Contrary to the perception that crime is on the rise because of the recession, in the City of Batavia, crime actually went down in 2008 versus 2007.
Calls for service in the city dropped from 17,707 to 15,854; however, serious crime reports were virtually unchanged, with 502 reported cases in 2008 versus 509 in 2007
Motor vehicle accidents involving personal injury increased from 89 in 2007 to 103 in 2008. There were no fatal accidents in 2008.
You can read the full press release (PDF) by clicking here.
1800 traffic tickets.1300 of
1800 traffic tickets.1300 of those for parking..56 were dwi's ..average..about 5 a day..I see more than 5 people a day talking on the cell phone and driving..doesn't seem like much to me..
The cell phone law is garbage
The cell phone law is garbage and shouldn't be enforced.
Agreed.
Agreed.
Unfortunately I disagree with
Unfortunately I disagree with the thought that the cell phone law is "garbage". How many deaths have we seen recently because of people talking or texting while driving. You may not like it but I am infuriated every time my life or my childrens lives are put in danger because someone has to talk while driving. I have had MANY near misses. It galls me even more when I am driving the ambulance in emergency mode and a person doesn't pull to the right as is the law because they are to preoccupied with the conversation they are having. Hit the ignore button, let it ring or pull over to answer it. Just get off the road. Save a life.
How many time have people
How many time have people taken their eyes off the road to look at something else? Thats a lot more distracting then a cell phone.
A near miss is a hit. Otherwise its a miss or near hit.
The world is over populated anyways.
You don't need to take your
You don't need to take your eyes off the road to hold a cellphone up to your ear. Period.
Texting while driving is a separate issue.
Its the fact that you aren't
Its the fact that you aren't concentrating on the road or the things happening around you the way that you should be. I agree that there are alot of other distractions out there. My kids are a perfect example. They are always asking questions. However it is extremely rude to risk someones life over something that is illegal. It is pretty hard to swerve to miss something if you are holding onto a phone. Likewise it is easy to drift when you aren't paying attention. We can argue this until the cows come home. You will have your opinion and I will have mine. I respect that. It's like drinking and driving. Your ability is impaired.
I've lost all desire to argue
I've lost all desire to argue on this site. Nothing against you personally.
My point was that they aren't
My point was that they aren't handing out to many cell phone tickets...And i agree with Lori...you don't pay attention to your driving if you are on a cell phone...i see it all the time,change lanes without looking,make turns without looking..cut people off...weave in out of lanes...and for some reason the City of Batavia police don't seem to enforce the law...1300 parking tickets dont seem as serious as cell phones..i havent heard of too many illegally parked cars causing accidents...
I am going to keep talking on
I am going to keep talking on my phone and texting while I drive and surfing the internet and checking my email.
Then Mr OBrien you are a
Then Mr OBrien you are a selfish individual that is only concerned about yourself. May you not kill anyone else by your actions. I hope that law enforcement or the DA see your arrogant statement and pay attention.
Let them, you are assuming I
Let them, you are assuming I will be caught. Selfishness is what makes America great. It is through the selfish action of wanting to improve my lot in life that I am able to advance in my career and put food on the table. Its through channeled greed that this country is the single best in the world.
Support America, Support Selfishness, Destroy Socialism.
Peter, just please be careful
Peter, just please be careful while driving, and multi tasking on your phone. Your being a little harsh. I wouldnt want you to put my innocent, little girl in jepordy, while driving down Main St. Thats what *isses me off the most. Drivers that don't care about the others vechicles. I followed a Road Rager all the way to his home on 98. He fled to the barn in the back, and tryed to hide. What a DOOFIS He swerved right at my drivers rear door where Angelina was sitting. Ya Don't Mess With a Mama Tiger and Her Cubs.
Hah! That puts a funny
Hah! That puts a funny picture in my head. I bet you scared the hell out of that guy.
