would feel if 4 cruisers pulled up to assist you with a fender-bender!

[slowmover]

Enjoyed reading this thread from three years ago. I can say that Texas drivers seem to understand this better than before (I was taught many years ago to do just this, now it is easier since others "get it") and, unless you have the 75-mph cretins out in packs, traffic moves quite well.

Texas finally changed the road signage from "Slower traffic keep right" to "Left lane for passing only". I wish the DPS would go after this more (with attendant TV news coverage) as the cretins think that since they are speeding that they should therefore remain in the left lane.

I've woken more than one from a snooze when I signal to move out to the left lane and proceed to do so.

Overtaking is not passing. Ironically, the "move left" law causes the cretins to see this more often and they don't lose their tiny bit of composure so easily.

[wanderer1]

Originally Posted by markdoane

Including some people driving trucks. It is way to easy to get a CDL. Read a few pages about airbrakes, learn how to do a pre-trip inspection, take a quick lesson from a driving instructor and a medical exam and you can drive just about anything with wheels (except hazardous materials and schoolchildren).

Mr.Doane,all you have to do to get the public pass. endorcement is study the book and pass the test! To get a hazmat endorcement,you must (now-a-days) clear a back ground check,study the c.d.l. book,and pass the test! News flash: Almost all states require NOTHING special to drive a motorhome of any size ,other than a standard license! You should worry more about the guy who only drove a Ford Escort the last twenty years,but just bought a brand spanking new 42' Monaco motorhome,and is riding down the road with ZERO training of any kind,and he's beside you on the interstate! Some semi's run hard and fast because thats what (big business) dictates,if the trucks late,they can lose the whole account! Just you wait till the "south of the border" (cheaper) trucks start running the states! You ain't seen nothin yet! I have,and it's not pretty! And yes I hold a c.d.l.,was grandfathered when they first created c.d.l.'s. O.K.,off the soapbox.

[Argosy man]

About the quota thing, yes I agree there is not a quota. However, if police do not write tickets- it reflects on his performance and he will not get promoted. It has the same result as a quota. A policeman is writing tickets because he has to, to get ahead. Instead working for the common good, lawmakers have turned our policemen into revenue collectors.

Of course I am jaded by living in Michigan, a state that tried to fine people $300 for no proof of insurance, even if that person could prove later that he was insured at that time. Only public uproar got rid of that law.

Now the State of Michigan is charging people $200 per point per year for every point a person has over 6 points. So not only has that person had to pay his tickets and higher insurance, the state is also on a money grab. It is the stupid type of law that is passed because lawmakers are afraid that if they don't vote for it, people will say they support bad drivers.

Laws like these, that are so clearly passed just to collect money, make people distrustful of the whole system.

[wanderer1]

Opps,back to the thread topic! Many states have the "slow down,move over" law in effect. They however don't seem to use them as a excuse for a speed trap thought.

[yukionna]

Originally Posted by talmage

...
Isn't this law simply trying to instill a little common courtesy? I challenge anyone to be standing beside the roadway and have a vehicle pass you going 55 or more MPH within a few feet of you and not get scared, feel uneasy, etc.
Courteous drivers have always pulled to the left when there was a vehicle [not just a police officer] on the right shoulder of the roadway.
Texas also, like many other states, has a law also that automatically double traffic fines in a construction zone if workers are present.

Haven't you ever noticed that most tractor trailer drivers move over, when feasible. It makes sense.

[Motoman]

Originally Posted by 85MH325

Hmmm... where do I start? I have been Chief in two departments. I also worked for a major city in SoCal in my formative years, and a Sheriff's Office in NoCal for a number of years. In the four departments I've worked for in nearly 30 years, I can honestly tell you that there is/was no "quota". There are, of course, standards of performance... we want our cops out working, NOT sitting in the donut shops! <snicker> How best to determine what they're doing? Direct supervision is best, but nearly impossible. The next best thing is by looking at 'widget' production. What's a 'widget'? In the SoCal departmetnt, the defacto standard was that you needed one 'widget' an hour to keep your sergeant off your case. That 'widget' could be a cite, parking cite, citizen contact, crime investigation, field interview, building check or whatever; in other words something that showed you weren't parked sleeping in a garage somewhere.

Traffic laws are truly written and enforced for the safety of the public. That's the reason they should be enforced as well. If you think it's other than that in your city/county, I'd suggest you call your elected representatives and find out why! (Tell 'em Roger sent you!)

Now... for what it's worth, if I write two more tickets before the end of the week, I can redeem them at the ticket quota redemption store for a new toaster oven!!!!

Roger

I believe that California enacted a similar law this year or it went into effect this year. As others have said the law makes sense for both the officer and the motoring public's safety.

