SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Private citizens too, not just commercial drivers?

 

In my state we do not have random alcohol testing, but in some of the more proactive of the US states they will have roadside driving license, registration and insurance checks at strategic points...and it's pretty easy to catch impaired drivers this way.
Some of our more...."enlightened" states assert that this is an infringement on our constitutional rights but my beloved home state of Indiana, and in many of the states that I lived in while serving in the US Navy they pretty much made you comply with the checkpoints whether or not you thought that you "had to."
In fact...people that throw temper tantrums at these checkpoints usually only serve as early morning entertainment for law enforcement.

I often pick on sensitive souls by using the number 52 since this also accounts for our District of Colombia, and the US Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, being the largest of our 'disenfranchised' citizenry.

One of the more delightful thigs about life in America is that we have 52 more or less independent "laboratories of democracy" each of which can come up with unique solutions for regulating things like alcohol, drugs, gambling, firearms, etc.
I personally do not have a problem with gambling since this is only a tax on people who do not have very much common sense (and)or are very poor at basic math, and some of our states will tax this behavior.
Some of our states actually hold lotteries which is pretty much a tax on people who do not have very much common sense (and)or are very poor at basic math, and are not close enough to a casino or are too lazy to avail themselves of the "free" drinks and other amenities.

Getting back to the Rona....we also have differing rules for dealing with vaccinations.
It's pretty much a 52 state thing that absenting a declaration of martial law you cannot force a private citizen to get vaccinated....even in the military, but my government CAN make it a condition of employment, and so can private corporations. You CAN also require public school children to be vaccinated.
They're treading lightly on mRNA vaccinations while they're still authorized for emergency use by FDA, under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA.)

 

i keep reading that driving is a privilege, not a right. so, it all gets a little murky after that.

back to the rona: i think everyone is a little lost between the vaxxed and great unwashed. i'm sure we'll muddle our way through, but not without a few tears shed

 

Maybe treatment for some & as well as for some ailments .... the better ½ tried it for the first time for chemo recovery - the drug administered for regenerating white blood cells left her with crippling pain. Pot made her feel worse. Rather than throw it out .... using for MY 1st time also was an equally unpleasant experience.
Bucket list - got that one done
.

 

• Autopilot
• Full Self Driving

Take the human out of the loop. In a perfect scenario, an Apple Watch notices my medical emergency and reroutes the car to the nearest ER.

“watched over by machines of loving grace” - Richard Brautigan

Bob Wilson

 

keep loving your roadside checkpoints. today it's "license checks" and tomorrow it's "social points" checks. if you don't conform to the appointed number of Facebook points, you don't travel.

you're either free, it you're not.

 

besides the obvious crowds of "ain't skeered" and "super skeered" ... it's A GREAT tool the govt has stumbled upon to divide the people. I bet they never dreamed it would be this easy or long lasting.

 

Rechecking here, I see that random sobriety checkpoints are legal in the U.S., but illegal (or even unconstitutional) in at least 10 states. I just happen to live where they are illegal in both my home state, and in the immediately surrounding states.

Chicago got caught with an extremely racist deployment of its checkpoints.

Traveling is a right. But one particularly convenient means, operating a quite lethal machine on publicly provided facilities, is subject to considerable regulation.

 

Thankfully checkpoints are legal in our state.

They are especially done on 3 day weekends and Holidays.

I gladly show my registration, licenses and proof of insurance when stopped and respectfully answer any questions the Officer asked.

The State Police usually conduct these checkpoints with a number of Officers and vehicles. It would not be unusually to see some knucklehead stopped who is either without insurance or a proper license or unfortunately driving under the influence waiting to have his car impounded and to be taken to jail.

Usually the Local State Police actually post the location and dates of the checkpoints beforehand.

Frankly I wish they would operate these every weekend in different areas of our state throughout the year. I would be fine with them operating one in our town every weekend. It makes the roads safer.

This is one of the reasons our state has these checkpoints

Carrollton bus collision - Wikipedia

"The Carrollton bus collision occurred on May 14, 1988 on Interstate 71 in unincorporated Carroll County, Kentucky. The collision involved a former school bus in use by a church youth group and a pickup truck driven by an alcohol-impaired driver. The head-on collision was the deadliest incident involving drunk driving and the third-deadliest bus crash in United States history. Of the 67 people on the bus (counting the driver), there were 27 fatalities in the crash"

 

Does it?

Unfortunately, any improved safety doesn't flow through to this IIHS chart of traffic fatality statistics. Is KY coming from a worse starting point than most other states? Here are selected states, mine and neighbors without checkpoints vs your state with checkpoints:


I didn't paste in your neighbor states. It appears that all of them allow checkpoints, but only a few have similarly bad traffic death rates.

Here, drivers do get stopped for suspicion of DUI based on behavior. My aging dad was pulled over a half dozen times in a year for this, but was initially proud that it wasn't because he was drunk at all, he was just elderly. He had been hiding these stops from us, but when it finally spilled out, it added fodder to the continuing feud over his driving safety, and quickly escalated to him tearfully and angrily nearly throwing his driver's license at me. Thankfully, he voluntarily quit driving soon thereafter, before the DOL demanded a retest. (Which they later did require at renewal time, effectively forcing him to get a state ID card without driving privileges.)

