Operation Safe Teens Launched To Prevent Highway Crashes - Johnston County leads the state in the number of youth, ages 16 to 20, killed in traffic accidents this year. Ten young adults have lost their lives in traffic accidents, many of them single car crashes on rural roadways often caused by speed. Sheriff Steve Bizzell ordered his 8 member SAFE Team to crack down on speeding teen drivers around the county’s six high school campuses. Operation Safe Teens was launched last week and has already had an impact. Fifty-four drivers have been stopped for speeding and the majority of those have been at West Johnston High. Thirty-one drivers, including 18 students, received warning tickets while speeding in the 45mph in front of West Johnston last week. A student was ticketed for speeding 80mph in a curve near North Johnston High. When speeds are excessive, the parents are called on the spot, according to SAFE Team Captain David Daughtry. “It is better to go to court and be before a judge than to go to a funeral home,” Captain Daughtry said Tuesday afternoon while monitoring student drivers on Hannah Creek Road near South Johnston High School. Deputies will issue most offenders warning tickets before issuing citations. Daughtry said students are quick to use their cell phones to alert their friends about enforcement efforts around their schools. “When the word gets out, they slow down,“ he added. On Tuesday, a teen driver was clocked by radar running 80mph near South Johnston. When a deputy tried to pull over his speeding truck, he sped away and eluded arrest. SAFE Team deputies paid a visit to the school Wednesday to identify the driver. Deputies said the teens stopped for speeding are scared to death, but the focus of Operation Safe Teens is to keep them alive.
good. and good job cops. cops get a bad rap, i think. most people's only contact with them is when they get pulled over, or during some not-so-savory event of some kind, and it's easy to be mad at the cop when he just busted you. some obviously have tiny penises and exploit their authority, but it's a small percentage and equal to the amount of tiny-penised self-important wanks in every other walk of life...
Most law enforcement officers typically appear a bit arrogant, even those that are courteous and polite. I think it really comes from their training. Most of these guys (and a few ladies) are out there at all different times of the day and night. Often they patrol by themselves and while there may be another fellow LEO nearby, fear is not something that a lone patrol officer can demonstrate. In there position, very few of us would have the guts to walk up to a vehicle with deep tinted windows and an obsured number of passengers and/or cargo. I think LEOs, for the most part, are controlling people, but I say that realizing that they have to be. There is a great unknown out there at 3:00 AM in the morning when stopping a car on the highway. They have to be in control of the situation or else they could quickly become a victim. I suspect that is hammered into their brains in training, but probably some of that already exists in their character. Really I wouldn't want to be a police officer. I really do admire them for what they do, but I wouldn't want to do their job nor do I think that I could. There is too fine a line to have to walk between arrogance, control, professionalism, concern, fear, and loneliness...mixed in with boredom and the possibility at any time of explosive excitement. Most people seem happy to see a LEO if they are broken down or stranded, but in general, I think most people simply expect immediate attention from the police when they're needed. They would likely complain if it came later than they expected it. Then, if they have been caught doing something wrong, they say their apologies up until they get a ticket. Then they probably begin rationalizing and making excuses as if they are being picked on.
So how do you handle the children that are just following the example the parents have set for them? I think it is more than clear that some on this forum have no regard for a speed limit. Is it truely fair to target the children for their less than safe upbringing? I think if the child is under a certain age, the parent should get the points on their license.
i can relate i had a very good friend die in a car wreck a couple weeks ago, everyone in our circle of friends will always remember Paul Edward Allan Neumann, he was a good person and will be missed, but teens do need to slow down on the roads! i am not saying the person driving was going to fast, but a vehicle malfunction. this is why teens need to slow down because at high speeds a teen is relying a lot on his/her vehicle to respond properly and a lot of malfunctions can occur do to outside circumstances.
I'm glad for the extra attention to where teens are driving, but to get a warning for going 80 and over the center line????? My opinion is that most teens will laugh at warnings. Give them the ticket, don't let the DA bargain it down (so the kid gets the ticket and the points on the license, insurance cost skyrockets)...the parents will then take the license away (and the car keys) so they don't have to pay the insurance increase. LESSON LEARNED: SPEEDING = BIG $ + NO CAR. Teenagers think they are invincible. They never believe the accident will happen to them so a WARNING about speeding doesn't send much of a message IMO.
Yesterday as I was leaving West HS and approaching the intersection to turn right, the light was green. 2 cars coming thru the intersection (toward the school) turned left before I got there, but when I was AT the light the next car in line (coming from that direction) also turned left RIGHT in front of me! Luckily I always proceed with caution at this light because this has happened more than once to me at this light. Even more lucky, there was a sheriff right behind that car, and as soon as he turned - he turned on his blue light and pulled their sorry a**! :hurray: Not sure if they were a teen or not, but they looked pretty young. Not sure what is it about this intersection, but its kinda weird/doesn't quite line up....and I see people turn or almost turn in front of people here alot!
I wish they would do that all over. Apex has been hard hit with teenage deaths and accidents. ALmost every day there is an accident on 64 by the high school and involves a student.
I HATE coming that way at dismissal time. I have sat through 4-5 light cycles just to make a left turn there. Not that it was right, but I wouldn't be surprised if that person (and no, it was definitely not me) made that turn out of frustration at having to sit there for a long time. Now that I got stuck there a few times, I'll keep going on 210 and turn at Raleigh Rd. At least then I don't get stuck waiting to make that turn. I wish that light had a left turn arrow so that people don't have to sit so long. Making that left as an immature driver or around immature driver is a recipe for an accident.
I agree, they should put in a turn light for that direction too. But no, this person had NOT been sitting there waiting to turn, it appeared that they were just following the 2 cars in front of them turning and were not thinking about the fact that they needed to stop! One day I was sitting there, first car in line (again coming from the school, turning right) and right when the light changed, 3 cars (again looked like HS boys in their little rice burners....) just turned left before I could turn, I had to slam on brakes, and the car behind me that was going straight almost got hit if the last one hadn't stopped in the middle of his turn! All were speeding.... :evil:
Heh, I agree that kids speed. Most more than they should. But I see more adults speeding than kids. And I see more adult accidents than teens. In my opinion teens are getting focused on more because of their inexperience. But I see alot of adults that look like they have never driven a car in their life. Particularly at 40/42. Teens are going to get into fender benders. Its unavoidable. But something you have to relize is..alot of the teen high speed accidents have drinking involved. So fender benders and high speed accidents are too different things. I just dont see how sitting outside of a school waiting to spring the trap, on a bunch of kids that are trying to get home after a long day, is going to stop that. Might I add those most kids are sober when they leave school. On another note. A state trooper zoomed past me yesterday on 40 heading toward 42. I was going probably 80mph in a 65 or 70, whatever that area is. And he flew by me like I was standing still. I watched him weave through traffic all the way back to 40/42. All the while he never used a turn signal once. Just an observation.. opcorn:
I can see my son being JUST like his father... and it scares the life out of me! I think hubby was a race car driver in a past life. :evil:
