# Speed limit enforcement

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-limit-enforcement/579323>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 22, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-limit-enforcement/579323 "2011-04-22T03:49:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![jayalphatech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@jayalphatech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayalphatech)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-limit-enforcement/579323/41 "2011-04-25T21:51:48Z")

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> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#):
>
> I don’t think that would work out. People with political clout, or media stars with public access, could start an organized campaign against any cop audacious enough to give them a ticket. And with a fair chance to succeed, given the likely limited resources of the cop to organize a political campaign in response.
> 
> Remember the retribution that Republicans organized when Geo. Bush’s daughters were caught drunk in a bar? Those people just did their job, and treated them just like any other drunk, with no special treatment because of their father being President – and they suffered significant attacks because of it. Now imagine a similar situation in a small backwater county, without the media coverage this got. The cop would be out of a job quickly.
> 
> To say nothing of the expense of holding elections for this ‘public approval’.

I dunno. My idea would be in an idealized scenario, which would be a self maintaining system. Jurisdictions would be very small and the public approval might be a simple aye or nay in a school gym. Example- bush gets up and says fire the cop, i would hope someone else would stand up and counter that.

However i do see a problem that would come up, where it could be predatory to outsiders, although here in north jersey that is already the case.

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**Author:** ![BomTek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bomtek/32/21364_2.png) [@BomTek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BomTek)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-limit-enforcement/579323/42 "2011-04-27T19:11:44Z")

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> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> To use the example in the OP, if a cop catches someone stealing a candy bar or a $200 skirt, it’s the same ticket.

Not exactly… I didn’t say they couldn’t be scaled for the severity of the infraction. I would expect someone going 10 mph over the limit to get less of a penalty than someone going 30 over. Stealing a candy bar and a $200 skirt are both shoplifting, after all, they’re just treated differently in practice.

> [@dmatsch](#):
>
> What I would like to know is this:
> 
> It’s the police officer’s sworn duty to protect the public safety.
> 
> Don’t you think this would be better served by actually patrolling the streets and pulling over people who obviously do way more dangerous things than 10-20 over the limit?

This is really the best argument against pulling over and ticketing every single speeder. I believe I’m capable of driving 20 or 25 over in certain circumstances and still driving perfectly safely, and I don’t want my ability to do so infringed upon, I simply wonder why they bother with speed limits at all if they’re so loosely enforced (and enforced differently depending on the cop’s mood, the time of the month, and a few other factors).

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