Alton police motor vehicle stops

[Rusty]

Most of time when I travel on Rt 28 from Wolfeboro to Alton there seems to be an Alton police SUV either stopping someone or sitting on the side of the road waiting to go after someone. Did that section of highway get built so that Alton could get revenue from speeders. It is very hard to go the speed limit because of the long downhill grades and long stretches of straight highway. I try to go the speed limit but if I'm not careful I slowly creep up to 65 or 70 on some of the long downhill sections.

According to the Alton Police Report that is this weeks "The Baysider" the Police made 75 motor vehicle stops and handled eight motor vehicle complaint-incidents for the week of March 24-30.

75 motor vehicle stops in one week...this SUV police car must be dedicated strictly to catching speeders on Rt 28.

[Coolbreeze]

That is 75 dumb drivers who weren't paying attention to the posted speed limit for that roadway, which by the way had a horrible double fatal accident recently of which travel above the speed limit had part in.
I say Kudos for them for knowing the hotspots and nailing speeders. A good Police officer knows the bad spots of their district. If that is where you see them set up, then that must be a really bad spot of the town. No conspiracy here just good police work.
It has you looking!
Work on getting the heavy foot off the pedal or do what I do, use cruise control if you have it so that the car does the work for you. I agree it is a tough roadway to control the average speed.
At 65 or 70 mph, if things go bad for you in that area of roadway you will either end up in the woods or into the front of oncoming traffic. Maintain the speed of your car and you will maintain better control if a animal pops out, ice or even drifting off center.

[DEJ]

If you do not break the law, in this case speeding you will have no problems. Just an FYI, I am sure your vehicle has brakes, use them when going down hill to control your speed, that way you will not have any issues. See how easy this is!

[RailroadJoe]

I stay at 55 with no problem. Most people speed. There are very very few of us that travel at the speed limit (or less than 5 miles over). I think it should be enforced throughout the state. It would pay off the National debt.

Try going 1 mile under and watch the pile up behind you.

[Just Sold]

What Alton is doing is good police work and is most likely based on accidents and radar observation of vehicle speeds in that area. I live in Derry and we have a couple of very steep hills on Rt 28 bypass that police patrol frequently for vehicles exceeding the speed limit which is only 30. Gotta use your brakes when you start picking up speed down a steep hill. It saves lives.

[Tank151]

As Sammy Hagar sang "I can't drive 55"

[upthesaukee]

I don't drive 28 every day, but I have seen my share of either State Police or Wolfeboro's Finest in the 40 MPH zone on 28 just east of Springfield Pt Rd. They watch both ways, catching those coming up the hill accelerating to 55 well before the sign, or catching those coming over and down the hill who have not slowed down from 55.

As for driving the 55 speed limit portion, all else fails, use your cruise control.

[upthesaukee]

the report says 75 Motor Vehicle stops. It doesn't say tickets issued. Nor does it say they were speeding violations. They could be equipment problems like a light out, inspection sticker violation, failure to signal...etc.

Do they have a presence on the highways in Alton????? Yes they do. Is it just rte 28? Nope...watch yourself on Main St, Rte 11 in the bay to past Sandy Point, Rte 11 East of the circle...heck, watch your speed in Alton. You will probably get stopped, but not necessarily ticketed. they do issue warnings, both written and verbal...This I have personal experience in.

[Rusty]

Cruise control does not slow a vehicle when going down hill and that is when the law of physics takes over. However brakes should take care of that.

The other day I saw a person that had been stopped at the bottom of one of the hills by the Alton Police and he had his head on the steering wheel while the officer was talking to him. It was about 8:00am and the guy was probably thinking about what he was going to do at work and didn't pay any attention as to how fast he was going or to the SUV parked at the bottom of the hill.

I'll bet that over 80% of the vehicles I see traveling on that stretch of highway are going over the speed limit. I'm not saying it's right and that they shouldn't slow down, but it doesn't look like giving out tickets has done much for slowing them down...however it has made some money for Alton.

[ITD]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Cruise control does not slow a vehicle when going down hill and that is when the law of physics takes over. However brakes should take care of that.

..........

My 2008 Jeep GC will downshift to engine brake when using the cruise control. Some of the more pricey cars will apply the brake also. New gadgets, just gotta pay through the nose for them...

[Slickcraft]

Sounds like they are just doing their job. Imagine what the roads would be like if there was no enforcement at all. I suspect that in a 55 zone you have to be at least 5 over to get a flash of the lights, maybe 10 to get a warning and even more over to get a ticket.

[HellRaZoR004]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Most of time when I travel on Rt 28 from Wolfeboro to Alton there seems to be an Alton police SUV either stopping someone or sitting on the side of the road waiting to go after someone. Did that section of highway get built so that Alton could get revenue from speeders. It is very hard to go the speed limit because of the long downhill grades and long stretches of straight highway. I try to go the speed limit but if I'm not careful I slowly creep up to 65 or 70 on some of the long downhill sections.

According to the Alton Police Report that is this weeks "The Baysider" the Police made 75 motor vehicle stops and handled eight motor vehicle complaint-incidents for the week of March 24-30.

75 motor vehicle stops in one week...this SUV police car must be dedicated strictly to catching speeders on Rt 28.

I was told by a local officer that any tickets that are written, that money goes to the state, not the town. I don't have any evidence to back that up though...

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by HellRaZoR004

I was told by a local officer that any tickets that are written, that money goes to the state, not the town. I don't have any evidence to back that up though...

You are correct. That makes local enforcement a matter of public safety rather that revenue enhancement. Sometimes NH laws get it right.

[Rusty]

Alton voters rejected only one funding request on the town ballot for 2013: Article 11 requested $40,000 to be placed in the Police Vehicle Capital Reserve Account.
Could this have something to do with more vehicles being stopped.

This is what the article says...and it failed:

[Merrymeeting]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Cruise control does not slow a vehicle when going down hill

Most do indeed hold the speed, up or down hill. If yours does not, you may want to get it checked.

[upthesaukee]

My cruise control on my 2010 Corolla will keep me at around 5 MPH going down hill, even the hill on the bypass coming down to the Laconia airport area.

My wife's Trailblazer, on the other hand, learned its speed control from a bobsled going down a track...faster and faster and faster....yup, that's where the breaks come in....

