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Data journalism busts speeding cops, wins Pulitzer

articles.sun-sentinel.com

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Re: Data journalism busts speeding cops, wins Pulitzer

#131

Post by talmand »

nonce42 wrote: post #75
samolang wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regarding a (at least in the US) I think a big part of the problem is a system of laws that people generally agree is unjust (i.e. the drug laws)

I find it strange that the US has laws that many people break and the law is only enforced sporadically. Some examples in California are speeding, missing front license plate, age of consent laws, use tax on out-of-state/internet purchases, and illegal immigration. Having a bunch of laws that people break with impunity has a "broken window" effect, leading to less respect for the law overall. (Whether or not these la…

One of the problems is that the US has so many laws on the books that law enforcement has no choice but to enforce it sporadically. If every law was enforced as written then I would imagine about 80% of the US population would be in the justice system in one form or another at any given moment.

But it does provide a way to pick-and-choose when enforcing laws.

Re: Data journalism busts speeding cops, wins Pulitzer

#132

Post by rdouble »

freehunter wrote: post #119
fludlight wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They didn't just reach speeds of 130mph, but average speeds of 130mph over a distance of several miles. Their maximum speed was probably closer to 150-180.

I want to know what cars these officers are driving that are capable of 150-180mph, or capable of sustaining speeds of 130mph over a significant distance. From my knowledge, 150 is a fairly exclusive club limited to not-inexpensive performance cars, and 180 is a very hard target to meet, mostly at the feet of German luxury cars. I know police officers don't make six figures, so the question is what car are they in th…

There are a police versions of the Dodge Charger Dodge Challenger and a new police version of the Chevy Caprice. When I recently drove across the south I saw many highway patrols had the Challenger. That said, nobody is driving 180mph in a sedan on American roads.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/21/nyregion/21cars.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-19/chevy-s-cop-cruiser...

http://www.allpar.com/squads/police-cars/challenger.html

Re: Data journalism busts speeding cops, wins Pulitzer

#133

Post by ajmurmann »

ritchiea wrote: post #89
ajmurmann wrote: post #45

Nothing makes me more upset than corrupt cops. Obviously the off-duty cops got away with speeding because cops don't give tickets to other cops. That's the real scandal. Corrupt cops undermine the entire legal system, which is much worse than anything any terrorist could ever hope to achieve. They should be treated accordingly!

You must be upset a lot

Yes I am. (-;

Re: Data journalism busts speeding cops, wins Pulitzer

#134

Post by talmand »

fnordfnordfnord wrote: post #38
corwinstephen wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Frustrating? Yes. Shocking? No. Did anyone really believe that taking a job as a police officer somehow suppressed these people's natural desire to drive fast? Hell, that's probably what make them join the force in the first place. Sure, it's irresponsible and illegal for off-duty officers to speed, but it's also irresponsible and illegal for regular citizens to speed, and yet that doesn't seem to stop them from doin…

Well then, let them stop pretending that they're looking out for our safety when they put up a speed trap. If you want to talk about having more reasonable road markings, speed limits, and fines for speeding that's great. It's a conversation that we need to have. But to have a bunch of guys driving around like jerks, on and off duty, extracting a tax from the working stiffs is an insult, and nobody should be surprise…

My reasoning in that speed traps are for revenue generation instead of safety is over the thought that a visible police presence on the road would more likely cause people to slow down and obey traffic laws. Hiding to ambush a speeder is the same tactic used by a highwayman out for money.

Re: Data journalism busts speeding cops, wins Pulitzer

#135

Post by talmand »

pitt1980 wrote: post #124
a_m0d wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's the problem with the marked cars driving the speed limit? If all the cars drive at the speed limit, that's good, right? I always thought the speed limit was there as a speed limit . I've found that in Australia, speed limits are obeyed much more than in North America, where they seem to be suggestions or lower bounds on speed. Many times in Canada I've been travelling in traffic that's doing 30 - 40 kph over t…

first thing that pops up when googling cost of traffic jams http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2009/11/10/oecd-... the cost is real, and should be accounted for

I would have to see a study that shows that the speed limit is the source of traffic congestion. I seriously doubt it is. Most sources of congestion seem to be more along the lines of disabled vehicles, accidents, several roads converging in the same area, merging issues, and just stupid drivers at any speed. Increasing the speed limit by 10 or 15 MPH doesn't address any of that and in fact would likely make it worse in some of those examples.

