Enforcement - Who needs it?

January 2012

Enforcement – Who Needs It?

Would it not be nice to drive down the street and not have to worry about whether you are speeding, not be worried if the light is going to turn red as you approach or when you get to your destination, park without having to figure out all those parking signs? Each of us is a good driver, taking care to watch out for others. We do not park in areas where we should not because it would not be right to do so. Then why do we need enforcement? It only takes money from our pockets that we could use for some other good cause.

Whether we find ourselves dealing with a police or parking enforcement officer, the goal is to improve the quality of life for the neighborhood. If we are stopped for a traffic violation or return to find a parking citation attached to our windshield, we should not be upset with the officer doing their job, we should first look at ourselves and see if we were wrong. This does not mean every violation is valid and we should use the procedures in place to challenge it.

Having experienced not only lack of enforcement in all aspects of life, not just in traffic along with a total disregard for the police department, it significantly changes ones opinion of being stopped for speeding or getting a parking violation. Lack of enforcement for years has led to the roads of Saudi Arabia being deemed the most dangerous in the world in a 2009 study. Enforcement to one extent has improved the situation some, but it has not led to a significant improvement to the quality of life. Time will tell if long term improved respect for the rules of the road can turn things around.

That was just traffic. Parking is another issue that the lack of enforcement creates hazards to everyone. Many countries experience congestion due to lack of parking regulations. Cars parked, four or five deep, blocking more than 50% of the roadway resulting in unexpected quick stops and accidents that likely did not need to happen. I could not imagine driving in any major city in the United States of America that had most of its main arteries blocked by parked cars that have no sense of the impact they are having on all the drivers in the area. There would be a rebellion if it took hours to navigate a mile or two of roadway because several lanes of traffic were blocked to be more convenient for one person to stop into a business.

The quality of life that we are used to experiencing is related to the levels of enforcement that are taking place in the communities we live in or visit. Human nature is that we will sometimes forget about the impact we have for a quick stop in a red zone, failure to stop at a red light and its impact on the cross traffic or just go a little too fast in a school zone. That citation or parking violation is the reminder to pay attention, not just to the violation on the paper, but to driving and parking in general. It also might keep you roads from become the most dangerous in the state, country or the world.

So what is too much and what is not enough?

It has been said, one parking citation is too much and 100 are not enough.