[wifi]

If you want to test out the accuracy of your spedo, take a ride thru Moultonboro

[jrc]

Come on, do any quick searching and you will see that speed limits are as much for revenue as safety.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,490629,00.html

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/id...cession_ahead/

I have to admit seeing Rusty whine about speeding tickets gives me a little schadenfreude.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by jrc

Come on, do any quick searching and you will see that speed limits are as much for revenue as safety.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,490629,00.html

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/id...cession_ahead/

I have to admit seeing Rusty whine about speeding tickets gives me a little schadenfreude.

I believe if more towns followed suet then our area would be a lot safer.
Not enough is done to crack down on speeding, and another thing on the rise is running red lights.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Coolbreeze

"...75 dumb drivers who weren't paying attention to the posted speed limit for that roadway, which by the way had a horrible double fatal accident recently of which travel above the speed limit had part in..."

Those who missed news of that head-on collision can read about it here and here.

[IslandRadio]

Originally Posted by jrc

Come on, do any quick searching and you will see that speed limits are as much for revenue as safety.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,490629,00.html

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/id...cession_ahead/

I have to admit seeing Rusty whine about speeding tickets gives me a little schadenfreude.

Unfortunately, most of the revenue goes to the insurance companies. At least around here in Mass, the infractions stay on your record for 7 years. That's 7 years the insurance company gets to collect more money.

I see cars patrolling Route 11 going between Guilford and Alton all the time. And the speed limit changes quite a bit on that road.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Coolbreeze

That is 75 dumb drivers who weren't paying attention to the posted speed limit for that roadway, which by the way had a horrible double fatal accident recently of which travel above the speed limit had part in.

That accident had nothing to do with speed.

This is what the Alton chief of police said:

Police Chief Ryan Heath told Foster's Daily Democrat that both drivers had been traveling the 55 mph speed limit. He said there were no signs of braking by either driver. Alcohol and drugs did not appear to be factors.

Read more: http://www.wmur.com/news/nh-news/Vic...#ixzz2PaVAONtT

[tis]

Did anyone ever hear what caused that accident?

[Winnisquamguy]

Originally Posted by IslandRadio

Unfortunately, most of the revenue goes to the insurance companies. At least around here in Mass, the infractions stay on your record for 7 years. That's 7 years the insurance company gets to collect more money.

I see cars patrolling Route 11 going between Guilford and Alton all the time. And the speed limit changes quite a bit on that road.

The revenue in NH gets split in half going to the town other half to the state. It also depends on who stops you local, state, or a sheriff. Every state is different.

[Steveo]

The real speed "trap" is the sudden 40 mph stretch on Rt 11 in front of Johnson's. It goes from 55mph down to 40 through the intersection at Depot Road. So easy to forget and so easy to get caught. 55 in a 40 cost me $101 -Damn.

[ghfromaltonbay]

Another spot where I've seen the Alton police watching for speeders is at the western intersection of Rt 11 and 11-D where the speed limit changes from 55 to 40 mph just before Minge Cove Road.

[gslpro]

Originally Posted by IslandRadio

Unfortunately, most of the revenue goes to the insurance companies. At least around here in Mass, the infractions stay on your record for 7 years. That's 7 years the insurance company gets to collect more money.

I see cars patrolling Route 11 going between Guilford and Alton all the time. And the speed limit changes quite a bit on that road.

Just a point to mention that I did not know. The insurance company has the right to collect a surcharge for UP TO the 7 yrs. Progressive only went back three yrs. on me. It saved me a lot of money a while back.

[Kev&DiZ]

Originally Posted by Winnisquamguy

The revenue in NH gets split in half going to the town other half to the state. It also depends on who stops you local, state, or a sheriff. Every state is different.

No money goes to the town and it does not matter what agency writes the ticket. The only money that would go to a town would be if someone was given a ticket for a city/town ordinance violation. Otherwise, speeding tickets and other state law violations go to the state. Once received by the state, most of the fine goes toward the general fund, with other portions of the fine going to other funds of the state budget.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Kev&DiZ

No money goes to the town and it does not matter what agency writes the ticket. The only money that would go to a town would be if someone was given a ticket for a city/town ordinance violation. Otherwise, speeding tickets and other state law violations go to the state. Once received by the state, most of the fine goes toward the general fund, with other portions of the fine going to other funds of the state budget.

I'll take your word for it because to be honest with you I don't really know.
Maybe an ataboy and a pat on the back is good enough for town cops.

However... Why would a town policeman spend many hours patrolling a state highway and not get any monetary benefits out of it?? It must cost the town for gas, wear and tear on the car, salaries and benefits, etc. to have a town policeman stop so many vehicles in one week. I see the Alton police van on Rt 28 nine times out of ten when I travel that road.

I'm all for safety on our highways but to sit at the bottom of a hill and wait for someone that is speeding to go by seems like a redundant useless thing to do week after week. There must be another solution to slow the bad guys down.

As I said before, 80% of the vehicles that travel on Rt 28 from wolfeboro to Alton are going over the speed limit.

[NHBUOY]

Because the majority (80%) of the drivers are speeding/driving OVER the posted limit, that makes it OK..?.. Seems to me, they are ENFORCING speed limits and doing their jobs. I see no conflict or downside here.

[Winnisquamguy]

Originally Posted by Kev&DiZ

No money goes to the town and it does not matter what agency writes the ticket. The only money that would go to a town would be if someone was given a ticket for a city/town ordinance violation. Otherwise, speeding tickets and other state law violations go to the state. Once received by the state, most of the fine goes toward the general fund, with other portions of the fine going to other funds of the state budget.

Here is one of the many I found online on the break down. I couldn't find anything for New Hampshire.

Here’s how a typical speeding ticket (in this case a ticket from Indiana that we paid though our Traffic Justice Program) is divvied up:
State Courts: $49.00
County Courts: $18.90
City Courts: $2.10
Law Enforcement Fee: $4.00
Jury Fee: $2.00
Highway Work Zone: $0.50 (??)
Auto Record Keeping Fee: $7.00
Document Storage Fee: $2.00
Infractional Judgments: $99.50 The fine!
Public Defense Administration Fee: $3.00
Judicial Insurance Adjustment: $1.00
Judicial Salaries Fee: $18.00: Do you think murderers and rapists pay this fee too?
DNA Sample Processing Fee: $2.00 Very common service for traffic tickets.
Court Administration Fee: $5.00
Total Cost Of Ticket: $214.00

http://blog.motorists.org/where-does...ing-ticket-go/


Its just not Alton here is an article from the Eagle Tribune.

