Full Throttle For Motorists

[Pericles]

So I came across this article

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/091025/News/nws_21.html

Which I gotta say, is bloody absurd. According to this guy, accidents are on the rise coz police cannot enforce speed limits. Example accidents

*two buses at high speed

*bus at high speed toppled

*three wheeler and van

*army cab and police truck.

The funny thing is, speed guns or not, traffic police don't catch buses, army cabs and police trucks for speeding anyway! What sorta BS excuse is it that this sorta accidents are on the rise due to police not enforcing speed limits? Three wheelers are accidents waiting to happen. The forum has already expressed an opinion on who are the bad drivers. http://forum.autolanka.com/index.php?showtopic=130

Some journalist looking for some way to fill column space and some ppl trying to get their names in the paper.

Full throttle for motorists

Absence of speed limit boards leaves police helplesss

By Asif Fuard

The failure of local bodies to put up sign boards on roads indicating speed limits has left traffic police helpless to apprehend motorists driving at high speeds despite the relevant laws being passed more than one and a half years ago.

This situation has led to an increase in the number of accidents caused by speeding. Due to the laws not being implemented as local authorities have not taken steps to put up signs boards, most traffic policemen are compelled to charge motorists for reckless driving. However this too can be challenged.

In January 2008, the Supreme Court delivered a judgment in a fundamental rights case in which the police were ordered to remove all signboards indicating speed limits. It was found that motorists were confused by signboards indicating different speed limits along the same main roads. Court ordered that traffic behaviour and patterns be observed and speed limit signs put up accordingly on roads in Colombo and its suburbs.

An officer attached to the police all island traffic division, speaking on grounds of anonymity, said that since January 2008, not a single charge for speeding has been made by any City or suburban police station.

“However motorists are being charged for reckless driving,” he said. “We spent millions of rupees purchasing speed guns to catch motorists who are speeding. But now they are collecting dust in the police stations. We can’t do anything until the local authorities put up the proper sign boards,” he said.

On Monday two buses said to be travelling at high speed collided at Hali Ella resulting in four people being injured. Among the injured was a six-year-old child.

On Tuesday morning a bus travelling at high speed from Badulla to Wattekele toppled in an area known as Soranathota Batuyaya resulting in 16 people being injured. Most of the injured were teachers who were travelling to school that morning.On the same day a pregnant woman was killed while three other sustained injuries when a three-wheeler and a van collided at Payagala.

On Wednesday Col. Palihakkara Amarasekara, the commanding officer of the Army 611 division, was killed when his official double cab collided with a police truck. These are among few accidents which occurred during the past two weeks.

Police Spokesman DIG Nimal Mediwaka told the Sunday Times that there was an urgent need to revise and implement speeding laws. He also said that the local authorities need to start putting up speed limit signs.

“There is a delay in putting up the speed limit signs despite the ever increasing detection of speeding. It is up to the local authorities to take steps to put them up immediately. We are doing our best to crack down on errant motorists but we need the assistance of the local authorities. We also need to educate drivers and society about the situation,” he said.

“We may not be in a position to charge people for speeding. But we are keeping an eye for reckless drivers. Because the relevant signs are not put up, it does not mean we can’t catch errant drivers who are endangering their own as well as the lives of others,” he said.

It is learnt that more than 3,000 signboards are required for all the main road networks and the cost for putting up these signs is said to be over Rs. 70 million.

Local Government and Provincial Council Ministry Secretary Cassian Herath told the Sunday Times that a survey is being carried out on the speed limits for all roads and it is planned to put up the sign boards soon.

“We cannot put up speed limit boards on a haphazard basis. We have to do a survey first. We have now completed a major part of the survey on some of the most important roads and we hope to put up the sign boards soon,” he said.

“There is a delay in putting up the speed limit signs despite the ever increasing detection of speeding. It is up to the local authorities to take steps to put them up immediately. We are doing our best to crack down on errant motorists but we need the assistance of the local authorities. We also need to educate drivers and society about the situation.” - Nimal Mediwaka

[Supra_Natural]

So I came across this article

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/091025/News/nws_21.html

Which I gotta say, is bloody absurd. According to this guy, accidents are on the rise coz police cannot enforce speed limits. Example accidents

*two buses at high speed

*bus at high speed toppled

*three wheeler and van

*army cab and police truck.

