Safety officials call the trend disturbing; in the first six months of 2012, twice as many people have died on Vermont roads compared to last year.
"Our statistics here in Vermont this year are really abysmal," DMV Commissioner Rob Ide said.
Ide says 42 people have been killed in crashes this year: five on interstates, 11 on U.S. routes and 26 on secondary roads. Police say January has been the deadliest month, Sunday the deadliest day and 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. the deadliest hours.
Highway officials say these statistics are a staggering blow since touting 2011 as one of Vermont's safest driving years on record.
"This year has told us that last year was the anomaly," Ide said. "This year we are back on track to mirror the statistics of previous years."
Police say half of the 42 victims were not wearing seat belt, one-third of the drivers were under the influence of alcohol or drugs and a quarter of the fatal crashes were caused by excessive speed.
"For those of you who think there's a speed tolerance in Vermont, time to reconsider. There was a directive that went out from my office today to the state troopers," Vt. Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn said.
Over the next 60 days state and local police are teaming up to crack down on speeders. Traveling even 1 mph over the posted speed limit will make you a candidate for a ticket.
Reporter Jennifer Reading: Was there a tolerance for speed before this directive?
Keith Flynn: I think probably. I think every officer probably has their own tolerance, but now the tolerance is the one posted on the speed limit signs.
For the rest of the summer, police plan to set up speed traps in every corner of the state, which means many more drivers will be ticketed for pushing the limits. Police say they'll also use the stops to check for seat belts. The state is at an 85 percent compliance rate.
"Please, if you know anyone who doesn't wear their seat belt, just beat them up to wear their seat belt. Because we are after those 93,000 people who don't wear their seat belts, because if they did, I don't think we would have 42 fatalities so far," said Ted Minall of the Governor's Highway Safety Program.
Buckling up, and slowing down-- two of the easiest ways to save lives.
Posted by Nismo Over the next 60 days state and local police are teaming up to crack down on speeders. Traveling even 1 mph over the posted speed limit will make you a candidate for a ticket.
Stupid, and won't hold up in court. There is nothing in the speed loop (speedometer, radar gun, etc.) that is accurate enough to judge speed that accurately. So, if your tires are underinflated, you can get a ticket. Good luck with that, VT.
“We are not going to have the kind of cooperation we need if everyone insists on their own narrow version of reality. … the great divide in the world today … is between people who have the courage to listen and those who are convinced that they already know it all.”
i have to say, ive had similar issues with local sherriffs in upstate new york, rouses point (town with road access to vermont) has this sherriff working saturday nights who likes to park on ashwood drive and get the cars on the 22 comming under the train underpass and nabbing them where the limit drops from 55 to 30.
[last edit 7/4/2012 10:42 PM by nostra-YOUPPI! - edited 1 times] Montreal Expos 1969-2004 Forever Proud Lets Keep The Dream Alive
It's just an excuse to make money. Excessive speed would be speed where you lose traction or you can't react in time and most tires are rated up to 120-150MPH.
So a mile or even 20 miles over wouldn't be considered excessive, given the right vehicle and driver. Zero fucking reason an Audi has to travel at the same speed as a school bus.
An alert speeder is ALWAYS going to be a lesser threat than the bitch on her cell phone going 10 under in the LEFT LANE.
"No risk, no reward, no fun." "Go all the way or walk away" escensi omnis...
First off, for those of you who don't live anywhere NEAR Vermont, allow me to school you on how fucked up Vermont is. Their state speedlimit is 50mph. Yes, 50. It's ridiculous. On one of the busiest stretches of Interstate 89, they drop the limit from the Federal 65mph standard to... 55mph. So naturally for the 4 busiest exits in ALL OF VERMONT, getting off and on the interstate is a nightmare. If you drive the surface roads, it's a fucking nightmare. The speed limit is always changing... in the space of 5 miles on US Route 7, the speed limit goes from 25 to 35 back to 30 to 40 to 45 up to 50 down to 25 again... FOR NO FUCKING REASON OTHER THAN A COUPLE OF DRIVEWAYS AND A FLASHING YELLOW LIGHT FOR AN INTERSECTION THAT SEES ONE FUCKING CAR A DAY!!!!!!!! And going to court over there... oh there's a joy. You have to send the ticket it in REQUESTING a court date... when? Oh whenever THEY feel like it. I had to wait four months to get a hearing the last ticket i got there.
And, oh this is the best part, you've got local cops, constables, sheriffs, DMV Enforcement AND state troopers pulling this shit. Also, if you get a ticket for 1mph over the speed limit, for fuck's sake go to court. There is as much as 5mph calibration error between actual and indicated speed in a car. Also, half the schmucks running the radar guns were never certified on them in the first place. The other half let their certifications run out due to state funding cutbacks. Basically, Vermont (and New York where I live) are hurting for money and found that they can fuck people out of their money by telling them it's for their own good.
Vermont... fuck you.
[last edit 7/5/2012 8:28 AM by Samurai - edited 1 times]
Vermont has had some issues with federal funding for its interstates due to its speed limit issues; Howard Dean when he was governor of Vermont even tried to raise it but got a huge backlash from the morons that live there.
And yet, I wonder how the hell Vermont RallyCar can practice anywhere without getting pulled over lol.
Posted by Agent Skelly Vermont has had some issues with federal funding for its interstates due to its speed limit issues; Howard Dean when he was governor of Vermont even tried to raise it but got a huge backlash from the morons that live there.
And yet, I wonder how the hell Vermont RallyCar can practice anywhere without getting pulled over lol.
They own their own land for testing and do a lot of it on Team O'Neil's testing facilities as well.
Ethics