April 3, 2013 Plaistow police are stopping many more drivers

By Alex Lippa alippa@eagletribune.com
PLAISTOW — In the first three months of the year, Plaistow police have stopped 1,000 more vehicles than they did for the same period a year ago.
Credit the addition of four police officers.
From Jan. 1 through March 31, police stopped 2,461 vehicles. That’s 1,048 more than they stopped last year.
“When our new officers come out of the academy, they really want to keep themselves busy,” Deputy Chief Kathleen Jones said. “They have been out there making themselves known.”
Expect to see an even bigger uptick in stops now that spring has arrived, she said.
“Traffic safety is always the number one complaint that we get during the spring,” Jones said. “It’s a quality of life issue. We don’t want people not to be able to back out of their driveways because people are speeding through the neighborhoods.”
Christine Eldred, 36, of West Pine Street said drivers like to use her road to cut between Route 125 and Main Street. She said she has called police to complain in the past, but nothing ever came of it.
She hasn’t called this year, she said, and she may not have to because she has noticed a change in police presence.
“The police are sitting there and they have been pulling people over right and left for the last few weeks,” Eldred said. “They’ve definitely been out there patrolling the street more than in past years.”
Eldred said motorists routinely go over the 30 mph speed limit on her road.
“I have little ones play in the front yard and it’s insane,” she said. “You have motorcycles flying down the road going 50 mph. Something needed to be done.”
That’s not the only number going up. DWI arrests have more than tripled for the same period. Last year, police made three DWI arrests in January through March. This year, they are already at 10.
“The more traffic enforcement you do, the more things you are going to find.” Jones said. “It is going to increase everything such as warrant arrests and operating after license suspension arrests. DWI arrests go right along with that.”
Police have issued 107 traffic citations, more than double the 48 issued at the same point last year. Total arrests are at 168 this year, up from 142 last year.
While traffic stops are up, burglaries are down. Only four have been reported so far this year, compared to 13 last year.
“Those are impacted because of the visibility of the officers,” Jones said. “If you are thinking of making a burglary or theft and are targeting a location, hopefully our visibility will be prohibitive to that. We want people thinking, not in Plaistow, there’s cops everywhere.”
Thefts and robberies are also down to 74, after 90 at this point last year.

[kauriel]

I much prefer regular traffic enforcement instead of occasional enforcement. I try to go speed limit but it is very difficult to when everyone around you is trying to drive through you. I wish towns and states would either consistently enforce speed limits or raise them, particularly in areas where the bulk of traffic regularly drives over speed limit.

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by Kev&DiZ

No money goes to the town and it does not matter what agency writes the ticket. The only money that would go to a town would be if someone was given a ticket for a city/town ordinance violation. Otherwise, speeding tickets and other state law violations go to the state. Once received by the state, most of the fine goes toward the general fund, with other portions of the fine going to other funds of the state budget.

As I stated earlier this is correct, they are paid to the state.
http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/d...et-payment.htm

I have never seen a line item on the Town of Alton revenue side where the state returns any of the traffic fine money to the town. Maybe Winnisquamguy is aware of a way that 50% is returned to the towns that I an not aware of.

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by Rusty

There must be another solution to slow the bad guys down..

i've always liked Spike Strips as an effective way to slow cars down. If the officer has a brother in law in the tire business it's a Win Win. NB

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_strips

[Argie's Wife]

One way that it comes to towns from the State is via grant money for extra hours for patrol for speeding, etc. Alton has received grants in the past for such programs. I am not clear on whether or not the grant money comes from revenues raised from paid speeding tickets.

As someone who lives on a main road in town, I'm happy to see the police on patrol because when word gets out that drivers in violation of the speed limit are getting tickets, then people remember to slow down in certain areas. Speed limits in school zones are especially important because of the increased pedestrian traffic at certain times of the day. People have been arrested for excessive speed in those zones - and rightly so.

If you don't want the state to make money off you or your car insurance company to make more money off you, just don't speed. It's pretty simple.

[Legionnaire70]

Alton seems to spend alot of time running radar all throughout the town..

i work second shift and go through every week night around 11:30

these are their 'hot spots" to sit;

Alton- New Druham line on side of the road

Wayside/hardware store parking lot

In front of the bathroom (by shibleys)

at the exit to the campground across from mounts dock

sandy point

scenic view

MM parking lot

side of Rt11 just past MM

West Alton fire station

and most recent Alton/gilford line

all with lights OFF!

OH YAH, and does the town really need 8 SUV'S????? That average 12 MPG?

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by NHBUOY

Because the majority (80%) of the drivers are speeding/driving OVER the posted limit, that makes it OK..?.. Seems to me, they are ENFORCING speed limits and doing their jobs. I see no conflict or downside here.

Funny, it is usually those who are the biggest violators who scream the loudest.
IMHO if your driving more then 5 over in anything under 55 zone your just asking to get a ticket.

[RailroadJoe]

Only 80% speed. That's a laugh. Try 99%. I drive route 11 through New Durham and Alton to Gilford. I DO the speed limit and slow down to 40 at the places where it does drop to 40. No one ever brakes behind me, they just creap up and tail gate. By the time I get though the 40 MPH area there are always 4 to 10 cars behind me. Especially on Route 11 between the circle in Alton and the New Durhan/Farmington line.
I am one of the 1% and it really frustrates drivers that come barreling up behind. I pull over many many times to let them fly away hoping there is a police car up ahead.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by RailroadJoe

Only 80% speed. That's a laugh. Try 99%. I drive route 11 through New Durham and Alton to Gilford. I DO the speed limit and slow down to 40 at the places where it does drop to 40. No one ever brakes behind me, they just creap up and tail gate. By the time I get though the 40 MPH area there are always 4 to 10 cars behind me. Especially on Route 11 between the circle in Alton and the New Durhan/Farmington line.
I am one of the 1% and it really frustrates drivers that come barreling up behind. I pull over many many times to let them fly away hoping there is a police car up ahead.

