State Wide Police Stings

**kraig** · May-20-09, 02:52 PM

May 20, 2009

How to avoid state seat belt crackdown

BY MATT HELMS
FREE PRESS DRIVING COLUMNIST Police statewide are cracking down on unbuckled motorists through May 31, but they're giving plenty of warning and ways to avoid the blitz.
The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning said the aim is not to raise money but rather awareness, which is why it publicizes crackdown sites ahead of time.

You can find times and locations at www.michigan.gov/ohsp.
â€¢ SPREADSHEET: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/May_mobilization_sorted_all_4-27_278343_7.xls">Seat belt enforcement by county [[.xls file)
These spots are on the schedule just for today:
Wayne County: Be warned about police in Detroit on 7 Mile from Van Dyke to Gratiot starting at 7 a.m.; in Livonia at Middlebelt and Joy at 11 a.m.; in Trenton at Van Horn and Fort at 11 a.m., and in Dearborn Heights at Van Born and Beech-Daly at 4 p.m.
Oakland County: Watch out for sheriff's deputies at Lapeer and Clarkston roads in Orion Township starting at 9 a.m.; police in Waterford at Dixie Highway and Walton at 1 p.m.; in Novi at Taft and 10 Mile at 3 p.m., and in West Bloomfield on Orchard Lake at Maple at 4 p.m.
Macomb County: Look for police in Sterling Heights on Schoenherr between 19 Mile and Hall starting at 8 a.m.; in St. Clair Shores at 13 Mile and Harper at noon, and in Clinton Township on Groesbeck and Center Line at southbound Van Dyke and 11 Mile at 4 p.m. And that's just a selection of what's in store for today. All southeast Michigan counties are among the 55 statewide in the crackdown involving 300 police agencies that began Monday. The Click It or Ticket campaign is paid through $765,000 in federal funds dedicated to traffic safety enforcement efforts. Contact MATT HELMS: driving@freepress.com.

Of course, the best and safest thing to do is just to, WEAR YOUR SEATBELT.

**Kevgoblu** · May-20-09, 04:38 PM

What a joke. Nothing but a big moneygrab.

Maybe they should send a couple officers out to the MCS and write a few blight tickets. I'm sure the owner can afford to pay.

**chitaku** · May-20-09, 05:00 PM

seems like the man is trying to screw us more and more these days.

**Novine** · May-20-09, 05:08 PM

Who doesn't wear a seatbelt these days? Let me guess, you're going to roll your car and you want to be thrown clear in case the car bursts into flames? People should get a ticket for not having a clue.

**softailrider** · May-20-09, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by Novine

Who doesn't wear a seatbelt these days? Let me guess, you're going to roll your car and you want to be thrown clear in case the car bursts into flames? People should get a ticket for not having a clue.

No freakin way should the state mandate seatbelt usage, want to get thrown from the vehicle and splattered on the sidewalk or the road that's your business.The state doesn't give a shit, they just want to generate revenue.

**pgn421** · May-20-09, 09:11 PM

Eastpointe police have been busy on 8 mile td, all day. Watch Out!

**rb336** · May-21-09, 07:02 AM

Originally Posted by softailrider

No freakin way should the state mandate seatbelt usage, want to get thrown from the vehicle and splattered on the sidewalk or the road that's your business.The state doesn't give a shit, they just want to generate revenue.

guess what? higher death and disability rates from accidents raises EVERYONE'S insurance rates, so yes, it is everyone's business. Driving is a privelege, not a right, and part of that is you have to follow the rules

**softailrider** · May-20-09, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by Kevgoblu

What a joke. Nothing but a big moneygrab.

Maybe they should send a couple officers out to the MCS and write a few blight tickets. I'm sure the owner can afford to pay.

Amen brother, nothing but another money grab.

Blarf · May-20-09, 08:34 PM

If you're an adult, you shouldn't have to wear a seatbelt if you don't want to. We don't need the government making rules to "protect us".

**Detroitej72** · May-20-09, 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by Blarf

If you're an adult, you shouldn't have to wear a seatbelt if you don't want to. We don't need the government making rules to "protect us".

Let's look at this from another point of view. Say you crashed into another car and the driver was not wearing their seatbelt, and was thrown through the windshield and died. You would live with the guilt of causing a death for the rest of your life.

Now, say the driver was wearing a seatbelt. More than likely, you both live another day, although you'll probably get a ticket for the accident.

