It's really sad when your state government tries to pull the old shell game on you. If you remember how it works the player generally thinks he knows what's going on but the guy moving the shells around knows the whole story. Such is the case here in Louisiana were the government is raising fines on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge in a move that they say is supposed to improve public safety, but as anyone who lives here knows is actually a grab for more money instead.
Now before we get started I want to make it clear that the eighteen miles of bridge over the Atchafalaya Basin is indeed a very dangerous section of road. There are way too many accidents on that stretch of highway. That being said it should be noted that every highway in Louisiana are very, very dangerous. The roads in the state or poorly maintained, lack safety features like shoulders and railings to prevent you from ending up in a ditch or splashing into a swamp and Pelican State drivers can't resist trying mash their cars into one another. It's their way of saying howdy.
Honestly I have never experienced the level of fear behind the wheel anywhere else I have ever lived. That includes my experiences on the freeways of Southern California and driving on icy roads in New Mexico.
Raising traffic fines won't do anything to make the highway safer, but it will do wonders for the revenue stream.
I should take a moment to point out that most of the parishes in the state of Louisiana get 80 to 100 percent of their money from traffic citations and not tax dollars.
The new law doubles speeding fines for the bridge:Second and subsequent offenses, $1,000, up from $500, and/or 90 days in jail.
Here is the story from the Baton Rouge Advocate:
Workers are placing signs that read, “Higher Fines,” on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge as part of a new crackdown on speeders, state Department of Transportation and Development officials said Tuesday.Motorists will notice the signs starting Friday, including on the bridge approaches on Interstate 10 at both ends of the 18-mile stretch between Baton Rouge and Lafayette. The signs also will be placed at on-ramps at the Whiskey Bay and Butte LaRose exits.
Displays that read, “Safety Corridor,” also will be placed at the bridge entrances to notify drivers of the changes.
The work is the first of three phases to implement a new law, which included much higher speeding fines, that went into effect Monday.
Phase two will be the installation of “Radar Feedback” signs that display the speed of motorists, which are aimed at getting drivers to slow down if they are going over the speed limit. Those signs are under design, and DOTD expects to put the project up for bid by the end of the year.
The third phase will be the placement of cameras that monitor the speed of motorists. How they will be placed and how DOTD will monitor and enforce the fines is also under review.
The cameras will capture a vehicle when it gets on the bridge at Ramah on the east and Henderson on the west side, then calculate whether the vehicle is moving 60 mph at the initial checkpoint based on how long it takes to get there. A similar method will be used to track cars and trucks through other segments.
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