Use dashcams to catch offending motorists
Published:Saturday | November 9, 2024 | 12:07 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
Another police officer succumbed to injuries he sustained when he went in the road to stop a speeding motorist. This practice of police officers stepping out on the road to stop speeding vehicles is work hazard.
Some of these police operating radar take this practice to another level. I saw a constable who stood on the divider on the highway around a corner about 7 p.m., waiting to nab speeding motorists.
This practice needs to be discontinued. The authorities have failed to curtail the indiscipline and uncontrolled madness on the road.
The increase of traffic police, increased traffic fines, on-the-spot ticket and installing traffic cameras have not stopped road indiscipline. Simple, most traffic violators are never caught.
The road traffic authorities and the legislature should move to implement a new system. The following can be considered.
(1) The government must pass a legislation to make dash cameras, traffic camera (if not already) admissible evidence in court.
(2) Establish a new traffic division (Dash Camera EyE) national data base manned by traffic police and civilians including JPs and linked to the courts.
(3) Employ/ register and train motorists in every parish in the use of dash camera to identify traffic violation.
(a) Dash camera EyE operators capture footage of errant motorists, noting the licence plate number, date, time, and place.
(4) The dash camera footage must be sent/downloaded to a data base in 24 hours where it is stored until the case is disposed of.
(5) A base team in the parish would observe the footage (s) and determine the violation /numbers of violations
(a) Violators to be sent notices of the infractions and ticket(s) generated and sent to the address to the person named / registered to the licence plate captured in the footage. Where possible, have a computer link of the violation, where violators can view the real time of the violation.
(6) This notice must have a court date for appearance, with option to: (1) pay the ticket fine (2) ask for a new court date and contest the ticket in court. (3) if the violator chooses to contest the ticket, the court would determine who committed the infraction. Upon conviction, a court cost would be added to any fines the court imposed. Dash cam operators would be paid (amount to be determined) for the cam footage they send to base. (They should not have to wait for payment until after the case is disposed of).
Should the above suggestion be adapted/deployed, we would have no need for speed traps. The police must also use dash cameras in unmarked police vehicles to catch traffic violators, and must stop the present practice where they endanger themselves.
I am sure, in short order, we would see a reduction in road traffic violations and more disciplined motorists.
AUTHNEL REID