Another thing to consider is that part of why we all pay high auto insurance rates, is because of the huge costs for injuries received in crashes. By wearing your belt, more often than not, your injuries are less severe. Can you imagine how high rates would be if not for seat belts?

I always hear people complaining how its an intrusion of their freedoms, but last I checked, we have speed limits for our protection as well. Driving is a privilege, not a right. To be able to drive, one must follow the rules, or suffer the consequences.

cheddar bob · May-20-09, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitej72

I always hear people complaining how its an intrusion of their freedoms, but last I checked, we have speed limits for our protection as well. Driving is a privilege, not a right. To be able to drive, one must follow the rules, or suffer the consequences.

Someone speeding is a danger to themselves and other people. Not wearing a seatbelt is a risk only to the person not wearing it so your comparison is invalid.

I'm sure my principles are for sale, but not for $65. I'd just pay the ticket. I'm convinced that when they do the seatbelt usage surveys, they do it during this period, after weeks of ads and hype. Of course there's going to be a high usage rate.

Blarf · May-21-09, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitej72

Let's look at this from another point of view. Say you crashed into another car and the driver was not wearing their seatbelt, and was thrown through the windshield and died. You would live with the guilt of causing a death for the rest of your life.

No I wouldn't. I would say too myself "that moron should have worn a seat belt".

DetroitDad · May-22-09, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitej72

Let's look at this from another point of view. Say you crashed into another car and the driver was not wearing their seatbelt, and was thrown through the windshield and died. You would live with the guilt of causing a death for the rest of your life.

Now, say the driver was wearing a seatbelt. More than likely, you both live another day, although you'll probably get a ticket for the accident.

Another thing to consider is that part of why we all pay high auto insurance rates, is because of the huge costs for injuries received in crashes. By wearing your belt, more often than not, your injuries are less severe. Can you imagine how high rates would be if not for seat belts?

I always hear people complaining how its an intrusion of their freedoms, but last I checked, we have speed limits for our protection as well. Driving is a privilege, not a right. To be able to drive, one must follow the rules, or suffer the consequences.

Not driving would lower it even more. so what is your point? Your car culture is Fing up my car-free lifestyle. If you drive or let your kids drive and something happens, you should feel guilty, and should also feel angry that society has chosen to make it almost mandatory that you strap yourself to a speeding missile to get yourself a Big Mack or deposit money into an ATM.

Yes, lets give up more rights for destructive happy motoring.

**mauser** · May-22-09, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by Kevgoblu

What a joke. Nothing but a big moneygrab.

Amen to that. An excuse for unreasonable search and seizure, so cops can shop for people to bust by prowling around and going through vehicles. All based on a law that just CANT be constitutional.

And Michigan has the highest compliance rate - something like 96% isnt it ? Yeah, well lets spend nearly a million bucks to bust the heads of those last 4%.

Then they spend a ton of our tax money showing us commercials telling us they are going to enforce this law.

Part of why it just sucks to live in Michigan.

**mauser** · May-22-09, 02:17 PM

we have speed limits for our protection as well.

yet the empirical evidence shows that the 85th percentile speed to be safest. simply put, if everybody around you is driving 90 mph, it is far from "safe" to try to maintain 55 mph.

**Bloomfield Pills** · May-21-09, 08:00 AM

Since seatbelt laws make us all so much safer, why haven't we seen decreases in our insurance rates?

**kraig** · May-21-09, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by Bloomfield Pills

Since seatbelt laws make us all so much safer, why haven't we seen decreases in our insurance rates?

What doesn't kill you, makes you broker.

**Alley** · May-21-09, 08:11 AM

I wear mine, I don't want to be one of those "should have, too lates." I have kids to set an example for, and I want them to wear theirs, both now and when they're older. Anything that can possible save me from major injury or death as a result of a crash is ok by me

**Ray1936** · May-21-09, 10:47 AM

My '08 Ford Escape has chimes that ring if your seat belt is not on when you start the car. About six chimes, and it stops for maybe 20 seconds. Then it does the same thing. On the third time, the chimes bong at a double rate, as though the car is pissed off at you. Pretty impossible to not use your seat belts in that car.

No prob, I swear by them, anyway. Although I confess I resisted them somewhat when they first came out 35 years back.

**ndavies** · May-21-09, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

My '08 Ford Escape has chimes that ring if your seat belt is not on when you start the car. About six chimes, and it stops for maybe 20 seconds. Then it does the same thing. On the third time, the chimes bong at a double rate, as though the car is pissed off at you. Pretty impossible to not use your seat belts in that car.