I DID, HEEEEEHAAAAAAA***** My
I DID, HEEEEEHAAAAAAA***** My hubby was dieing laughing, and begged me to drive away. hheeeehaaaa You made me laugh today. Have a good one!!
people have talked on cb
people have talked on cb radios for a long time.I think texting while driving, would be more distracting.It is a very hard law to enforce.I think i would have a hands free device.Or blue tooth.I do see alot of people on the cell phone.I also see alot of people run red lights.When the boys and i are riding our bikes,I tell them make sure to see if they are going to stop first.Alot do not and we'd have been hit many times.
One of the main things that
One of the main things that bugs me about the hands free law (and I don't like it all that much anyway, even though I nearly always use an earpiece) is how often I see law enforcement officers driving and talking on their mobile phones. I've often wondered if I could get away with a citizen's arrest ...
If a law enforcement officer
If a law enforcement officer is on duty thats an exception to the rule. If said official causes harm do to this then they are subjected to same said law...
It makes a good case for upgrading all law enforcement to include hands free equipment !
Gabor, thing is us average
Gabor, thing is us average citizens have no idea if he's making an official call or just gabbing with his girlfriend.
And even if an official call, he should pull over to the side of the road to set an example and to remain consistent with the laws he is swore to uphold.
If it were an emergency situation, the officer would not be using a commercial mobile phone. And I'm not even sure law enforcement departments supply officers with mobile phones.
One last note: To be fair, I have yet to see any Genesee County LE personnel talking on a phone while driving, but plenty on Monroe County.
If you get an in dash camera,
If you get an in dash camera, and some phone records I would say you have a good case. I wouldnt want to be the one to call a law enforcement officer out on a citizen arrest. You can get a bluetooth ear piece for 25 bucks !
I see many people on their phones daily. I just make sure I dont get hit !
Howard the police can get
Howard the police can get away with it.Who will arrest them??
Howard, you would be wrong in
Howard, you would be wrong in that assumption. They use them all the time for that expressed purpose. Just about everyone has a scanner but it's far more difficult for JQ Public to listen in on PD cell conversations and know exactly who you're monitoring.
Howard, you aren't the only
Howard, you aren't the only one that's thought about pulling off a citizen's arrest.
The hands-free law is a pain for me because my phone (Palm Centro) has limited voice dialing features. I can't initiate voice dialing over a bluetooth earpiece. I have to hit a side button bound to the program that lets me voice dial numbers. I still have to bring the phone up to my mouth. Only when I'm in a phone call does the phone switch inputs to the bluetooth headset.
The last is keeping the earpiece on me is such a pain in the ass, to be honest. I don't have to divert much attention to talk to someone and my focus on the road doesn't change.
All the law does is hinder the majority of people that can drive and talk at the same time. I've had a few people suggest a specific traffic violation that you're hit with if you get into an accident while on/using a cellphone, instead of just getting a ticket for being on a cellphone.
Double post. Whoops.
Double post. Whoops.
I saw a school bus driver
I saw a school bus driver today talking on a cell phone with kids on the bus...Chris i understand your objection to the law ..but if they only gave you a ticket after you had a accident,isn't that to late..
School Bus Drivers are
School Bus Drivers are another matter entirely. I believe he/she would not only get a ticket but likely lose his/her CDL.
Peter- while I most certainly
Peter- while I most certainly agree capitalism trumps socialism, there needs to be moderation, as with everything. If I'm not mistaken,(and I'm not) channeled greed and selfishness are exactly why we're in the mess we're in! UAW workers didn't make enough...CEOs scrape by on 10 million a year...wall street fatcats gambled and lost their previous winnings...NOW WE ARE PAYING FOR IT!!! There has to be middle ground.
No the rest of the market
No the rest of the market collapsed around forced government loans to people who can't afford them. That isn't greed that's government regulation forcing private enterprise to not work in its best interest.
BTW I was able to bid and win an ebay auction today on my drive home. I then took two phone calls from my fiance.
@ Mark, if you're under the
@ Mark, if you're under the assumption that driving and talking at the same time is wrong, then yes.
Reality is that a good amount of people can hold a conversation while driving and keep paying attention.
Most people that downplay talking on a cellphone and driving at the same time seem to be people that either have never tried it, or suck at driving in the first place and never learned how to turn and swerve with one hand.