By Tim Schewe
In order to be effective, drivers who do not follow the rules need to believe that there will be consequences for not doing so.
The chance of being caught must be seen as significant and once justifiably ticketed for an offence, there should be a proportionate penalty assessed.
If you continue to ignore the rules, you should find yourself without the privilege of driving for a time.
I knew the size of my patrol area and how many of my co-workers were on the road at any one time. From that knowledge alone, I knew that there was little chance that most drivers would see me or my partner during a shift much less risk being issued a ticket.
Unless you have a significant driving record and have committed a particularly serious offence, there is no risk in disputing the allegation in a traffic ticket. The worst that will likely happen is that you will have to pay the amount shown on the ticket.
“I’ll leave a driving prohibition up to the Superintendent” is a common response made by the court to a request by the Crown during the penalty phase of a trial.
Our current system of enforcement likely works well enough for the average citizen who generally tries to follow the rules but it is not much of a deterrent for those drivers who put themselves ahead of everyone else in traffic.
Tim Schewe is a retired contsable with many years of traffic law enforcement. To comment or learn more, please visit DriveSmartBC.ca