RStuart,anti
I can't speak for others but I am neither geriatric nor grumpy.
FYI I have never agreed with the idea that "things were better good old days" I'm the one who constantly cries CONTEXT.

Everyone
While I think of it, thank you for your inputs I do appreciate them.
ALL the issues raised are valid in that the problem is CUMULATIVE nos just one issue.
I simply raised the perspective that there are too many victims direct and indirect and something(s) clearly need to be done. Of course there will be losers generalities do that. But the REAL alternative is to allow a few to win and the majority to suffer (from multiple causes) that are broadly speaking 'mobile(traffic) violations. My vote is I'll cope with restrictions of my "autonomy(?) such as it is" for the greater good and the benefits I have from being in a society. I guess it all depend on the degree of the restrictions as if they are so restrictive as to stifle what it means to belong to a democratic(?) (such as it is) society.

“Try telling this to the family of a guy who got shot and killed recently in brisbane. All as a result of 'boat ramp rage' “.

Rehctub, if we all stuck to the rules, instead of there basically being two sets of rules; those for the idiot fraction that don’t have any respect for the law and only have respect for what they can get away with, and those for the fraction that are basically law-abiding as a matter of either principle or fear of getting busted for infringements…then there would be a whole lot less road rage, boat-ramp rage and so on.

I very strongly suggest that this sort of rage is largely due to people feeling powerless. They observe something that is bluntly illegal or stupid and they know they won’t get any satisfaction if they report it to the police, so they are left with the option of either copping it sweet or taking matters into their own hands.

If the law was well-respected, if the police did their job properly, if the public knew that they stood a very good chance of being busted if they mucked up, then there would be a whole lot less rage!

“I dispute that….”

Antiseptic, I agree that if you make yourself conspicuous by driving an old bomb or by being an 18 year old petrol-head with a car to match, then you’ll get more than your average share of police attention. But even for them, the police will only target a very small number of offences. They’ll get away with tailgating, dangerous overtaking, etc, just the same as for the rest of us.

“I'd just as soon there were fewer policing traffic and more policing serious crime.”

Yes yes YES!!

If we had an effective community policing regime, it would free up the cops from road-rule policing and allow them to spend more time on other crime. Although I wouldn’t call it more serious crime, as stupid antics on our roads that lead to death and injury or increase the chances of it happening are every bit as serious as many ‘serious’ crimes.

Non-police administrative personnel could take care of most of the complaints rendered through community policing.

“We already have law that allows a party to make a complaint and if there is evidence, the police will act.”

YES! So why do the cops effectively discourage complaints or the gathering of evidence to support them??

Ludwig, I agree with what you are saying, I think we have plenty of police but our police resourses could be far better managed.

One problem is that of 'revenue targets' .Police must book a certain number of traffic offenders, they must perform a certain number of RBT's.

You know you have a problem when there are up to 15 police attending an RBT, yet it can take up to 40 min to get a response to a more violent crime.

We need non police conducting RBT's as long as there is one or two officers there.

One problem is that of offenders challenging their offence in court. Without police present at the offence, you would have a lot more cases thrown out of court. This of cause involves mountains of paperwork. Another waste of valuable police time.

Another is our loose laws with respect to juviniles as they are almost 'untouchable' and they know it.

Kids often have to commit up to 20 times before they get locked away, only to come out a better crim as they are locked away with other crims.

Make parents accountable for the actions of their kids and many things would change.

Hit mum and dads pocket and watch what happens. Who knows, perhaps in time we will effectively 'breed out' the miss fits of society, as many of todays 'missfits' are from yesterdays 'missfits'. And to think we pay them for it!

Agreed rehctub. So if a community policing regime for road safety was to be implemented, the police could be very considerably freed up.

I just completely don't understand the lack of support for community policing, or a much better facilitation of complaints, or whatever you might want to call it, amongst the good folk of OLO.

There have only been negative points put forward. But once I have initially countered them, there has been a distinct lack of willingness to continue with any debate (on a number of threads).

There seems to be a complete lack of enthusiasm for the concept, but without any real foundation.

I would have thought that the idea of better-empowering the public to act against illegal and dangerous antics would have been well-supported, at least by some people.

I've got to admit I am disappointed, dismayed and at a loss to understand it.....although it does help me to understand why our road-safety policing regime is so despicably poor.