No prob, I swear by them, anyway. Although I confess I resisted them somewhat when they first came out 35 years back.

I wrote the software that does that about 10 years ago when I worked at Visteon. The Escape was the first vehicle to get it. It's in all of Ford's vehicles now. There is a way to disable it. It can be disabled for just the current key on cycle or you can permanently disable it. [[The directions to disable it are in the manual. Permanently disabling it involves latching and unlatching the seat belt a bunch of times with a specific combination of key cycles.)

It's nice to be able to point to something and say I made that. [[Even if it has to be one of the most annoying features ever put on a car.)

**Ray1936** · May-21-09, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by ndavies

I wrote the software that does that about 10 years ago when I worked at Visteon. The Escape was the first vehicle to get it. It's in all of Ford's vehicles now. There is a way to disable it. It can be disabled for just the current key on cycle or you can permanently disable it. [[The directions to disable it are in the manual. Permanently disabling it involves latching and unlatching the seat belt a bunch of times with a specific combination of key cycles.)

It's nice to be able to point to something and say I made that. [[Even if it has to be one of the most annoying features ever put on a car.)

Yeah, good job, Ndavies. And, no, I wouldn't disable it for the world. Sometimes my mind is elsewhere when I jump in the car and I appreciate the reminder.

And I'll just betcha if CheddarBob rides a motorcycle, he doesn't even own a helmet. I could tell him how a helmet saved my life at Eight Mile and Southfield in '73, but he wouldn't want to hear it.

cheddar bob · May-21-09, 04:36 PM

Nope, I don't ride a motorcycle. I don't know if I'd wear a helmet it I did, but I can appreciate states that would let me make the decision. I like Florida's way of doing it. If you have health insurance, you can ride without a helmet. I think that's a fair compromise. Maybe we could do that here with seatbelts. Think me not wearing a seatbelt affects you? STFU, I have health insurance.

**Ltdave** · May-21-09, 04:59 PM

we have speed limits for our protection as well. Driving is a privilege, not a right. To be able to drive, one must follow the rules,

first, speed limits are NOT for our protection. they are a restriction on the movement of traffic, to the benefit of REVENUE generation for local communities...

secondly, youre right. DRIVING is a priviledge, TRAVELING is a RIGHT. since it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL to cause a citizen to 'pay a fee and obtain a license' in order to exercise a right, DRIVING is a right. the FEDERAL definition of DRIVING is to OPERATE a MOTOR VEHICLE upon public roadways for the manner of transporting goods or persons FOR PAY...

i seriously doubt we have more than 2% of the members here who DRIVE...

since all the way back to the days of the formation of our nation, the RIGHT to TRAVEL UNENCUMBERED, the breadth and width of our country has been the keystone of our republic...

also, in michigan you dont have a drivers license. they try to 'blind' you by calling it an OPERATORs LICENSE. what are you OPERATING? a MOTOR VEHICLE? by using any of these terms you are stepping right into their world and making yourself subject to their rules. come back to Common Law using Common Law terms and free yourself from the grasp of the government...

youll notice that the back of your Motor Vehicle Registration is NOW says you have to sign if its a COMMERCIAL vehicle. i dont own any of those so mine are signed. i own a car and three motorcycles...

if you dont live or play in their world, then their papers have no effect on you. and i know this because ive NOT been ticketed by Sheriff Deputies, State Troopers and City Police. well except in Warren where they ticket regardless of the truth or law. that requires a court visit and then an appeal. its not easy being free but its worth it in the long run. well except in Warren where when you stick their noses in it, they dont seem to get the point...

9mile&seneca · May-22-09, 11:03 AM

I think people should have to wear a NASCAR approved crash helmet while operating or riding in a motor vehicle. It would make us safer. And if one were to really think about it, people shouldn't be able to ride motorcycles. I'm sure that my level of safety unbelted in my full size pickup truck in the event of a crash is much greater than a motorcyclist. So, why are motorcycles legal?

**jt1** · May-21-09, 12:56 PM

My only concern about these stings:

Do the officers assigned to these stings respond to calls in the area or are we taking officers away from other policing work to do this. I prefer officers to be in the neighborhoods repsonding to calls or making their presence known in the community as opposed to looking for people not wearing their seat belts.

I suppose the revenue that is brought in offsets the cost of having other officers on patrol but I hope these men and women can respond to things of a higher priority if need be.