Why not more traffic police?

Bill

In response to the first responder, police do have the right to run any plate they see. When they get bored, they will actually drive through and run parked cars just to see what comes up! It is called "Parking lot Bingo" and every once in a while it will turn up a stolen car or someone wanted.

The only reason that police cars do not have that system, as well as all the other wizardry that would help save lives (night vision HUD, electronic vehicle immobilizers, etc. is the cost, plain and simple. Many police departments can't even afford to put computers in the car, much less any of the james bond gear! With the cost of fuel rising on a daily basis, some departments are even limiting the amount of patrols allowed in order to save fuel!

Bardic

Without all the waffle, one word: Cost.

Imhotep

The system cost around 16,000 bucks. Most departments can't justify the cost. A lot of these people buy insurance with monthly payments. They get a card that shows valid for six months. But don't make any payments, and they get canceled. Thes is not known to officers durring a trafic stop. It only shows up if they get in a wreck, and a claim is filed. It should be verified when they renew registration. But as far as I know no state does this. The system you mention does not cross check insurance info.

princess

I agree with you 100% after being involved in a horrific car crash I am all for more changes to catch bad, speeding and drunk drivers and people who drive without a licence or insurance it would save many deaths and injuries, what goes on on our roads is shocking !!

cheek_of_it_all

Because of the actual cost of these devices.

Whilst they perform a vital task, theirs a simpler way of ensuring that all cars and road vehicles pay road fund licence but these suggestions are ignored because it is easier to waste public money in the pursuit of fines that are 10 times the cost of the road fund licence.

So if you have 1 in 10 road users without a road fund licence and they are caught, that means your revenue gained is 19 cars for the price of 9... Plus you then remove the vehicle which is then destroyed and that then means that in the chain your creating more work and revenue for car manufacturers.

ManyMilez

There are various reasons out there, but one of the main reasons is money! And they do not have enough police out there to handle everything that is going on out there. For, lets say, when they pull over a drunk driver, 10 of them get away. And to pull you over-they have will have probable cause to stop you if your taillight is inop, or your license plate light is burned out, etc. In Victorville,Ca. they are starting to put cameras in the car (finally). I have no idea what the police ratio is to the population-but they need to quadruple the police force. There are so many people that run Stop signs, running red lights etc. It would be GREAT if they installed the number plate recognition system in all the police vehicles-but it takes MONEY to do all this stuff. Police are so busy answering calls these days-they hardly ever get a chance to pull anybody over-but they still do. My best advice is to carry a cell phone and a piece of paper and a pen and jot down the license number of the other car-just in case.Call the Police if necessary. You must always watch out for the other guy-you could be the best driver in the world-but you do not know what the other driver is going to do. Maybe you will report some driver and they will stop them and they just might not carry any insurance. Police need citizens to help them on the road too! Good Luck!!

UCANTCME

COST...........COST..............COST......

Lover not a Fighter

I'm sure part of it is the cost. But part of it is civil liberty.

You are asking a seemingly simple question, but in reality it is difficult legal question. In America people have a problem with police stopping cars or citizens without reason. So that extends to checking cars without provocation.

That's also the reason why police needs to read off the "Miranda rights" even to cops and lawyers when they get arrested. You would think that people involved in law would know they by heart.

But error by technicality is still error. And checking on a car without provocation is still without provocation.
===
But the flip side is that there's so much law out there, just about anybody can be found guilty of something. If the police was to given more and more power, eventually we will be living in a police state. Today just one of the big reason we don't is because the government just don't have the means ($$$) to enforce all the ridiculous law.

Good Luck on your search for the truth - its out there.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: