A place to discuss any general Highway Traffic Act related items.

Moderators: Radar Identified, Reflections, admin, hwybear, Decatur, bend

User avatar
Simon Borys
VIP
VIP
Posts: 1065
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 10:20 am
Contact:

Blog Of A Former Police Officer

by: Simon Borys on

You guys might be interested in my blog. I'm a former police officer in Ontario (traffic was my specialty) who's now going to law school to become a defence lawyer. Now I write about about a number of things including debunking police myths, traffic enforcement and providing information on new laws and legal issues. My last couple posts were about whether an officer can still give you a ticket if they don't have their hat on, whether police have to show you the number on the radar and whether police have quotas of tickets. If you're interested check it out!


http://simonborys.wordpress.com

Please feel free to contact me through my blog or email at simonborys@yahoo.com. I'm always looking for new ideas to write about so just tell me what you'd like to see.

User avatar
Reflections
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1489
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 2:49 pm
Location: somewhere in traffic

Moderator

by: Reflections on

I'm always looking for new ideas to write about so just tell me what you'd like to see.

We have already spoken quite loudly here. Please, if you have time, read through some of the opinions posted.


We do have 3 current officers on this board and one is a moderator.


A knowledgeable view point is always welcome.

http://www.OHTA.ca OR http://www.OntarioTrafficAct.com
User avatar
Reflections
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1489
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 2:49 pm
Location: somewhere in traffic

Moderator

by: Reflections on

Perhaps we should start a rant section, it has been mentioned before, and you could pull ideas from there.

http://www.OHTA.ca OR http://www.OntarioTrafficAct.com
viper1
Sr. Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 502
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:31 pm

by: viper1 on

Simon Borys wrote:New post up about my own day in court. I'm sure lots of you will have opinions on this one!


http://simonborys.wordpress.com

The last time I went to court I thought she was going to cry (the cop)

when the prosecutor said officer present. "no evidence"


Cheers

Viper1

"hang onto your chair when reading my posts
use at your own risk"
User avatar
FiReSTaRT
Sr. Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 371
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:01 pm
Location: GTA

by: FiReSTaRT on

Welcome aboard #2 Simon.. I was just about to post a plug for you here and then decided to see if you already posted :D

What kind of a man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.
ManlyMinute
Jr. Member
Jr. Member
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:47 pm

by: ManlyMinute on

I've got what may be a dumb question here but I'm putting it out there any ways. Why are there speed limits (MAXIMUM) and not speed ranges. No matter where you go the speed on any given highway fluctuates. On most 400 series I'd hazard a guess of about 30 over for average highway speed on a fast day, and yet most officers will let this go if it's the general flow of traffic.


Section 132 even states that any driver will not travel at a slow enough speed as to impede traffic. Granted that the exception is that you will not go fast enough as to be a danger.


Isn't the real issue not that people are speeding, but are giving themselves no time to react at such a speed by tailgating. Why don't cops regularly enforce tailgating laws rather than speeding so that more people will learn to space themselves more safely on highways?


Would having a highway you can travel 100-120 km/h in be so bad? As well anybody who rides up the ass of another driver would be entirely likely to get a ticket?


If anyone hits anyone at 80+ km/h, someone will get hurt. Make the ones who provide no reaction time pay up. Just an idea though.

User avatar
Simon Borys
VIP
VIP
Posts: 1065
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 10:20 am
Contact:

by: Simon Borys on

The problem with that is that people are still only concerned with the maximum. If the range was 100-120, people would treat 120 as the max and then go 30 over that. I don't see any added benefit to creating a range, since a maximum implies that you can go anything less than that and we don't really have a problem on roads in Ontario with people going too slow such that we need to set a minimum.


Also, Section 132 only applies to a person traveling under the posted speed limit and impeding traffic. So if you were going 105 on a 100 km/hr road you could not be charged under this section.

User avatar
hwybear
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 2934
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:21 am
Location: In YOUR rearview mirror!

Posting Awards

Moderator

by: hwybear on

ManlyMinute wrote:Isn't the real issue not that people are speeding, but are giving themselves no time to react at such a speed by tailgating. Why don't cops regularly enforce tailgating laws rather than speeding so that more people will learn to space themselves more safely on highways? .

Push your local MPP to let us have proper unmarked cars for this....as soon as a marked car is near....everyone usually becomes angels.


And some areas I know start at 16 over (demerit point area) for enforcement.

Above is merely a suggestion/thought and in no way constitutes legal advice or views of my employer. www.OHTA.ca
ManlyMinute
Jr. Member
Jr. Member
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:47 pm

by: ManlyMinute on

Ok I've gotta concede that one.


But if people become angle drivers when they see marked cop cars should I not push to have more plainly visible cops on highways?

User avatar
hwybear
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 2934
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:21 am
Location: In YOUR rearview mirror!

Posting Awards

Moderator

by: hwybear on

ManlyMinute wrote:Ok I've gotta concede that one.


But if people become angle drivers when they see marked cop cars should I not push to have more plainly visible cops on highways?


now here is own thoughts after being in traffic for over a decade.


Marked car = angels


If more cruisers/officers on roads = more cost to taxpayers to get the deterrent level needed to stop the aggressive driving.


so take an typical vehicle (say a GMC Envoy silver) and make it a traffic enforcement vehicle, kitted up with full lighting, siren and drive down the hwy, will not be long before someone follows too close or cuts through many lanes. Target vehicle gets stopped....for say 15min......500 drivers see the vehicle stopped by an Envoy. Now further down the road say 30km, another officer is in a blue Caravan and stops someone......now the drivers see that cruiser with someone pulled over.....many of us (myself included) would be leary of the next Envoy or Caravan in those colours......but keep mixing it up. I believe that would be more of a deterent than seeing a full marked car as you know where it is.


Just my last trip thru the GTR in a rental vehicle, I saw many different "aggressive" offences (outside of speed), which disrupts the "flow" of traffic that many talk about.

Above is merely a suggestion/thought and in no way constitutes legal advice or views of my employer. www.OHTA.ca
Locked
  • Similar Topics

Return to “General Talk”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests