shali
14-11-2002, 03:53 PM
Assuming that speeding ranks fifth as a cause of accidents and if it's involved in only about one-fifth of all highway fatalities, then the idea of radar-gun-toting patrolmen hiding behind bushes sounds less like a safety campaign and more like plain old highway robbery or advance federal taxation worthy of further legal research. In this country, the police must write Borang 259 tickets to feed the consolidated fund, worse if that fund is shrinking fast. There sould not be 'back-door' revenue to the Government by way of special traffic operation or wild excitement to catch the 'buster' who drives at 115Kmph without valid and edible (mind the expression of disgust)justification. For example, during cuti Raya or other madly-peak periods where accidents almost always were caused by negligence and speed are fine, but still discretion is the better devil.
To suck up more revenue, the government was seen last year in giving "special offers" to ticket holders, from RM 300 down to RM100, then they stopped and they started it again. But no one, in and out of Government had proposed total amnesty. The Government realistic decision to stop "Saman Ekor" went into disarray. Some were not known by police, some lost the timetable, some didnt know how to handle the process, some forgot about it and paid anyway, some couldnt' be bothered at all.
Small amount of fine for speeding will cause police to lose interest in writing tickets, which meant less ticket revenue to the Government. In the light of history and experience, these high price fines issued by police would have the potential to create an 'exit' to offenders by offering improper payments to the ticket giver, in order to let him, the driver, escape. Some big-government supporters among us may also agree that this 'roadside revenue' collection is 'dirty' pool. I dont know.
Tickets or indirect taxes, guys? Take your pick. It's an exercise in semantic. Don't take it too hard, just ponder on it.
People drives at 120, 130 or 140 Kmph not because they are crazy of high speed, and 140 kmph is not high speed for some highway stretches as far as I'm concerned. Look at the CM of Melaka who calls for a speed limit of over 140kmph for some highways. That's after he was caught 'speeding' when he maintained that it was 'normal' speed, for his type of car. People dont just speed. It's the speed at which the average driver drives.
Studies show that regardless of speed limits and regardless of fines, most people drive at a speed THEY feel comfortable with, like the CM of Melaka. Measure the speeds of everyone in a given area... plot it on a chart. Most people fall right into a narrow band. That band, should be used as the speed limit. And on most highways, I guess it is between 100 and 140kmph. So, why aren't there speed limits between say, 110 and 140 kmph?? Ticket. Money.Revenue. And what's wrong with that? :)
What's wrong with police squatting near Jalan Parlimen , right under the traffic sign "50 KM/ph" (Im exagerrating, but you get the picture Im sure) when you would just have passed the Jalan Kuching at 110 or 90kmph? Why do we have to be tortured this way? Why was the speed limit near the old (gone) Kentucky Fried Chicken of Subang set at 80-90kmph - a built up area? Isnt that the speed for some highways?
Why suddenly change the speed limit from 110kmph to 50 0r 90 kmph and let a poor policeman squat near the 'spot of sudden and violent change of speed" ? Bahlol. It's me or them. I accept that. Do they?
To suck up more revenue, the government was seen last year in giving "special offers" to ticket holders, from RM 300 down to RM100, then they stopped and they started it again. But no one, in and out of Government had proposed total amnesty. The Government realistic decision to stop "Saman Ekor" went into disarray. Some were not known by police, some lost the timetable, some didnt know how to handle the process, some forgot about it and paid anyway, some couldnt' be bothered at all.
Small amount of fine for speeding will cause police to lose interest in writing tickets, which meant less ticket revenue to the Government. In the light of history and experience, these high price fines issued by police would have the potential to create an 'exit' to offenders by offering improper payments to the ticket giver, in order to let him, the driver, escape. Some big-government supporters among us may also agree that this 'roadside revenue' collection is 'dirty' pool. I dont know.
Tickets or indirect taxes, guys? Take your pick. It's an exercise in semantic. Don't take it too hard, just ponder on it.
People drives at 120, 130 or 140 Kmph not because they are crazy of high speed, and 140 kmph is not high speed for some highway stretches as far as I'm concerned. Look at the CM of Melaka who calls for a speed limit of over 140kmph for some highways. That's after he was caught 'speeding' when he maintained that it was 'normal' speed, for his type of car. People dont just speed. It's the speed at which the average driver drives.
Studies show that regardless of speed limits and regardless of fines, most people drive at a speed THEY feel comfortable with, like the CM of Melaka. Measure the speeds of everyone in a given area... plot it on a chart. Most people fall right into a narrow band. That band, should be used as the speed limit. And on most highways, I guess it is between 100 and 140kmph. So, why aren't there speed limits between say, 110 and 140 kmph?? Ticket. Money.Revenue. And what's wrong with that? :)
What's wrong with police squatting near Jalan Parlimen , right under the traffic sign "50 KM/ph" (Im exagerrating, but you get the picture Im sure) when you would just have passed the Jalan Kuching at 110 or 90kmph? Why do we have to be tortured this way? Why was the speed limit near the old (gone) Kentucky Fried Chicken of Subang set at 80-90kmph - a built up area? Isnt that the speed for some highways?
Why suddenly change the speed limit from 110kmph to 50 0r 90 kmph and let a poor policeman squat near the 'spot of sudden and violent change of speed" ? Bahlol. It's me or them. I accept that. Do they?