Saturday, September 30, 2006

Do As They Say, Not As They Do!

The NJ State Police and other local police departments will most likely not appreciate this post. However, what I have to say is definitely necessary, especially after the unforunate incident that occurred on September 27, 2006, where a NJ State Trooper ran a STOP sign in Cape May County.

The motivation for this blog entry actually started about a month ago. I've noticed more instances of police vehicles doing things on the road that would warrant them pulling us over.

Let's start with putting on the lights for making illegal U-turns in a non-emergency situation just so they don't have to take the extra time to make the U-turn legally. Amazing...I'm sure that you've all seen this practice. All of a sudden you see a police vehicle show up out of nowhere with its lights on, make the illegal U-turn while everyone around is dazed and confused, then turn off the lights upon completing the turn. This obviously creates additional, unnecessary distractions for all of us.

I've also seen a few instances of police vehicles making turns without using turn signals. Recently, I was behind a Raritan Borough cop on Route 28 in Bridgewater. All of a sudden, he abruptly slows down and makes the hard right turn onto First Avenue without using a turn signal. You might think that this is a minor driving infraction. True, but if someone is killed due to something so minor, you might feel differently.

Then, of course, we all heard about the incident in Cape May County. At this point, it appears as though the State Trooper was not responding to an emergency when he ran the STOP sign. There was absolutely NO excuse for this egregious driving infraction.

It's time for the cops to realize that they are not above the law. They must set the example out on the road especially since they have the power to punish us for our driving infractions. So what can we do about this? Well, I suggest calling the respective police department, and let them know what you witnessed a police vehicle driving inappropriately. You have every right to let them know, and it sends a message that we are out there watching as well. You should also mention that you are concerned about the safety risks.

Having said this, I do realize that there are good cops out there that follow the rules of the road, and you should always yield to an emergency vehicle.