I know that times are tough, but the personal safety of citizens who dutifully pay their taxes "for that safety," have a right to expect reasonable patrolling presence and enforcement of the current laws that are on the books. We also we pay our tax dollars for protection and should be able to expect the presence of officers that "actually" patrol the highways on a regular basis. Yes, I realize that I am being idealistic to think that today’s wasteful government spending (for certain political agendas) would take a back seat to public safety. But I am wrong. We are pretty much alone out there on the highways and byways.
We have seen first hand and primarily on the news lately, the unbelievable dangers we all face from roadway horseplay, intoxicated drivers (from booze or cell phone use), and simply an overall attitude of lawlessness. I am in constant disbelief when I see teens using the freeways as their personal playground, drunk drivers and many non-citizens going onto the freeway making unsafe lane changes, going fast in the slow lanes and slow in the fast lanes, and so on. It is a REAL battleground out there. I am beginning to believe that have a better chance of becoming a casualty out there than you would in an active battleground.
If you live in southern California you have also seen freeway safety being grossly compromised by visitors to our country who do not have a clue about driving laws in the USA . This should come as no surprise since the government at all levels (State and Federal) seem to have turned a blind eye to this abuse in the last 10 to 20 years. They haven’t a clue about our driving laws, their cars and trucks are unsafe, and most are GROSS POLLUTERS to boot. They are up here for the perks, but do not seem to give a damn about the rules that all citizens are required to obey.
What do we have to do short of going out and picketing the CHP offices up and down the coast of California to get something done about this lack of law enforcement presence? Where do we go for help these days? THE DONUT SHOP? How do we protect ourselves from this highway mayhem so common these days. My suggestion is to get yourself a Dash Camera that records video and sound that records whatever is going on in front of you and in back of you at the same time. If for nothing else, you can cover your butt if someone is driving crazy and crashes causing damage to your person or property. If someone is tailgating you corroboration will be aided by the presence of a camera. Show the police, CHP (if you can find one), or the court that the driver was following too close or was just trying to intentionally push you out of his way. In either case, it could be the difference that it takes to win in a court case or an insurance investigation.
As they say, the camera does not lie. I have one of these dash cams myself and it is easy to install and easier to operate. I Just get in the car and it begins recording when the engine is running. The camera operates in kind of a digital loop recording either in 2 minute or 5 minute intervals. After the memory is full it automatically erases previously recorded information. To play the recordings back just plug it into your computer and it will slowly download into a video file that you probably have on your system already.
My main contention has to do with highway safety, unsafe vehicles and large trucks freely traversing the corridor back and forth from Mexico to Los Angeles on Freeway Interstate 5. and then back again to Mexico again. When driving the "highways and by-ways" in California you are pretty much on your own and no one is going to come to your rescue when the unexpected happens until it is too late. Law enforcement usually shows up to clean up the mess, transport you to a hospital, and they try to get traffic flowing again, until the next emergency.
So the question remains. Where is the CHP or other law enforcement when you need them to patrol so as to maintain highway safety BEFORE a disaster breaks forth? It’s your job CHP so do it and do it regularly. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure they say. Why do we citizens go to all the trouble of getting our licenses, pay road taxes at the pump, buy insurance, have our cars smog and safety checked, only to have the safety effects of our actions negated by those who don't have a clue. Nor do they care to follow suit and meet the standards of safety and responsible driving that everyone else has to meet.
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