 

Evolution works in part by taking out the reproductive members of a set. Recent reports of young suffering higher rates of COVID-19 infections suggests Darwin was right.

Bob Wilson

 

as long as you're willing to freely give up your rights, you better believe there will be people very willing to take them.

 

your optimism for a decline in the reproductive capabilities of the human race are misplaced , if they depend on the effects of The Blessed Virus.
The Blessed Virus impact, world wide: 486 deaths per million...

you'll have to beg Darwin to do bad things in other ways, like lightning, fishing, and hunting accidents, if you every want to make a dent in the ability of the young people abilities to reproduce.

of course, that's not scary enough to make the news every fifteen seconds...

 

Of course-you are right.

There aren't two side to a discussion just one.
Maybe you can run for Governor here and save us from ourselves.

Our rural state with limited resources for road construction and infrastructure couldn't possible have more opportunities for accidents. Our states well know issues with substance abuse also could not have anything to do with these accidents.

And of course the thought that Law Enforcement presence could possibly help limit these risk factors is preposterous.
Yes the State Police are also out enforcing the laws while their small contingent of Police man these checkpoints.

Of course different areas of the country couldn't have different approaches that best suit their particular areas.

Here is an older study
Sobriety Checkpoints | Motor Vehicle Safety | CDC Injury Center

Effectiveness
CDC’s systematic review of 11 high-quality studies found that checkpoints reduced alcohol-related fatal, injury, and property damage crashes each by about 20 percent ([Elder, Shults, et al., 2002]). Similarly, a meta-analysis found that checkpoints reduce alcohol-related crashes by 17 percent, and all crashes by 10 to 15 percent ([Erke, Goldenbeld, and Vaa, 2009]). In recent years, NHTSA has supported a number of efforts to reduce alcohol-impaired driving using sobriety checkpoints. Evaluations of recent statewide campaigns in Connecticut and West Virginia involving sobriety checkpoints and extensive paid media found decreases in alcohol-related fatalities following the program, as well as fewer drivers with positive BACs at roadside surveys ([Zwicker, Chaudhary, Maloney, et al., 2007]; [Zwicker, Chaudhary, Solomon, et al., 2007]). In addition, a study examining demonstration programs in 7 States found reductions in alcohol-related fatalities between 11 and 20 percent in States that employed numerous checkpoints or other highly visible impaired driving enforcement operations and intensive publicity of the enforcement activities, including paid advertising ([Fell, Langston, et al., 2008]). States with lower levels of enforcement and publicity did not demonstrate a decrease in fatalities relative to neighboring States. See also NHTSA’s Strategic Evaluation States initiative (NHTSA, [2007]; Syner et al., 2008), the Checkpoint Strikeforce program ([Lacey, Kelley-Baker, et al., 2008]), and the national Labor Day holiday campaign: Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest ([Solomon, Hedlund, et al., 2008]). (UNC Highway Safety Research Center, 2011, p. 1-18)"


I won't reply anymore as I am obviously wrong and the lawmakers and administrators in our state are obviously lacking any insight into our areas problems. Hopefully they will read the comments above and immediately stop Checkpoint activities in our state.

My views are reflective of my states situation. I would not presume to know what is best for other areas of the country and would certainly respect other opinions on what is best for their areas

 

My observation for a decline in the reproductive capabilities of the COVID-19 ignoring human race is justified by their hospitalization and recovery.

Bob Wilson

 

Wow, you lot get really fired up over this stuff :lol: We are now seeing 3 cars at the start of each roadside "random testing" site. The first does number plate recognition and facial recognition, the second checks speed and both send the results to the third vehicle whe does the breath test and drug test as well as collaring anyone driving unlicensed, unregistered or with outstanding warrants. The facial recognition lists up just who the driver is so there can be a check that the licence isn't false. If they get an unregistered vehicle, they rip the plates off there on the spot, a tow truck or trailer is required to collect the vehicle ... if it sits there for more than 21 days (i think that is the time frame) the vehicle is towed to an impound and fees apply to get it back out .... then it is auctioned off after ... no idea how long. Reckless driving or "hooning" as it is called over here, results in the vehicle being impounded and either sold at auction or crushed if it is a highly modified vehicle. I believe there is an auction going now for a Lamborghini ...... they don't mess around over here ....

As far as the virus vaccination goes, those who don't get vaccinated over here will be so restricted in their activities or simply die off that the herd immunity will occur one way or another .... just a matter of time

T1 Terry

 

sooooooo, they should cover their religion of choice from x to The Blessed Virus Religion , if they want to reproduce ?

lol

 

They don't even like red light cameras here....and don't even THINK about number plate, and speed cameras!!
"an invasion of rights....."

"No machine may harm humanity; or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm." - Azimov

 

getting close to a memorial day surge...

 

A former poster claimed auctions was to only way to go to get a car for a fair price in Australia.

The arguments here against red light cameras was that were more about increasing revenue, with programing to facilitate that. Which actually decreased safety as drivers tried not getting caught. Note that Pa yellow lights are already much shorter than neighboring NJ's.