The funny thing is, speed guns or not, traffic police don't catch buses, army cabs and police trucks for speeding anyway! What sorta BS excuse is it that this sorta accidents are on the rise due to police not enforcing speed limits? Three wheelers are accidents waiting to happen. The forum has already expressed an opinion on who are the bad drivers. http://forum.autolanka.com/index.php?showtopic=130

Some journalist looking for some way to fill column space and some ppl trying to get their names in the paper.

Utter and complete bull!

The best part is that the fatal accident examples they've given involve buses, which the cops never stop for speeding or army/police vehicles, which never get stopped for any reason!

Typical bloody shoddy ass journalism... is there a reply e-mail peri? should write to the idiot pointing some of this out.

[SHAI]

Utter rubbish..........If enforcement is being done it should be enforced on all....not those that suit the cops only,

considering they themselves are the worst culprits.

BTW, I drove to Habarana on work on the 17th and on my way back just stopped and asked a set of traffic cops standing on the road (lying in wait ) and verified with them that the speed laws weren't in effect ...cause I'd heard otherwise. He confirmed that the speed laws could not be enfoeced as yet cause of the case not being sorted yet etc...

However I must say that there are signs for 70 posted along the kurunegala Dambulla road and also the 50 sign near the towns....the 50 ending signs are also posted so motorists are aware of the areas in which these limits are enforced.

Most of the vehicles on the roads seemed to be complying with these as well.....other than of course those bastards in the TATA's. some of which practically ran me off the road.....

[mazdaspeed]

Ohhh poor Police man – can’t do his job cause no law on speed limits

What a %&*#$@*&%!~*&

If they imposed reckless tickets divining we would have a transport crisis on our hands as all the busses & 3 wheelers would be due in court.

Who the F&^%* is this Asif Fuard if any of u know this AS% Ho@# please enlighten him on his article

[GihanFX]

is this Asif Fuard M*** F*** know shit about cars ?

[roadhog]

The parked vehical was a police truck, most probably parked on a bend with out parking lights.

The speeding double cab would have had the lights focused on to the on coming vehical(to intimidate the on coming vehical)

As the army officer did not have the seat belt, he ended up like a cockroach.

This avaoidable death was caused by the very people who are suppose to uphold the law.

[fuzzo]

here's another accident that could have been avoided if speed guns were in effect.....NOT

http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections...spx?ARTID=66005

[mazdaspeed]

here's another accident that could have been avoided if speed guns were in effect.....NOT

http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections...spx?ARTID=66005

All hail the "Mara" Tree

Wonder if they would file a case against the tree for conspiring to destroy the country

[harshansenadhir]

All hail the "Mara" Tree

Wonder if they would file a case against the tree for conspiring to destroy the country

as per the pics the vehicle is in a good shape yet, i believe they weren't buckled up.

[miniace]

as per the pics the vehicle is in a good shape yet, i believe they weren't buckled up.

Good shape??? Thats a NIJ standard IV ballestic proof Defender.According to my info last reported speed was 120 mph.So the case was 120mph to Zero mph in half a second and occupants hitting against bare ballestic steel and 2.5 inch ballestic proof glass.The G force here is more than 17 and thats an instant kill if not cushioned against something inside.

MINIACE

[Ripper]

Good shape??? Thats a NIJ standard IV ballestic proof Defender.According to my info last reported speed was 120 mph.So the case was 120mph to Zero mph in half a second and occupants hitting against bare ballestic steel and 2.5 inch ballestic proof glass.The G force here is more than 17 and thats an instant kill if not cushioned against something inside.

MINIACE

yeah pics on dailymirror web looks pretty bad

http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections...spx?ARTID=66005

and bulletproof as it might be....nothing is idiot proof just yet

[harshansenadhir]

Good shape??? Thats a NIJ standard IV ballestic proof Defender.According to my info last reported speed was 120 mph.So the case was 120mph to Zero mph in half a second and occupants hitting against bare ballestic steel and 2.5 inch ballestic proof glass.The G force here is more than 17 and thats an instant kill if not cushioned against something inside.

MINIACE

true, things would be different had they wearing the seat belts as i said, but 17 times G force story tells me to think twice.

[JadeyBlitzen]

I'll give 2 causes for such accidents.

1. Our main roads are not even everywhere and can turn bumpy at the most unexpected places. so they are not capable of accomodating such speeds.

2. I have absolutely no faith is most of these drivers. its almost as if they totally rely on their siren to clear traffic and pedestrians and keep their foot buried to the floor. There are ways to drive fast through traffic and I know this kind of training is given to most purpose trained drivers in security forces. but i got serious doubts if all drivers of such vehicles possess these skills.

