Traffic Officer Is Exactly Where He Should Be When Needed

Traffic cops do a tough job, and yet, they are criticized by some people regardless of what they do or where they are. It's common for people to curse them when they are seen monitoring traffic, especially by those who are breaking the law. Hitting the brakes and showing resentment for the officer in the median seems to be synonymous for many.

And then there are the times that we are annoyed by a reckless driver who cuts us off, tailgates, or whizzes past us. People are equally critical of the police in those cases because the person isn't caught putting us in danger. How many times have we heard: "Where are the cops when you need them?"

Well this motorist found that sometimes the police are exactly where they should be when they are needed. The speed limit on this Canadian road is 100 km/h (60mph) and as a matter of etiquette, most drivers travel at about 115 - 120km/h so they are not holding up traffic, as is the case here. This black Nissan was tailgating for several minutes, even though he had lots of opportunity to go around the car with the dash camera. It seemed to be a display of aggression that might have been meant to reprimand the driver for not going quickly enough.

The car with the camera is in the right lane, where slower traffic is expected to be. And despite the fact that he is actually speeding, the Nissan driver just isn't happy. He finally pulls into the left lane to pass, accelerates and continues down the road at a much higher speed than is necessary. The driver with the camera comments that the Nissan is doing approximately 45km/h over the posted speed 100km/h limit. He jokingly asks where the cops are, as we have all done at one time or another.

And moments later, as the Nissan is almost out of sight, his brake lights go on. But it's too late. The officer in the median is parked in an unmarked traffic car, monitoring the speed of traffic coming at him. To the delight of the camera man, the officer pulls out from his hiding spot, which actually wasn't all that hidden, and engages his lights. For the Nissan driver to not notice the police car in the median, even though it's a stealthy plain black, is possibly a display of how oblivious he was. If he wasn't quick enough on the brakes to avoid a ticket, he wouldn't be quick enough on the brakes if a hazard suddenly appeared on the road.

Everybody knows that the Nissan driver has been caught and he pulls over dutifully. The driver with the camera is quite pleased to see this officer doing such a fine job and he quietly praises him as he goes by. The officer must hear a lot of negative comments, but surely there are some positive ones as well, even if he doesn't get to hear them.

In Ontario, the fine for this speed is approximately $310 and there are 4 demerit points. Wouldn't we all like the police to catch those around us for things like this?

As a reminder to all, police on our roads are in danger of being hit by cars passing too close to them as they conduct traffic stops. Almost all police officers can tell at least one story of having their cruiser door taken off, or having had to jump out of the way of a car coming at them. And tragically, some are not so lucky. Moving into the left lane is the law. There is a hefty fine in most cases for not doing so. We can all help the officer stay safe, and able to focus on the stopped vehicle, if we smoothly move into the far lane when passing a stopped cruiser. In fact, this applies to all emergency vehicles and tow trucks in most provinces and states. At the end of the day, all of our public servants should make it home to their families.