Speeding Tickets

Okay, speeding is illegal. Everyone knows that. But think about it. There is nothing morally wrong about speeding. Most of the time, people don't drive dangerously fast, so most of the time there's really nothing wrong with it. Everybody does their "5 over" and this is accepted as normal. But if you go 10mph over the speed limit, you may get a ticket. Even going 120mph in a 55mph zone on a straight, deserted road is not really dangerous, but the cops sure do like to catch you doing it.

There is a difference between driving fast, and driving dangerously. I see people drive dangerously all the time, and the police ignore it. Changing lanes excessively, talking on the phone, driving in two lanes, driving an unsafe vehicle, driving too slow, and other reckless or careless driving is extremely common. But the police ignore it, and focus on speeding instead.

Why?

The main reason cops spend so much time catching speeders is money. It's a quick and easy way to raise money for the police department. It's not because of any deep philosophical or ethical reason. Just money.

Part of our tax already goes to the police. But speeding works like another tax on top of that. It's something almost everyone does, and almost everyone gets caught doing. Get a $120 fine for going 15mph over the speed limit? Too bad for you, buddy. It's about as "wrong" as spitting on the sidewalk. But people pay the fine anyway. But if the police tried to increase taxes by $120, the people would never allow it.

Does it seem strange that the police department raises money by catching speeders, and they use the money to hire more traffic-patrol officers? If they didn't spend so much time looking for speeders, they wouldn't need the money they get from it. It's just like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Not that the police don't need money.. But they have better things to be doing. I'd much rather the police spend time doing really important things like catching real criminals. They do that too, though I wouldn't know it by the response I've gotten by filing crime reports. Maybe if they weren't spending so much effort on speeders, that case I filed would have been processed in 3 months instead of 6 months. Sigh.