Link: http://www.wheels.ca/articlecategory/article/395019

Share: Facebook | Del.icio.us | Reddit | Reddit | Mister-Wong| Mixx

Jim Kenzie
Special to the Star

Oct 04, 2008

Anniversaries are often a time for taking stock. They are usually happy occasions. Candles are lit. Cakes are baked. Presents are handed out.

On such occasions, one can be forgiven for perhaps taking too rosy a view of the past.

Perhaps that's what's behind the shiny, happy faces of those celebrating the first anniversary of Section 172 of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, which gives the police the power to seize vehicles going 50 km/h over the speed limit. This law, passed one year ago last Tuesday, also allows police to impose fines of up to $10,000 before the accused even gets a day in court.

They are still averaging 23 scofflaws a day. Now that is down from 40 a day when the crackdown began, but we don't know how many cops they have on patrol now versus then.

Regardless, with the amount of publicity this has received, you'd have thought that if the law had any deterrent effect whatsoever, nobody would dare take a chance.

Not so's you'd notice.

Read more »