Proof that Traffic Safety Enforcement is Really Tax Collection

Again, following up Kerry Diotte's article in the Saturday edition of the Calgary Sun, I thought it was interesting that there was yet another brief newsflash seemingly supporting some of his research and commentary in today's edition:

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/08/05/10365846-sun.html

As a reminder, Diotte's editorial can be found at

http://www.calgarysun.com/comment/2009/08/02/10340131-sun.html

And yet another article on an unexplained traffic accident from yesterdays newspaper can be located at

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/08/04/10354476-sun.html

Interstingly, today's article suggests that police were on a crackdown over the weekend targeting "unsafe" drivers. According to the article, of approximately 2756 traffic related charges in Calgary and area, approximately 2186 tickets for "speeding". Of the 2186 speeding tickets handed out by police, the article informs that a WHOPPING 2 tickets were for "over the top speeding". The remaining 550 or so tickets were for a variety of other traffic violations, ranging from seatbelt violations, impaired driving, careless driving, stunting and presumably other traffic safety or administrative offences, such as failing to carry a copy of one's license. On this note, one is left to wonder whether the "careless driving" tickets simply accompanied the 2 drivers who were over the top speeding?

Anyway, let me understand, according to my math 79% of the unsafe driving crackdown resulted in speeding tickets, of which less than .1% (2 of 2186) were for over the top -- presumably dangerous -- speeding.

In a world where 1+1 necessarily equals 2 and where 2 is necessarily the smallest even prime number, I think this information comes remarkably close to NECESSARILY supporting the view that police are not really conducting traffic safety enforcement measures, but are really conducting tax collection measures. They do so, however, under the guise of public safety.

If law enforcement was truly interested in safety, it might have ticketed far fewer drivers patrolling highways actively searching for those engaged in actual unsafe driving. Instead, safety is justification for standing at the side of the road waving motorists in for speed infractions captured on Laser -- infractions that arguably have little or nothing to do with unsafe driving.

David G. Chow
Calgary Criminal Defence Lawyer

www.calgarydefence.com