Re: Data journalism busts speeding cops, wins Pulitzer

#136

Post by pitt1980 »

talmand wrote: post #135
pitt1980 wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

first thing that pops up when googling cost of traffic jams http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2009/11/10/oecd-... the cost is real, and should be accounted for

I would have to see a study that shows that the speed limit is the source of traffic congestion. I seriously doubt it is. Most sources of congestion seem to be more along the lines of disabled vehicles, accidents, several roads converging in the same area, merging issues, and just stupid drivers at any speed. Increasing the speed limit by 10 or 15 MPH doesn't address any of that and in fact would likely make it worse…

I don't have a study to link to

but I'm seen how one slow driving cop can cause a bottle neck behind him as noone wants to pass him

some links about about how seemingly minor factors can cause traffic jams

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/accidents-h...

http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/03072...

Re: Data journalism busts speeding cops, wins Pulitzer

#137

Post by sfall »

MertsA wrote: post #98
sfall wrote: post #81

ok I really am not getting this it says: "the technical challenges were daunting because the raw information does not allow speed calculations,'' Maines said. "We came up with some neat tricks to overcome that, and it's great that the judges recognized our hard work."" I am crazy to think that the raw data would be something like: account#, toll location, time And this would be the bare minimum. How would determining…

Yea but you can't even begin to imagine how big the excel spreadsheet was.

that put a smile on my face, do i need to update my resume to be a database specialist?

Re: Data journalism busts speeding cops, wins Pulitzer

#138

Post by jdbernard »

talmand wrote: post #126
nitrogen wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The maximum safe speed really depends on the road, current traffic, weather, and the capabilities of the car. I could imagine some locations permitting safe travel at 120+. Maybe the revenue currently earned from speeding tickets can be gained by offering a "license to speed" instead, with increased driver training, insurance, and vehicle inspection requirements.

You can't go by the capabilities of the individual car. You have to also account for the capabilities of the other cars on the road. If a Ferrari is speeding along at 120 MPH, which might be easily within its capabilities, there will be problems when it encounters the small Hyundai that can only achieve 90 comfortably. Plus there's the issue of driver's ability as well. Can you look in your side mirror and successful…

I agree with you in general. There needs to be a common speed for all cars because difference in speed is, I believe, the real cause of danger.

However, there is one common case where the speeding law seems unnecessary at best. I live in Texas. Florida is similar in that there can be large stretches of empty highway. When I travel outside the city there is often very little traffic and very open country. If I can see for a mile and I am the only one out there, why shouldn't I travel at the fastest speed I can manage safely? In the city speeding rarely pays off, what with traffic and traffic controls. On a trip of 200 miles (Austin to Dallas for example) the difference between an average speed of 60 m/hr and 90 m/hr is an hour of travel. It seems wrong that I should be limited in this situation because an 18-wheeler cannot handle more than 60 or 70 safely. Worse is when you have small towns that drop the speed limit to 55 or 45 for a tiny stretch of road when the road does not even go through the town. That kind of speed trap is what angers people, especially when you see an officer blow through with impunity.

Re: Data journalism busts speeding cops, wins Pulitzer

#139

Post by jisaacstone »

freehunter wrote: post #120
pitt1980 wrote: post #114

I'm just going to throw this out there, people don't pass marked cars so a marked car driving the speed limit causes traffic to back up behind them for no other reason than to alleviate traffic congestion, it probably makes sense for them to drive 15-20 miles over the speed limit (that obviously doesn't excuse driving 130 mph)

I would argue that for the sake of the law, having a backup of cars behind an officer all doing the speed limit is a good thing. It's called the speed limit , not the speed range. As in, the maximum you're allowed to do on that road in perfect conditions. If we want to enforce the laws, having everyone follow a pace car going exactly the speed limit is a good thing. Having an officer going 65 in a 55 just to relieve…

Agreed. Having laws that _everyone_ breaks is worse than useless, as it encourages a disregard for the law and resentment towards enforcement officers, as well as leaving lots of room for unequal enforcement.

Re: Data journalism busts speeding cops, wins Pulitzer

#140

Post by redblacktree »

talmand wrote: post #131
nonce42 wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it strange that the US has laws that many people break and the law is only enforced sporadically. Some examples in California are speeding, missing front license plate, age of consent laws, use tax on out-of-state/internet purchases, and illegal immigration. Having a bunch of laws that people break with impunity has a "broken window" effect, leading to less respect for the law overall. (Whether or not these la…

One of the problems is that the US has so many laws on the books that law enforcement has no choice but to enforce it sporadically. If every law was enforced as written then I would imagine about 80% of the US population would be in the justice system in one form or another at any given moment. But it does provide a way to pick-and-choose when enforcing laws.

This makes it easier to target enemies.
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