Maryland Police Use Night Vision Goggles To Check If Drivers Are Buckled

[matcom]

<snip>

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The "Click It or Ticket" campaign is getting some high-tech help in suburban Washington.

Maryland State Police are using a military tool to make sure drivers buckle up.

Officers had night vision goggles on Rockville Pike outside the nation's capital last night to look inside darkened cars. Police said they can see from a distance whether drivers have their seat belts fastened.

Authorities said 40 percent of drivers are less likely to wear their seat belts at night and that could be deadly. Maryland State Police Cpl. Kevin Sherwood told Washington, D.C., television station WRC that night-vision goggles are an effective way to catch those drivers.

Maryland authorities said they issued 111 citations Wednesday night as part of the campaign.

http://www.wftv.com/automotive/4560534/detail.html

[mark414]

1. this is bullshit

they should only be allowed to ticket you for this if they pull you over for something else

overreaching and oppressive

if people want to risk their own lives then let em

[LeftyMom]

10. Why shouldn't seatbelt violations be primary enforcement?

They have been here all my life and I certainly don't feel opressed by it. Instead, I just got in the habit of wearing my seatbelt. The thing is, people who aren't wearing thier seatbelt endanger other passengers, so you really aren't just risking your own life.

That said, I'm pretty sure using technology to intrude on a private space is constitutionally iffy.

[mark414]

11. yeah, i always wear my seatbelt

always

but if someone wants to put their life into their own hands and risk it all by not wearing their seatbelt, then let em. how does one person not wearing a seatbelt endanger other passengers?

[LeftyMom]

12. Sorry, I tried to reply earier and the internet ate my post

The unsecured passenger becomes a projectile. An unsecured driver can't control a car so a minor accident or even a near-miss can cause a major accident when the driver is thrown about the car. Chldren are 70% less likely to be secured when the driver is unbuckled.

[democracyindanger]

2. Your Homeland Security dollars at work

Seriously. The distribution is so fucked up that there are police departments with too much money for their (and our) own good.

[Zuni]

3. fuck

luckily i almost always have my belt on

[DS1]

4. Great!

I'll never be able to light up a doob with friends while cruising through the country at night.

Again.

:smoke:

[johnnie]

5. I always buckle up but..

This is ridiculous. If they want to "save lives" so bad maybe they can come up with some real cool gadgets to prevent men and women from going to war and returning dead or severely wounded.
Or maybe they can work harder to help the elderly get better medications at prices they can afford. Or maybe saving lives by putting more of an effort in getting the domestic violence awareness out more to the forefront.
Naw, they would rather spend possibly millions on "click it or ticket".

[aden_nak]

6. Night Vision Goggles were good, but Cameras In Every Car are better!

Just wait for it.

[One_Life_To_Give]

7. Next, IR to see which hand is used to wipe your

What next. Special police with infrared cameras. Enforcing a law about only being allowed to wipe your butt with the left hand?

[kick-ass-bob]

8. Just install a light on top of your dashboard

and turn it on when you come up to a cop car!

Blinded!!

:P

[SouthernDem2004]

13. Not with Gen 3 equipment....

[Mutley]

9. They've been playing ads on the radio for a few weeks now

about their "click-it or ticket" campaign. I always use my seatbelt but it seems that some of those funds are badly needed elsewhere...

[Robb]

14. It's a tough one

The annual number of people killed on our highways has been steady since the mid-90's, about 42,000. I read DOT set a goal of 1 fatality per 100 million vehicle-miles traveled, or a reduction of 9,000 deaths per year, by the end of FY08.

It's a lot of deaths. :(

[DoNotRefill]

15. This'll last....

until somebody points out the pot growing/thermal imaging SCOTUS decision in court...