I'm one who goes no more then 5 over, but when those same drivers creep up and tailgate I slow down to exactly the speed limit.
I've been at the 25 limit going through a school zone and had drivers who had to be doing at least 35 when the light is flashing indicating the speed limit is 25 and ride my ass. It really pisses them off when I slow down to 20.

[lawn psycho]

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

I'm one who goes no more then 5 over, but when those same drivers creep up and tailgate I slow down to exactly the speed limit.
I've been at the 25 limit going through a school zone and had drivers who had to be doing at least 35 when the light is flashing indicating the speed limit is 25 and ride my ass. It really pisses them off when I slow down to 20.

Just so you know, that kind of "retaliation" is considered aggressive driving. If you are spending so much time looking in the rear view mirror as an affront to other drivers, you also can't be paying full attention to what is in front of you and making you a less safe driver.

If you are so mad, just pull over and let them go. But intentionally going below the speed limit is likely to get the opposite effect of what you want is serves to create conflict on the road.

Basically you just admitted to having road rage tendencies.

[lawn psycho]

Originally Posted by Legionnaire70

Alton seems to spend alot of time running radar all throughout the town..

i work second shift and go through every week night around 11:30

these are their 'hot spots" to sit;

Alton- New Druham line on side of the road

Wayside/hardware store parking lot

In front of the bathroom (by shibleys)

at the exit to the campground across from mounts dock

sandy point

scenic view

MM parking lot

side of Rt11 just past MM

West Alton fire station

and most recent Alton/gilford line

all with lights OFF!

OH YAH, and does the town really need 8 SUV'S????? That average 12 MPG?

Precisely why I have a radar detector and laser jammer installed on my two daily drivers. Especially for area where speed limit changes frequently it's very easy to get nabbed so they even the playing field.

[RailroadJoe]

BR Be careful of those tail gating drivers. Road rage is on the rise and they really do get upset. That is why I try and pull over and let them fly along.

[Kamper]

If you drive an automatic with over-drive, find the little button on the shift that de-activates it. The engine drag will help you reduce your speed on those long down hill runs.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by Kamper

If you drive an automatic with over-drive, find the little button on the shift that de-activates it. The engine drag will help you reduce your speed on those long down hill runs.

I use that all the time on my super Duty, that thing picks up speed like a freight train going down hill. It is called the tow & haul button on my truck.
But you have to care about your speed to use it, I believe many of those speeding are not worried about how fast or if they will get caught until they get caught.

[fatlazyless]

.....say-hey.....here's what I do and it is always well received by the cop.... "....but officer, you know that was totally not my fault because I put it on cruise-control so's I was not really driving this car! .....you need to send this ticket to cruise-control, officer!"

[IslandRadio]

Originally Posted by RailroadJoe

BR Be careful of those tail gating drivers. Road rage is on the rise and they really do get upset. That is why I try and pull over and let them fly along.

Absolutely - pull over and let them have at it! In fact, if they really want to fly along it's of further advantage because they will clean out any speed traps that might lie ahead

[Rusty]

Is pay as you speed a viable solution?




Or maybe "Intelligent speed adaptation":




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelli...eed_adaptation
.
.
.
.

[wifi]

Originally Posted by NHBUOY

....... Seems to me, they are ENFORCING speed limits and doing their jobs. I see no conflict or downside here.

Unfortunately, just like in the business world, the better you seem to do your job (in this case writing more tickets), the quicker you rise up in the organization.

Something the courts fail to take into account when deciding the real truth between the accusor and the accusee


One of many examples:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/fired-utah-...ry?id=18127921

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by lawn psycho

Just so you know, that kind of "retaliation" is considered aggressive driving. If you are spending so much time looking in the rear view mirror as an affront to other drivers, you also can't be paying full attention to what is in front of you and making you a less safe driver.

If you are so mad, just pull over and let them go. But intentionally going below the speed limit is likely to get the opposite effect of what you want is serves to create conflict on the road.

Basically you just admitted to having road rage tendencies.

LS you are correct, but if someone rides my bumper and by slowing down I can tick them off a little bit then so be it. If it makes me a bad person then so be it.
As for conflict, behold the power of the cell phone. More then once a simple call to the local police has gotten ignorant drivers pulled over.
The police may not be able to charge them but they can detain you.

Railroad- whenever I'm on the highway and it is safe to do so I will always let someone go by that wants to. Around town if I pulled over for everyone who was on my ass I'd never get where I'm going. It seems that everyone is in a big rush to get where they are going now a day. But I'm not going to speed up and I'm not going to pull over.
Yes the other guy may have a gun or something, but the other guy also doesn't know what I have or what I'm willing to do to protect myself.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by tis

Did anyone ever hear what caused that accident?

The Alton Police Chief stated,

"Speed wasn't a factor".

However, the massive damage to both vehicles is consistent with a speed that was inappropriate for that 55-MPH section of open highway. 55-MPH isn't "right" for every one of Nature's many conditions! Consider, on Rt. 28N, Wolfeboro has a "Moose Crossing" sign directly after a sign marking an increase to 55-MPH.

Originally Posted by RailroadJoe

"...Be careful of those tail gating drivers..."

Accelerating from a traffic light into a 45-MPH zone, a big white pickup truck tailgated me.

A ½-mile down the road, I eased off for slowing traffic ahead. The truck passed in a no-passing lane and hit his brakes in front of me.

On the truck's bumper was this sticker:





One would think they'd practice what they preach.

[secondcurve]

APS:

One must take the police officer at his word that speed wasn't a factor. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that distraction/inattention was the culprit. I believe it was stated that there were no signs of braking which would back-up the distraction/inattention theory. So, if two vehicles collided at 55 MPH with no braking there would be massive damage. However, massive damage doesn't necessarily mean speed was a factor.

[Merrymeeting]

Keep in mind that the cars hit head-on. At 55 each, that's a 110 mph crash.

[tis]

I had heard that they were testing for medical issues but never heard the results. That could also cause a crash.