I did want to comment on the arguement of quotas, at least in California. Roger should be able to better explain it but I seemed to remember my city police officer friends explaining that revenues from speeding tickets and other citations do not go to the agency issuing them; the majority of the fines collected go to the court and the state so a city or county does not receive monetary benefit from a quota or minimum number of tickets as a standard.

[SilverRanger]

Originally Posted by Motoman

I did want to comment on the arguement of quotas, at least in California. Roger should be able to better explain it but I seemed to remember my city police officer friends explaining that revenues from speeding tickets and other citations do not go to the agency issuing them; the majority of the fines collected go to the court and the state so a city or county does not receive monetary benefit from a quota or minimum number of tickets as a standard.

I suppose each state or jurisdiction may do it differently. In Delaware, traffic fines generated by state agencies go into the state's general fund, and the money generated through traffic enforcement by local police goes directly back to the municipality. On many occasions this has caused problems, as some towns did indeed use traffic fines as a source of revenue. Typically, it was driven by elected officials, and not the police departments. In fact, I know of two chiefs who resigned rather than comply, and one who was fired because he refused to comply.

On the issue of quotas: I know that some agencies require their officers to have a specific number of contacts for certain time periods, whether they be tickets or warnings (written or verbal), as one measure of performance. I believe some agencies have become somewhat dependent on federal funds, which almost always have several strings attached. For example, there are several grants available for traffic enforcement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA provides funds for equipment (radar, intoxilyzers, vehicles, bicycles, etc.) and manpower (overtime) that smaller agencies may not be able to provide through their normal budgets, but they are very statistically driven and expect progressive results for their money. For some agencies, this may translate into quotas.

I just retired after 22 years in law enforcement, with the last 16 as chief. Fortunately, during my tenure I never found myself in a position to impose quotas of any kind, and hope that continues.

[10brink]

We don't have quotas here. We can write as many as we want! No one is promoted on how many they do, or do not, write. Things look a little different when you're standing next to a traffic lane and vehicles are going by a few inches away at 70 MPH.

[Condoluminum]

California did pass a "Move left" statute that took effect this year, but given the substantial number of drivers (many actually licensed and insured..) who haven't yet mastered the "Move right and slow/stop" when an emergency vehicle is approaching with red/blue/strobe lights flashing and sirens and horns blaring, it might take a while for people to get with the new concept... More and more officers are wisely parking a few lengths behind the stopped vehicle, and approaching from the passenger side...

Our "ticket revenues" follow a path towards the "owner" of the highway and policing agency... Car Pool violations ($271) on state highways or seat belt violations go to the states, which is why local sheriffs and muni police are loath to enforce.. Speeding and impaired driving fines on state highways also flow to Sacramento, which is where urban legend that local police couldn't ticket speeders on a freeway arose.. They can and will enforce laws if outrageous, but they know the revenue goes elsewhere.. Muni police get revenue for local street violations, stop sign and traffic light violations, and improper turns, etc... Trailers are not permitted in carpool lanes in CA during enforcement hours, regardless of number of occupants..

[rickandsandi]

We, like so many of our fellow forum members we have driven through many states (34) and thousands and thousands of miles. More the rule than not, we pull over one lane whenever we can when there is anyone or thing in the breakdown lane regardless of HP Car or not. It is the safest thing to do. How many times have you not pulled away and someone opens a drivers side door right in front of you when you are going 60+ MPH? As far as getting tickets, it isn't very hard to figure out folks: if you ain't breakin' the law, you don't get pulled over, you don't get pulled over, you don't get a ticket. Wow, what a surprise!

[zamboni]

"As far as getting tickets, it isn't very hard to figure out folks: if you ain't breakin' the law, you don't get pulled over, you don't get pulled over, you don't get a ticket. Wow, what a surprise!"

I'd have to agree here...who cares if local police or HP have quotas...those of us that obey the traffic laws have nothing to worry about. Let those that act like fools, put our lives in danger, or worse PAY, PAY, PAY! If there were a way to bill criminals for law enforcement, prosectution and incarseration to keep law abiding citizens from paying for it through increased taxes, I say make'em PAY!

[Stream 1529]

When we traveled into Indiana and Ohio in 2004, I remember seeing signs posted advising drivers to "move left" for stopped emergency vehicles once we left Texas. I have yet to see such a sign posted on Texas highways. Maybe I'm on the wrong highways - who knows.

I'm glad someone renewed this thread because I needed the reminder.

________Tom

[LJH]

Zamboni, My wife, The Lovely Mary, is a Deputy Clerk of Court. The judge she works for charges all his "clientel" $45 a day for every day served in jail. We like it! LJH PS thats over and ubove any fines or fees.