[miniace]

I'll tell you the biggest secret.Thats the poor construction of the NIJ Defender.Very unstable at high speeds.The structue and the design is for the lightweight aluminim construction around,not for the heavy armour!

In USA this is a Million Dollar fortune for the NOKs of the unfortunates involved.Sadly this is Banana Republic.Blame the victims and wash the dirty hands!

MINIACE

[Devinda_Z]

Good shape??? Thats a NIJ standard IV ballestic proof Defender.According to my info last reported speed was 120 mph.So the case was 120mph to Zero mph in half a second and occupants hitting against bare ballestic steel and 2.5 inch ballestic proof glass.The G force here is more than 17 and thats an instant kill if not cushioned against something inside.

MINIACE

running the Rover V8's right?

I've seen an NGO vehicle which i believe had gone over a small land mine which looked in better shape than that

I'll tell you the biggest secret.Thats the poor construction of the NIJ Defender.Very unstable at high speeds.The structue and the design is for the lightweight aluminim construction around,not for the heavy armour!

The strength of the Defender is in the chassis not the body shell as it isn't a unibody/Monocoque like most others so i can see how adding all that weight might pose some serious structural issues

These don't have something like an internal roll cage or anything ne?

[Devinda_Z]

Food for thought...

Utah’s Experimental Speed Limit Increase Deemed Successful

http://www.nextautos.com/utah’s-expe...?src=Nextscreen

[Bugatti]

Driving back home bout 10Pm tonight from Thalawathugoda... over took a cop car at pagoda road and made my way on high level towards Maharagama. Stopped at the traffic lights at Gamsabha junc.

The next thing I knew a THE cop (flashing all the available light on board) pulls up along side me, two cops get off and order me to pull over to the side.

Charges were, that I drove too fast, and over took the cop car in city limits. talked my way out of it.

Other side of the story:

Well, while trying to overtake the cop car, the joke driving it tried very hard not to let me get past... yeah, an Elantra packed with 4 guys Vs me (only) in mine. Managed to get pass them and throttled away.... Which I guess pissed them off. Bloody cops...

[Devinda_Z]

talked my way out of it.

what on earth did you say to them?!

[virensti]

Driving back home bout 10Pm tonight from Thalawathugoda... over took a cop car at pagoda road and made my way on high level towards Maharagama. Stopped at the traffic lights at Gamsabha junc.

The next thing I knew a THE cop (flashing all the available light on board) pulls up along side me, two cops get off and order me to pull over to the side.

Charges were, that I drove too fast, and over took the cop car in city limits. talked my way out of it.

Other side of the story:

Well, while trying to overtake the cop car, the joke driving it tried very hard not to let me get past... yeah, an Elantra packed with 4 guys Vs me (only) in mine. Managed to get pass them and throttled away.... Which I guess pissed them off. Bloody cops...

Okay firstly how can they prove you were driving too "fast" without a speed gun? And is there a law that you cant over take a cop car in the city? I mean wtf if your stuck behind a slow going cop car, you gotta follow it or take a different route? Man thats just utter cock.. Yeah mate as Devinda asked, what did you tell them??

Btw I'd love to see what would've happened if you hadn't stopped at the lights.. As in if you had a clear run all the way home.. They probably would've had to eat sh*t!

Edited October 29, 2009 by virensti

[Bugatti]

what on earth did you say to them?!

Told them that I was running low on fuel, and I was making a dash towards the Maharagama Laughs cos they were issuing the last bit...

And the cheeky swine tells me that I shouldn't rev the engine that much cos I might consume the little I have. Apart from all of this, I forgot to mention earlier... they made a huge fuss about my fake number plates..

Edited October 30, 2009 by Bugatti

[Devinda_Z]

Told them that I was running low on fuel, and I was making a dash towards the Maharagama Laughs cos they were issuing the last bit...

nice save!

[charitha19]

Told them that I was running low on fuel, and I was making a dash towards the Maharagama Laughs cos they were issuing the last bit...

And the cheeky swine tells me that I shouldn't rev the engine that much cos I might consume the little I have. Apart from all of this, I forgot to mention earlier... they made a huge fuss about my fake number plates..

ado when did this happen.. i lost u somewhere around the nuga supermarket...

[Sifaan]

Just wondering... what is the status on this one now? Are cops still not catching for speeding?

drove down to galle about a week ago and there were loads of traffic cops and stopped vehicles; but don't know if they were enforcing speed limits or "reckless driving"