[Pineedles]

I personally watched an SUV going over 65 mph rear-end a tractor trailer that was stopped. When I got to the SUV, the driver, still alive thanks to an airbag deployment, was still holding her cell-phone. I had seen the TT stopped nearly 100 yards before her. I was about 50 yards directly behind her and started braking immediately, praying I would see the SUV start to slow but saw no brake lights from the SUV. Convinced me to never to text and drive.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

I personally watched an SUV going over 65 mph rear-end a tractor trailer that was stopped. When I got to the SUV, the driver, still alive thanks to an airbag deployment, was still holding her cell-phone. I had seen the TT stopped nearly 100 yards before her. I was about 50 yards directly behind her and started braking immediately, praying I would see the SUV start to slow but saw no brake lights from the SUV. Convinced me to never to text and drive.

Good point about the number one reason for accidents...DISTRACTION



Distracted Driving is the number one cause of accidents.

The number one cause of car accidents is not a criminal that drove drunk, sped or ran a red light. Distracted drivers are the top cause of car accidents in the U.S. today. A distracted driver is a motorist that diverts his or her attention from the road, usually to talk on a cell phone, send a text message or eat food.

http://seriousaccidents.com/legal-ad...car-accidents/

[Kamper]

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

... if someone rides my bumper and by slowing down I can tick them off a little bit ...

Personal satisfaction aside. If you need to hit your brakes all of a sudden, the impact from the tail-gater will be less if you've slowed them down. I often slow down when tail-gated for that reason. It also gives them more time to read my "Sturm Ruger" bumper sticker.

[fatlazyless]

On the truck's bumper was this sticker:





"One would think they'd practice what they preach." .....ApS

....oh well.....accidents will happen and it pays to be alert.....why just late yesterday afternoon over in the Meredith-Hannaford's parking lot......I was walking towards the store entrance.......and I was so engaged in looking at that huge, red Manitowac pile driver parked in the fenced-off area.....that I simply did not see some guy in an older pickup truck backing out of his parking space....until the left rear corner of the bumper clipped me in the knee-thigh area.......and that got my attention fast......no harm done to me....but his bumper was sporting two motorcycle bumper stickers so's I guess I can now say that I got hit by the bumper sticker or something! Could not have been going more than three miles per hour, lucky for me!

[mcdude]

10% of traffic deaths (not accidents....but deaths) are caused by distracted driving according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The #1 cause of distraction is DAYDREAMING according to the NHTSA.

In "that other thread" about the Alton Cell Tower, forum folks cite the #1 reason for wanting cell phone coverage is to be able to call for help in case of an accident. It would be ironic if the reason for the accident were distracted driving due to a cell phone, texting, etc.

[Pineedles]

Yes Rusty, distracted driving is a major cause. Funny that you would post a picture of a guy eating while driving. A town near me, Avon, CT actually has a law on the books citing eating while driving to be an infraction. Can you imagine how many lives could be saved if we just shut down every drive-thru food place in the country?

[patman]

[lawn psycho]

Originally Posted by Kamper

Personal satisfaction aside. If you need to hit your brakes all of a sudden, the impact from the tail-gater will be less if you've slowed them down. I often slow down when tail-gated for that reason. It also gives them more time to read my "Sturm Ruger" bumper sticker.

So while driving and someone creeps up on you and your thoughts are to project to someone that you may have a gun? That's clouded thinking IMO and an indictment of our society.

Also, people like me have dash cams running automatically in my vehicles. Any intimation that you have a weapon and you'll be sure to get pulled from your car by the police.

[Rusty]

According to the Alton Police Report that is in this weeks "The Baysider" the Police made 93 motor vehicle stops for the week of March 31-April 6.

Last week it was 75 and I thought that was a little high.

I would suggest that if you travel on any of the roads in NH that you obey all the motor vehicle laws. There seems to be an increase in stops for some reason.

I'm glad that they are out and enforcing the MV laws but it makes you wonder why some towns are making more stops.

It can't be a monetary thing...can it????

[tis]

I heard they are stopping at lot of people on North Main Street in Wolfeboro, too. Maybe there IS something going on, Rusty??!

[NH_boater]

Originally Posted by Merrymeeting

Keep in mind that the cars hit head-on. At 55 each, that's a 110 mph crash.

While this seems intuitive, Mythbusters found the impact for a given vehicle is actually equal to a 55PMH crash into a stationary object, not doubled to 110MPH. I would have lost money on that bet.

[riverat]

I have to travel 28N almost everyday and I have(was given) a 97 ford ranger with 2.2 liter 4 cylinder engine that cannot get over those hills (at 50mph) unless I get to a speed of 70mph before starting up the hill.
If I maintained the speed of 55 before beginning the climb I would be going around 40mph and the tranny would have downshifted into 3rd gear.
I have been driving since 1967 and never been ticketed for speeding(knocking on wood) but this combination of vehicle versus 28N to wolfeboro and back may get me one some day.
cannot afford another vehicle and it is fine besides the lack of power.
So if you are on 28N and a little green truck with a long line of cars behind it is slowing you down, I'm sorry.

I think this is what I will tell the officer when he pulls me over eventually. but I'm sure they've heard them all.

[ITD]

Originally Posted by NH_boater

While this seems intuitive, Mythbusters found the impact for a given vehicle is actually equal to a 55PMH crash into a stationary object, not doubled to 110MPH. I would have lost money on that bet.

Actually, that's two vehicles of equal mass and construction. A crash between a car and a tractor-trailer would yield a much different result with the situation for the car being much worse due to the significantly higher kinetic energy that the truck would have at said speed and sturdier construction. I would like to see them do that test. Bottom line, head-ons should be avoided in most situations.

[SIKSUKR]

http://warp.povusers.org/grrr/collisionmath.html

[SIKSUKR]

http://scienceblogs.com/dotphysics/2...y-explanation/

[gtagrip]

Originally Posted by lawn psycho

Also, people like me have dash cams running automatically in my vehicles.

Really????

[Winnisquamguy]

Originally Posted by lawn psycho
Also, people like me have dash cams running automatically in my vehicles.

Originally Posted by gtagrip

Really????

I did a double take on that one too!

[HellRaZoR004]

It's actually becoming very common. It can save your @$$ when it comes to proving your case.

lawn psycho, I'm curious about your setup. What do you have and how do you like it?

