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(stremler) writes:

Most sensors around here fail in the opposite way - which causes tie-ups when a left-turn lane is selected for the maximum interval even when empty. But I take your point - indeed there are times when I've waited long enough at a light to declare a malfunction and sneak through as soon as safely possible.

But speeding is so easy to test for - install a radar camera, hook it up to a printing press, and watch the money grind out.

On the other hand, local and provincial governments here have given up on the War on Speed (a term I use to parallel the futility of the War on Drugs), and I suspect it's largely because they've completely destroyed their credibility. Speed limits have been buttigned arbitrarily, indeed capriciously - and too many politicians have been caught using the R word ("revenue"). Besides, between the overbuilding of new roads (and overimprovement of existing ones), and improvements in automotive technology, road speeds need a complete review. Throw in our all-pervasive culture of speed (check out automobile ads, for instance), and it's little surprise that average highway speeds have increased by 20 km-h over the past 10 years.

Determining whether a motorist is paying attention to the road is much more difficult. Besides, paying attention is, in many people's minds, vastly overrated. It would interfere with their comprehension of roadside advertising - and, worse, might distract them from their cell phone conversations. A trivial act like driving must not be allowed to interfere with these far more important activities.

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