Seatbelt Enforcement Quotas?

KomoTVNews ^ | May 9,2003 | Michelle Esteban

[microgood]

KING COUNTY - By now you have heard of the statewide "Click It or Ticket" campaign.

The Washington State Patrol says it's working because it's getting harder to find offenders. "We are very passionate about it primarily because our main mission is to save lives," says WSP Captain Les Young.

A new television public service announcement starts airing Monday to remind drivers the new month-long "Click It Or Ticket" campaign starts May 19th.

"It's just not a good enough reason to be handing out citations," says seatbelt law opponent Dan Goebel.

Goebel is one of the sponsors of Initiative 836 which would repeal the seatbelt law. He says law enforcement is too passionate because the officers know federal grant money is at stake.

"I am totally against the federal government funding this program," says Goebel. "Personally, I think it would be a good way to save federal dollars."

Officers work overtime during the "Click It or Ticket" campaign, looking for any kind of traffic offender. Their overtime is paid for with federal grant dollars. But to get the O.T. money officers have to make contact with at least 3 traffic violators every hour.

Goebel calls that a quota.

"We don't see it as a quota, we see it as a performance standard, as getting some bang for our buck," says Angie Ward of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. She manages the state's "Click It Or Ticket" campaign.

Ward says officers must make three contacts an hour but that doesn't mean writing three tickets.

Lt. Young admits although it's at the officer's discretion their goal is to be diligent. "All it takes is for anyone to be at a scene of a fatality collision to understand very quickly how important it is that you buckle up."

[microgood]

I got a speeding ticket on I-5 recently (was are the odds of that) and the officer was in such a hurry he did not even ask for registration and insurance. I was stopped for less than 5 minutes.

[Eala]

We don't see it as a quota, we see it as a performance standard

A horse apple by any other name still stinks just as much.

[joesnuffy]

We are very passionate greedy about it primarily because our main mission is to save lives save our pensions," says WSP Captain Les Young.

[tomakaze]

it's a roadside shakedown. nothing more. the state must feed and these *sshats homos are the collectors.
I got bit during the last little "crackdown" by some mincing wisp girl of a State Patrolman who "swore up and down they didn't have a quota", Yeah. no quota, their department just gets a little cash boost for every so many tickets.
Oh well, people will put up with this crap (real Americans wouldn't but then, this is washington, the same state that gave us the fricking WOBBLIEs)

[lelio]

"We don't see it as a quota, we see it as a performance standard, as getting some bang for our buck,"
And it looks like the normal peasant citizen is on the 'bang' side of that equation. I love how the state views us as all revenue generators.

[billb]

This monring as I was going to work Rumsfield's SUV motorcade was stuck in traffic along with me and hundreds of others approaching Memorial Bridge because a cop was pulling over cars for seat belt,expired inspection stickers, etc. Go figure!

[Badfoil]

I was lucky enough to get pulled over a few weeks ago from the no-seatbelt nazis. I live 6 miles from work, was heading south on 405 taking exit 2 to work, swung off the ramp and was cut off by a rude police biker who cut in front of me, pulled over, and jumped behind me and flicked his lights on. I turned the corner into the company parking lot and hopped out to meet the jerk who had an attitude the size of Texas. So I say to him "huh, so I guess you guys really do pull people over for not wearing their seat belt.", he had no response but promtly wrote me a ticket for a nice $86 fine. It's been 12 years since I've had a traffic ticket. Last one was for running a yellow light. So I'm a bit miffed to be nailed for a TRAFFIC VIOLATION ticket for not wearing my seatbelt. I'd say that's a far cry from being a bad driver. The law sucks. Our personal freedoms have tanked. I can either pay the fine, and be on "probation" for the next 6 months, and if no infractions encure within that period, the ticket won't show on my record, or I can go to court and wait to see if the judge will be leanient on the fee. What totally ticks me off about this whole stupid law in the first place, is I NEVER VOTED FOR IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. Who is allowed to make these kinds of laws for the general public when we have no say so? Rediculous!

[Blue Screen of Death]

Seatbelt enforcement is protecting the stupid from themselves. A seatbelt only comes into play during an accident. It would be nice if the cops would work at lane changers and aggressive drivers and maybe prevent accidents. Money is what it is about just like the traffic cameras.

[Flyer]

primarily because our main mission is to save lives

Bullcrap. It's about revenue and fishing for other offenses.

[Protagoras]

I was pulled over for speeding a few years back. The cop told me he was going to ignore the speeding and issue me a seat belt violation, even though I was wearing mine. He said it would cost me less and that the villiage wouldn't have to share the money with the county and state. It would be a local matter he said. Just another scam. It ain't about saftey, it's about money.

BTW, in Illinois, we were told that no tickets would EVER be given for violations of the seat belt law on their own. Only if you got stopped for something else would someone be cited. Some legislators even insisted it be put into the statute that way, and it was. A few years later, they changed the law. They lied, again.

[fourdeuce82d]

Click It or Ticket

Note to all those in the shallow end of the gene pool- actually, you're chances of survival are much better if you are thrown free during a crash. Please don't wear your seatbelts.

I'm against seatbelt laws- people with brains will wear them, and don't need to be nagged. Stupid people won't, and will die, raising the average IQ.

[fourdeuce82d]

"you're"

looks like I won't be wearing mine...

[Paleo Conservative]

I wonder if there are racial disparities in the tickets issued?

[Protagoras]

Note to all those in the shallow end of the gene pool- actually, you're chances of survival are much better if you are thrown free during a crash.

Please link to credible statistics.

[Protagoras]

Sorry, missed the sarcasm tag.

[E Rocc]

I got bit during the last little "crackdown" by some mincing wisp girl of a State Patrolman who "swore up and down they didn't have a quota", Yeah. no quota, their department just gets a little cash boost for every so many tickets.

Challenge the ticket in court, subpoena her and her chief and ask them if either the officers or department has quotas or "performance standards"...under oath.

-Eric

[tomakaze]

Too late. Already run through the system. If you're going up against the government (county, cop or whatever) in Benton County Court with anything short of a signed confession with video, dna and god as a character witness, save the trouble.

[artios]

Is there any way to challenge the ticket? What evidence do they have other than your confession? I just got one at the airport. As I pulled in the officer pulled me over and said I was speeding (I wasn't - I was going the same speed as everyone else - there was heavy traffic. It may have been that everyone was speeding - there were a couple hundred cars within view (MPLS airport)Then he said he would not issue me a speeding ticket but noticed that I had no seat belt on. He said they were out to enforce safe and sober (5pm on Sunday??) which includes clickit or ticket.

[ActionNewsBill]

"We don't see it as a quota, we see it as a performance standard, as getting some bang for our buck,"

Newspeak at its finest.