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by ITD

Actually, that's two vehicles of equal mass and construction. A crash between a car and a tractor-trailer would yield a much different result with the situation for the car being much worse due to the significantly higher kinetic energy that the truck would have at said speed and sturdier construction. I would like to see them do that test. Bottom line, head-ons should be avoided in most situations.

The only thing I don't agree with you on is that "head-ons should be avoided in most situations." From where I sit they should be avoided in all situations!!

[lawn psycho]

Originally Posted by gtagrip

Really????

Yep. You can now get them very cheap too. Just uses an SD card and rolls over the old files. They plug into a 12V outlet (i hardwired mine) and about size of a GPS. Mine kicks on as soon as car moves.

Roll your eyes but in this day and age where people do things on the road the camera "don't lie".

[ITD]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

The only thing I don't agree with you on is that "head-ons should be avoided in most situations." From where I sit they should be avoided in all situations!!

I was thinking about a narrow pass with a 1,000 foot drop as the only other option ,then you should take your chances with the head-on, or say, it's a head-on or running over a mother and baby, other than something like that I agree.

[lawn psycho]

Originally Posted by HellRaZoR004

It's actually becoming very common. It can save your @$$ when it comes to proving your case.

lawn psycho, I'm curious about your setup. What do you have and how do you like it?

They don't even make the camera I have but it's almost identical to this one: http://www.amazon.com/Vehicle-Record...words=dash+cam

You can see, they are very inexpensive to buy and serve what you need. Night vision is so-so but at least if someone cut you off, etc it would capture that. It's not a camera limitation but the power of the IR LEDs. The reason police dash cameras show much more detail is they are using a spot light on the subject area plus their cameras cost way more money.

I currently live in Asia (bounce around countries) and

My total set-up:
Dash Cam (similar to above, hardwired)
Car: Escort 9500 ci
It's custom install, completely hidden (system has laser jammers included)

Truck:
Dash Cam (similar to above, hardwired)
Radar Detector: Hardwired visor mounted Escort Redline
Laser Jammer: Laser Interceptor It jams laser all the way to the laser gun. .THE best laser jammer on the market and if anyone thinks it doesn't work, think again.

And for those that don't know how to get a clean look of a hardwire installation, it's actually very simple and no more cords to deal with. When my vehicle starts, the radar detector, jammer, and dash cam all power up automatically. Once you have it, you won't want to be without them.

[lawn psycho]

Originally Posted by Winnisquamguy

I did a double take on that one too!

They are very common. Used extensively by truckers since they get cut off so much.

I see them all the time. Once you know what the look like you'll see what I mean.

They're cheap to buy now. Doubt all you want......

[RLW]

Has the situation (head on with cars & trucks) as pointed out in the last few threads happened in Alton? I may have missed it in the newspaper or it happened some time ago. Just a interested reader.

[riverat]

Originally Posted by RLW

Has the situation (head on with cars & trucks) as pointed out in the last few threads happened in Alton? I may have missed it in the newspaper or it happened some time ago. Just a interested reader.

http://www.wmur.com/news/nh-news/2-d...z/-/index.html

[ApS]

Originally Posted by NHBUOY

Because the majority (80%) of the drivers are speeding/driving OVER the posted limit, that makes it OK..?.. Seems to me, they are ENFORCING speed limits and doing their jobs. I see no conflict or downside here.

Yesterday morning, I came upon a road-killed deer, and this was in a 25-MPH zone.

Knowing that a deer will cause damage to one's car—or worse—how could anyone not slow down?

...and this was on a two-lane bridge...!

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by ApS

Yesterday morning, I came upon a road-killed deer, and this was in a 25-MPH zone.

Knowing that a deer will cause damage to one's car—or worse—how could anyone not slow down?

...and this was on a two-lane bridge...!

APS:

It is very easy to hit a deer. I have done it myself. They are dark and move like lightning often directly into the path of a car without hesitation. Even the insurance companies realize that it is often not the driver's fault and they acknowledge this by not counting a deer/car collision as a moving violation/accident on the driver's policy. At least that was my experience here in Massachusetts.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

APS:

It is very easy to hit a deer. I have done it myself. They are dark and move like lightning often directly into the path of a car without hesitation. Even the insurance companies realize that it is often not the driver's fault and they acknowledge this by not counting a deer/car collision as a moving violation/accident on the driver's policy. At least that was my experience here in Massachusetts.

Until one encounters a deer/moose or has a close call or worse they cannot even begin to understand what it is like.
Having had close calls in the car, motorcycle, ATV and snowmobile, let me just say it will pucker you up real quickly.
I've come as close as brushing deer on my sled and was within 2 feet of a moose at about 75mph, that was close.

[ITD]

Originally Posted by ApS

Yesterday morning, I came upon a road-killed deer, and this was in a 25-MPH zone.

Knowing that a deer will cause damage to one's car—or worse—how could anyone not slow down?

...and this was on a two-lane bridge...!

Two comments, I hit a deer down in southern Mass. about 15 years ago, I was going 30 mph, the deer jumped in front of my car, I saw it with legs outstretched out of the corner of my eye and attempted to brake, in the time it took my foot to go from the gas pedal halfway to the brake pedal the deer was hit. It was literally a half of a second from the time I saw the deer jumping out of the brush on the side of the road until he was hit and spinning through the air. It stopped my car dead, (Dodge turbo spirit) set off the airbag, and totaled the car. Deer are quick, unpredictable, don't know the rules of the road and don't want to be seen. By all means, if you see one slow down and avoid, but many times, especially when it is dark and you don't have clear views of the side of the road, you can't see them until they are in front of you. The bridge you mention probably had guard rails or other obstructions and the deer jumped in front of what ever hit it.

The second comment is there seems to be the idea that 25 mph is not fast. I beg to differ. An object traveling 25 mph has quite a bit of energy stored that must be dissipated in a collision. Consider the fastest humans can run just about 15 mph. Should one of these people choose to run into a wall at that speed they would at a minimum require hospitalization if not kill themselves. Considering this, you should realize that a deer hit at 25mph would sustain much damage if not death.

