Monday, April 18, 2011

Dash cam, Part 6: Enforcement passive and active

I have spent almost 20 years working as a regulatory affairs consultant.  I could write a book (and just might) about the burdensome imperfections in our regulatory system and what could be done to improve our framework as it currently stands. 

My point in making that claim is as follows:  I tend to take a hard line on traffic regulation not because I'm a naive advocate of mindless conformance, but because experience tells me that traffic laws represent one of the most functional, finely-tuned sets of operating parameters that we have achieved in our society.  For the most part, traffic laws are not some disaffected bureaucrat's wet dream about what magical individual rights restrictions could be imposed bring about some utopian mass behavioral result.  No.  For the most part, our traffic laws represent the simple, objective codification of common sense. 

Let me give you an example.

West Walker Street, right behind the Harvard Pointe cul-de-sac, at about 9:30 a.m. this morning
Here above we see LCPD having pulled over a motorist.   Common sense dictates that, when you encounter this type of situation, you should slow WAY down and give the officer a safe berth.  

As an accoutrement to common sense, Texas has a law requiring just that - it's called the "Move-Over Act" and it requires motorists to change lanes if possible, or to slow down to 20 mph below the prevailing speed limit.  So in order to legally (and sensically) pass that particular scene, you'd need to drop to 15 mph, being careful not to run into anyone head-on as your left two wheels are across the yellow line while proceeding around that blind curve.    

And speaking of slowing down...
About a week after I began dash-cam blogging, this speed trailer appeared near the League City municipal buildings about a half-mile northeast of Centerpointe.  This is likely just a coincidence, but it's a cool one.
:-)

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