The numbers speak loudly.
There have already been close to 10,000 car crashes in Adams and Arapahoe counties so far this year, many of them within Aurora, according to state sources.
So far this year, there have been 38 road fatalities in Aurora. There were 48 for all of 2022, an already alarming number.
An alarming 220 people died on Colorado roads in 2022. It’s likely 2023 will surpass that.
Anyone who commutes daily across Aurora, and especially across the metroplex, knows first-hand how dangerous it has become just to get to work, to school or to the store.
The Sentinel Colorado comment section, letters to the editor and any public meeting focusing on traffic safety is chock full of complaints about reckless, unconstrained speeding and racing drivers.
If there’s a positive note to the devolution of metro roads, it’s that more people, amazingly, aren’t injured every day by the stunning disregard for safety and even sanity on public roads, and especially highways.
The problem isn’t just local, and it didn’t come suddenly.
Traffic and sociology experts say the disregard for speed limits, red lights, stop signs and basic other traffic rules and laws has been growing for several years.
Aurora traffic police officials have long referred to I-225 as the “Aurora Autobahn,” a nod to the city’s seemingly speed-limitless interstate.
Researchers say the problem of roadway lawlessness has grown alongside police departments being squeezed by labor shortages and other increasing crime and service demands.
With fewer traffic patrol cars and cops on the roads, fewer scofflaws are caught.
Sociologists and psychologists say the phenomenon is simple: People will often get away with what they believe they can get away with.
With patrol cars out of sight all across the metroplex, the notion of playing by the rules is out of mind.
Metro roads have become a treacherous free-for-all because police aren’t there to offer a visible reminder that law-breakers can — and will — get caught, ticketed, fined and punished with higher insurance rates.
Police simply don’t have the resources.
Aurora, like most communities, soured long ago on automated, camera-operated, traffic enforcement.
A few years ago, local voters overwhelmingly agreed that so-called red-light cameras, which automatically ticketed people who ran red lights, were essentially insidious nuisances.
Whether they were nuisances or not, it was difficult for police to prove they were truly effective at increasing intersection safety. They were, however, extremely effective at raising millions of dollars of year in fines from motorists driving through “orange” and “light-red” traffic lights at select Aurora intersections.
The Sentinel was among those advising the city to stop red-light camera programs and instead patrol truly dangerous intersections to prevent infractions.
Not only have times changed, the speeding problem is different.
Aurora recently announced a new program using latest-technology radar-camera vans to be sent out to select parts of the city to snag speeders on city streets. The program rolls out with huge, warning signs about the radar vans, and the automated vans themselves are intentionally intimidating to local lead-foots.
We not only enthusiastically endorse the idea, we suggest police, state and city officials quickly expand to further trials.
Aurora, the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado State Patrol should collaborate on a program that advises motorists that street-light, street level and other cameras and radar equipment are monitoring select segments of I-225 and automatically ticketing and prosecuting anyone caught speeding, racing or weaving.
While this may set off alarms for those concerned about Big Brother watching where we drive, the ability to save lives and restore sanity to the area’s interstates cannot be ignored. If police here, or anywhere in the metroplex, do not have the resources to visibly, regularly and seriously patrol the roads to stop and prevent the problem, an automated way to warn, detect and mete out punishment for what by all accounts is criminal menacing is an experiment worth conducting.
Europe, and especially France, has long used this highway technology to successfully prevent temptation and inflict hefty fines on those who don’t heed the well-publicized and broadcast don’t-speed warnings. Let’s join them.
It is basic math to calculate the time of a vehicle traveling at a legal speed to get from point A to point B. It shouldn’t be difficult to monitor vehicles, select those taking significantly less time, and issue a violation. Unless there is a reported vehicle theft, the registered owner of the vehicle ought to be held responsible for its operation.
Never ceases to amaze me when people think speed is the problem. People driving erratically (below traffic speeds, unexpected lame changes, weaving, etc) is what causes accidents. Sure speed reduces the time we have to react, and no, 100 mph is not a safe speed anywhere but a race track. That being said, it’s the drivers who clog up left lanes, merge into highways at 45 mph, cut across 3 lanes, etc. that are the problem, these cameras do nothing to discourage these behaviors. Bottom line is that most U.S. drivers believe driving is a right, it should be a privilege, and if you can’t do it safely and courteously, you shouldn’t be doing it all.
Want the solution?
Hit ’em where it hurts.
1. Burnouts or donuts on a public street? License suspended 6 months; Reckless Driving Charge.
2. Caught as a repeat offender? Car impounded and sold at auction.
3. No insurance, registration or driving without license? Flat $1000 fine + all previously due fees equal to if they HAD paid those fees (retroactive).
4. Repeat offender? Car impounded and sold at auction.
5. Illegal exhaust, pollution with noise and smog? $500 fine, 30 days to remove and replace. Each next offense in $500 increments, max of 3; Impound and Auction.
6. Illegally tinted windows? $100 fine, 30 days to fix. Repeat offender, $500 fine each time.
7. Covered and obscured license plate? $250 fine, officer removes covering during stop.
8. Racing? $500 fine, repeat offenses $1000 each, max 3, the Car is impounded and auctioned?
9. Double the speed limit, or 30+ mph over? $1000 fine. 3 offenses; suspended license, impound car and auction.
10. Running red light? $500 each offense. 3 offenses, loss of license.
11. Running red light with accident? 1 year suspended license, $1000 fine + Reckless charge.
12. Part of a riding group that shuts down intersections? Bike or ATV impounded and sold at auction. $1000 flat fine.
All penalties in Addition to regular enforcement guidelines.
Set up a separate Patrol and Traffic Court funded by proceeds of these enforcement actions.
These knuckleheads spend THOUSAND$ on their “performance” tuning, tires, exhausts, etc.
Don’t feel sorry for them. Take back our streets, hit ’em in the bank account.
As retired officer, I find the hypocrisy in all of this annoying. The legislature decided to destroy law enforcement with a badly written, vague, knee jerk Police Reform Bill that made it more dangerous to be a police officer and made it clear that punishing police officers based on vague standards was the goal. It has become clear to the remaining officers and it is openly stated by many politicians that they don’t want the police to enforce “minor” violations. In some cases the suspects will run and fight. Sometimes they will get hurt. It is now considered the officer’s fault if the violator gets hurt due to his own resistance. The officers have learned that it is best to simply ignore all things considered minor. Traffic is considered minor for the most part. Our legislature and our media have made it clear that people should not be bothered by the police. While the cameras may help, they won’t bother all of those people in stolen cars. Since the understaffed and unmotivated officers are not expected top make stops for minor violations, the chaos will continue. Learn to live with it. There are always unexpected consequences when naive people make choices about things they know little about. Most of the laws and systems developed out of a demonstrated need. Reimagining police work by people who know nothing about police work was never going to work. All they have done is to make things far worse. Good luck with the cameras.
“Reimagining police work by people who know nothing about police work was never going to work.” Well said.