[SAMIAM]

Don't you just love those signs that say "Brake For Moose"??
I never would have thought of that if I hadn't seen the signs.I thought that if you saw a moose crossing the road that you just drove right into it.
Jeesh.....things you learn as you get older

[fatlazyless]

...been my experience in the last two weeks that deer move fast and get spooked easy, while a solitary moose is the king of the woods and they move very slowly like they ain't scared of nothing including a moving car!

Route 49 on the one mile flats in the White Mt Nat'l Forest within the town line of Waterville Valley, that's close to the Mad River, has moose this time of year look'n for left-over road salt to lick off the dirt shoulders, and this one huge moose down there acts like he owns the area! High beams and slower speed is the way-to-travel!

On the other end, the Meredith Neck Rd has lots of deers running fast that might even run right into a moving car....and they seem to get spooked pretty easy. Usually, if there is one deer down there, there will be a second or third one soon to follow.

As u probably know, u need to have comprehensive insurance coverage in force in order to come out on top and made whole after the wildlife smash-up and I have seen a Ford Crown Victoria police car that got totaled in a moose collision on Route 49 in Waterville Valley. The officer was fortunate to go to the hospital with just some minor injuries.

[RLW]

Originally Posted by riverat

http://www.wmur.com/news/nh-news/2-d...z/-/index.html

for the WMUR news clip as I hadn't seen it nor have I read anything about it in the newspaper. A real sad happening for both family and friends.
Again thanks for passing it along.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

Don't you just love those signs that say "Brake For Moose"??
I never would have thought of that if I hadn't seen the signs.I thought that if you saw a moose crossing the road that you just drove right into it. Jeesh.....things you learn as you get older

Another sign:

"Drive with Courtesy—It's the New Hampshire Way"

Is that sign still up at the border?

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

"...Meredith Neck Rd has lots of deers running fast that might even run right into a moving car....and they seem to get spooked pretty easy. Usually, if there is one deer down there, there will be a second or third one soon to follow..."

That's been my experience as well.



Even at his 95 years, I was especially disappointed in my Wolfeboro aviator-Dad, when he called to say he'd struck a deer in a 30-MPH zone. "Did the deer survive?, I asked.

"Yes...he just got up and ran off into the woods".

Inspecting his grill and bumper the next day, I told him "You got away without any damage!"

So my Dad says,

"You're not looking at the passenger door"

[MaidenCove07]

....but not for the deer.
We ran into a deer recently for the first time and it was heartbreaking.
We saw it in time and braked, but the deer also tried to stop and lost it's footing on the paved road and slid underneath the truck. Had she kept going, she'd have been long gone in front of us, but instead took a smash to the rear quarter. I'd not considered that they would have such trouble on the pavement.
She was gravely injured.
She managed to get out of the road, but once she got into the brush, having only her front legs working, she was stuck.
We had to call for help for her and were grateful to have a compassionate officer arrive, but it's an incident I'll never forget.

[HomeWood]

Originally Posted by MaidenCove07

....but not for the deer.
We ran into a deer recently for the first time and it was heartbreaking.
We saw it in time and braked, but the deer also tried to stop and lost it's footing on the paved road and slid underneath the truck. Had she kept going, she'd have been long gone in front of us, but instead took a smash to the rear quarter. I'd not considered that they would have such trouble on the pavement.
She was gravely injured.
She managed to get out of the road, but once she got into the brush, having only her front legs working, she was stuck.
We had to call for help for her and were grateful to have a compassionate officer arrive, but it's an incident I'll never forget.

It is very startling to hit a deer or have a deer hit you. I had a large buck (with antlers) run straight into my drivers door once. Needless to say it scared the ever living (blank) out of me. It was able to run off.

I assume that officer put the deer down? Not fun to watch or do, but nessecary sometimes.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by MaidenCove07

....but not for the deer.
We ran into a deer recently for the first time and it was heartbreaking.
We saw it in time and braked, but the deer also tried to stop and lost it's footing on the paved road and slid underneath the truck. Had she kept going, she'd have been long gone in front of us, but instead took a smash to the rear quarter. I'd not considered that they would have such trouble on the pavement.
She was gravely injured.
She managed to get out of the road, but once she got into the brush, having only her front legs working, she was stuck.
We had to call for help for her and were grateful to have a compassionate officer arrive, but it's an incident I'll never forget.

I saw almost the exact think happen to the car in front of me on RT-25 just up the hill from the school. Deer ran into a car stopped in traffic, broke it's front legs. It was during hunting season and may have gotten spooked.
I can't tell you how many times over the years I have seen this happen while snowmobiling. It never ends well for the deer as one or more legs are almost always broken.

[Lakesrider]

Couple of rambling thoughts...

Most of the speed limits around here have been the same for 50 years. In that time cars have had all types of safety improvements. ABS, traction control, impact protection crumple zones, air bags etc. Some of these 30 mph areas are simply ridiculous and need to change. These limits were put in place in the age of the DeSoto and Edsel, or before that even. Heck, I think it must have been General Wolfe that installed the 30mph signs around here.
Look at South Main Street in Wolfeboro. It goes from 35 by the Police station, to 40 by the Windrifter, to 30 by the High School in less than a half mile. Who did that and what the heck were they thinking?
As far as tailgaters go. I used to have a great bumper sticker. It read. The closer you get, the slower I go. I need to find that one again.
Correct. Moultonborough is the worst place for speed traps on the planet. Alton has nothing on Moultonborough.
I tell people to watch for deer around here all the time. Especially on Motorcycles. I can't believe we don't have more motorcycle contacts with deer than we do. I see multiple deer on RT 109 almost daily as I go in at dawn and head home at dusk most days. You need to be very careful. That said.....My wife hit a Pug on RT 104 not long ago. I can't believe the damage to the car that a little pug did.... $2800.00.
If you want to make the roads safer there should be mandatory driving classes like they have in Germany. Here you can get your permit and drive that day without any experience. Having another person over the age of 21 in the car with you does absolutely NOTHING. What are they going to do yell at you as you hit another vehicle? Stupid.

[patman]

Originally Posted by Lakesrider

Look at South Main Street in Wolfeboro. It goes from 35 by the Police station, to 40 by the Windrifter, to 30 by the High School in less than a half mile. Who did that and what the heck were they thinking?

