The average cop won't write enough tickets in his career to pay for even two entire years of his employment.
Cops would be employed whether they write tickets or not. We would still have real crime. If it were not about the money, you would have to do community service instead of paying a fine. That would be more of a detriment and people would comply in most cases. A cop visibly sitting on the side of the road is as much of a detriment to any traffic violations as one writing a ticket but produces no revenue. Spin it how you want, but the ones in charge want the money and will urge the police to write tickets. They might not say it right out loud but the message will get across. miles
the issuing agency in Florida gets 51% of the ticket money. It's why we have so many tickets written. In 2010, about a half a billion dollars were raised with traffic citations.
Protecting us unwashed masses from ourselves. And we actually pay taxes for such nonsense. I wonder how much training is required to generate revenue from people who don't wear, or forget to wear a seatbelt.
Well at least it keeps all the rest of us safe from those dangerous criminals who won't wear a seatbelt. (Though I've never figured out exactly how that works.)
How mugh do you think medical expenses from injuries do to not wearing a seatbelt cost Taxpayers as well as affect your insurance premiums?
P.S, you're welcome. And yes. It was overtime for me
Disagree. Insurance companies can say, you don't wear one, we aren't paying, I have no problem with that. We don't need the frigging law
Good post SierraBravo. I always wear mine, I've had friends ejected and killed too.
I just don't like the attitude or practice of a cop writing a ticket if a guy says the wrong thing to him. That's letting personal bias into the mix.
And I don't like traffic tickets as revenue generators. Last ticket I got was for speeding, 52 in a 40 mph zone. If I paid it within a certain time (14 days) they would drop it down to a non-moving violation. Say what? Nothing screams "cash flow" like a prompt payment bonus.
It's worked both ways for me. Once I was on my way to the airport, got pulled for speeding and the cop was probably expecting an excuse from me when he asked me why I was driving so fast. When I just said "no excuse, I just lost track of how fast I was going" he did a double take, noted the suitcase on my back seat, and asked me if I was headed to the airport. I said yes, and he let me go with a warning. Probably for just fessing up and not whining.
So do what you want. But don't be surprised to get a ticket, don't give cops crap for trying to make it a little safer for you.
OK,,, you're protecting me from me,,, it's for my own good,,, has nothing to do with the constitution or revenu, yadda, yadda,,,,,,, got it.
But,,, would it be acceptable for you, oh wise one, if I gave the lard ass cop crap for going on the internet and bragging about collecting overtime while handing out these well deserved tickets? Just asking.
Oh,,, and for the record,,, as I stated earlier, ID doesn't allow a "cop" to stop you for simply not wearing a seat belt and our traffic fatality statistics are no higher than any other state.
So don't tell me a seatbelt is bullshit, its a first amendment right or any other crap. Its a law.
Nobody said a seatbelt is bullshit. Seatbelt 'laws' are bullshit. Drug laws don't stop people from using drugs who want to use them. Gun laws don't stop criminals from using guns to commit crimes. And the seatbelt laws don't stop people from not wearing seatbelts who don't want to wear one.
Originally Posted by sierrabravo45
I have been on enough calls that a simple seat belt would have saved their life.
So what...? If people didn't smoke, they wouldn't get lung cancer and die from it. Should smoking be against the law too...?
Originally Posted by sierrabravo45
So do what you want. But don't be surprised to get a ticket, don't give cops crap for trying to make it a little safer for you.
I will. And nothing the government (city, State, or Federal) does surprises me. Cops aren't trying to make it safer for anybody by enforcing seatbelt laws, they are simply generatiing revenue...nothing more than that.
Originally Posted by sierrabravo45
And if/when you don't wear a seat belt and get in a major accident, don't be surprised when you never see your family again.
That's a risk people take when they choose to not wear a seatbelt, but it's 'them' making that decision for themselves...as opposed to having something else dictated to them by the government.
Sorry about your buddy. It's likely that all of us here have lost a friend or a family member due to an automobile accident, and in many of those...a seatbelt may or may not have made a difference.
Originally Posted by RickyD
Wearing seat belts is a great idea. The government penalizing people for not wearing them is not.
As much as I agree seat belts save lives I view wearing one as a First Ammendment type of issue. If I don't want to why should gooberment have the right to make me. Fuggem
Not the 1st Amendment. Seat belts and free speech aren't even remotely connected. It comes more under the 10th Amendment - its strictly a states rights thing.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
The State of Texas gets 90% of all traffic fines, the court having jurisdiction gets 10%. None goes to the LEA writing a ticket.
"Click it or Ticket", in Texas, is a program where officers are hired on an overtime basis by the Texas Department of Transportation for the sole purpose of seat belt violations.
The only thing worse than a liberal is a liberal that thinks they're a conservative.
The State of Texas gets 90% of all traffic fines, the court having jurisdiction gets 10%. None goes to the LEA writing a ticket. "Click it or Ticket", in Texas, is a program where officers are hired on an overtime basis by the Texas Department of Transportation for the sole purpose of seat belt violations.
To generate revenue for the State of Texas (90%) and a little for the Court having jurisdiction (10%).
The State of Texas gets 90% of all traffic fines, the court having jurisdiction gets 10%. None goes to the LEA writing a ticket. "Click it or Ticket", in Texas, is a program where officers are hired on an overtime basis by the Texas Department of Transportation for the sole purpose of seat belt violations.
To generate revenue for the State of Texas (90%) and a little for the Court having jurisdiction (10%).
Don't forget lobbying by the Insurance companies too. They are the sole reason seat belt laws exist.
The only thing worse than a liberal is a liberal that thinks they're a conservative.
Member of the "saved by the belt" club here...and very thankful to be alive. Yep...believe I'll buckle up every time I'm in a vehicle.
Our son probably would not be here today if the wife and I had not emphasized seat belt usage. He actually dug out the seat belts from behind the seat one time in a friend's truck, insisting that they put the belts on. It paid off for him too, as they were in a horrific accident 15 minutes later and more than likely been ejected from the truck and who knows what else from that point on. He is now a 26 year old paramedic and has seen the worst life has to offer. He would buckle up on the riding lawn mower now if he had seat belts on it!
To each his own.....don't buckle if you don't want to...don't come crying to me though.
You only live once, but...if you do it right, once is enough.
The State of Texas gets 90% of all traffic fines, the court having jurisdiction gets 10%. None goes to the LEA writing a ticket. "Click it or Ticket", in Texas, is a program where officers are hired on an overtime basis by the Texas Department of Transportation for the sole purpose of seat belt violations.
To generate revenue for the State of Texas (90%) and a little for the Court having jurisdiction (10%).
Don't forget lobbying by the Insurance companies too. They are the sole reason seat belt laws exist.
Correct ^^^ Lobbyist's,,, the same reason smoking isn't illegal.
99% of laws only exist to "protect and serve" special interests.
Was in an accident where the driver would have probably been killed or seriously injured if he'd have been wearing a belt. Hell we both should have not walked away from it. Rolled a truck on I5 outside of Coalinga Ca. He was tossed to the passenger side and the driver side roof was crushed to the top of the steering wheel. I was asleep in the bed, tore the canopy off and I ended up in the canopy along with a pachinko machine. Both of us came out of it with just a few scratches. Lot's of pachinko balls all over the highway.
Anyway I still wore my seat-belt after that and still do. Now do I think that we should have laws to enforce seat-belt use? No. I wear it because it's smart. I think that there should be limited liability to insurance companies and other drivers when a seat-belt is not worn. In my mind it both a revenue device and a device to justify stops.