Yes, that is weird. I always assumed it was 30 from the Wolfeboro town line through the top of N. Main St. I never knew it was higher until I drove through there with my daughter (on her learner's permit) and told her to slow down. As you say, it is posted at 40, and the driver training instructor kept (correctly) telling the kids to speed up there.

The signage in New Durham near Johnson's is incorrect, I think. Southbound from Wolfeboro it goes from 30 to 50. In ND a sign announces the 40mph zone coming up...then there's the 40mph sign...then...nothing. I don't think there is a 50mph sign at the end of the 40mph zone, so in theory it stays 40 all the way down to Farmington. I think the same is true coming northbound. My GPS says the limit bumps back up...but the signs don't. Am I missing something?

[P-3 Guy]

Originally Posted by Lakesrider

Most of the speed limits around here have been the same for 50 years. In that time cars have had all types of safety improvements. ABS, traction control, impact protection crumple zones, air bags etc. Some of these 30 mph areas are simply ridiculous and need to change. These limits were put in place in the age of the DeSoto and Edsel, or before that even. Heck, I think it must have been General Wolfe that installed the 30mph signs around here.

You make a good point about the great improvements in automobile safety over the years, but the standard pedestrian or bicyclist still comes without air bags or crumple zones, and human reaction times probably haven't gotten much better since the days of the Model T. There's more to consider than the safety of the people sitting inside the car.

[bclaker]

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

I saw almost the exact think happen to the car in front of me on RT-25 just up the hill from the school. Deer ran into a car stopped in traffic, broke it's front legs. It was during hunting season and may have gotten spooked.
I can't tell you how many times over the years I have seen this happen while snowmobiling. It never ends well for the deer as one or more legs are almost always broken.

This morning I had a doe run across the Bypass on top of the hill between Route 107and Rolute 11 A. I had just enough time to brake and let her by. I had a car behuind me and he was able to brake to avoid hitting me.

[RailroadJoe]

PATMAN There is a sign about 150 yards pass Johnson heading south on RT 11 that goea back to 55. I always have a line of cars behind me doing the 55 from Alton circle to Farmington. Some even pass me and the cars behind me doing about 70. I have to have my speedomoter checked. Maybe its off a few MPH.

And yes the speed limit was set way back when, but there were not as many cars on the road then and they realy didn't do 70 MPH. THey just raised the limit on I93, maybe they can increase the 30 MPH to 40, as many do that anyway.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by RailroadJoe

PATMAN There is a sign about 150 yards pass Johnson heading south on RT 11 that goea back to 55. I always have a line of cars behind me doing the 55 from Alton circle to Farmington. Some even pass me and the cars behind me doing about 70. I have to have my speedomoter checked. Maybe its off a few MPH.

And yes the speed limit was set way back when, but there were not as many cars on the road then and they realy didn't do 70 MPH. THey just raised the limit on I93, maybe they can increase the 30 MPH to 40, as many do that anyway.

I'll do 60, maybe 65 if with traffic, but I will not go over 65 and rarely even over 60 on Rt-11, we see way to many cops traveling that road. There are signs in both directions ramping the speed back up after Johnsons. It should drop down there as it is an intersection and a busy restaurant with lots of cars coming and going.
Lakesrider I have seen that bumper sticker. I dislike bumper stickers but was thinking of having Gator signs print it out for me in letters so I can put it across the bottom of the tailgate on my truck.

[Winnisquamguy]

Originally Posted by Lakesrider

As far as tailgaters go. I used to have a great bumper sticker. It read. The closer you get, the slower I go. I need to find that one again.

You are just asking for trouble with a bumper sticker like that and if you do do this to people. People today are in a hurry to go no where nowadays.The more mature thing to do would be pull over when its safe and let the cars go by. Just food for thought...

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

Originally Posted by Winnisquamguy

You are just asking for trouble with a bumper sticker like that and if you do do this to people. People today are in a hurry to go no where nowadays.The more mature thing to do would be pull over when its safe and let the cars go by. Just food for thought...

I admit I have a heavy foot on the highway. I only get cranky when someone traveling in the passing lane doesn't yield to me (if safe to do so). If you aren't moving with the "normal speed of traffic" and in the left lane, you are required to yield to the vehicle overtaking you. Other than that, I'm a pretty mellow driver.

Unless you know who is behind you, purposely pissing someone off could be a mistake.

[NHBUOY]

Are we not grown-ups.?.

[Merrymeeting]

I wish the US would adopt more of the European standards for driving. In most countries in Europe, pulling over for faster traffic is almost a religion and it is enforced. As a result, traffic flows much more smoothly. They also highly frown on passing on the right.

So you don't see the crazy lane changers doing dangerous moves at 80MPH, and less road rage because everyone knows you will pull over as soon as possible. I wish they would start enforcing these rules here.

My worst example of speed limits is Kings Highway/Middleton Road through Middleton. It starts by going from 40 to 35 at the Middleton line. About a mile in, it goes to 30, on a road that could not be more rural and sparsely populated.

When you get to Rt 152/Middleton Lumber, it goes up to 50...for about 500 yrds, then back to 30, down to 20 for 100 yards near a beach on Sunrise Lake, then to 30, back to 50, then 40, all before you reach Farmington.

The Middleton police patrol it constantly, especially in the summer. I was pulled over once doing 34 in the 30 zone. Thankfully it was just a warning. But many other family members and neighbors have been similarly stopped. It's a bit much. Especially the 30-50-30 stretches.

[Lakesrider]

Originally Posted by Winnisquamguy

You are just asking for trouble with a bumper sticker like that and if you do do this to people. People today are in a hurry to go no where nowadays.The more mature thing to do would be pull over when its safe and let the cars go by. Just food for thought...

LOL.....Well I am one of those people that hardly ever does the speed limit. I am 54 years old and have only one speeding ticket to my name. No accidents...(Knocking on wood) If I am doing 45 in a 40 zone let's say and some guy comes up to my rear bumper. There is no way I am pulling over to let them go. Now if I was doing 30 in a 40 zone...Then sure I can see your point. But if I am doing 5 or 10 over the speed limit and someone wants to get past me....maybe I am saving someones life further down the road. The more mature thing is for the driver on my a$$ to slow down. Not me to pull over. But that's just me.