Get Your Excessive Speeding In Before Midnight Tonight

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/261778

The new street-racing law goes into effect tomorrow, and OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley predicts "shock and awe" over the tough new provincial legislation.

If a driver is caught going 50 kilometres over the speed limit, police will impound the vehicle for seven days, issue a minimum $2,000 fine and suspend the driver's licence for seven days.

Ahem.

I think I especially like that this law not only presumes guilt without a court case (something you are entitled to under the law- even for a speeding ticket), but that it also is static in terms of the 'amount of the the limit'. Meaning, if you're doing 100 in a 50, you probably need to be given a smack upside the head- but if you're doing 150 in a 100, maybe a big ticket is a better and more fit punishment.

My favorite part of the article is this-

"If a motorist is coming off the 400-series highway at 100 kilometres an hour and hits an 80 zone and then goes through a small town with a 50 zone, they will be 50 over the limit and will get their car impounded," Woolley said.

I like that the OPP is essentially giving a heads up that otherwise innocent drivers can have their cars seized because of idiotic speed changes- which aren't all that uncommon especially on minor highways outside of the Toronto region.

Chalk another one up for the Black Helicopters gang.

Alan Mulally Is So Wise- He's Like A Miniature Buddha, Covered With Hair

The Freep had this to report from Ford boss Alan Mulally-

Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally created a stir in Traverse City on Wednesday among auto industry leaders and the news media by expressing interest in a 50-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax proposed a day earlier by U.S. Rep. John Dingell.

He then went on to make some vague comments about $9 gas in Europe as a way to let the customer decide on what vehicles they wanted.

All of this is amusing on a number of levels, because it's quite obvious as to what is going on here- Ford is playing a public relations game. Mulally didn't just shoot off randomly here- he is priming the pump so to speak. Exactly what benefit would $9 gas or increased gas taxes have for Ford? About the same as the increased CAFE regulations they and others such as GM are so vehemently again- zero, zilch, nil, nada. The domestic manufacturers, who coincidentally are the sheep bleating the loudest in regards to the proposed CAFE regulations, would be hurt massively by either upgraded CAFE standards OR greatly increased gas taxes.

None of them have any serious pipeline to small cars on the way, and all of them rely on big profit but relatively bad fuel economy trucks for their continued existence.

So how is this a PR move? Well for one, Ford comes out looking like roses by trying to solve the problem- they aren't just shrieking uncontrollably, they're providing options! Furthermore, if there's one thing that Mulally and Ford know, it's that taxes aren't something that the majority of the American electorate are fond of. So they'll tout gas taxes all day long, secure in the fact that the number of politicians who would support $9 gas is about the same as the number of politicians who want to lose their jobs next election. All the while, they can go to the press with the news that Ford is very concerned about the environment and gas consumption, but they did their part and offered up the idea of gas taxes, because CAFE is a horrible idea.

And no one will call their bullshit.

The truth of the matter is, Ford/GM/Chrysler are going to feel the pain either way because either CAFE or high gas taxes are essentially the same thing for them- they don't have the cars necessary for good fleet fuel economy in their pipeline right now to compete with the Toyonissondas of the world if CAFE comes in soon, and consumers would shun their profit drivers (trucks) if gas went up to $9 a gallon. They're screwed either way.

A more realistic and truthful way of doing things would be admit that their product lineups are tilted too far towards the wrong kind of vehicles, and announce a REAL move towards smaller more fuel efficient rides. And then follow through on it within 2 years. If they worked with the government on the subject of CAFE, there would no doubt be leeway given towards their cause, with a stepped regulation probably being the best thing. Instead, by kicking and screaming every step of the way, some of them end up looking petulant and ignorant, while others look condescending and untrustworthy.

Looks like Detroit is going to have to pick their poison.

Tom Cruise: Future Attorney General

Via the Globe & Mail-

The government has the power to seize and destroy cars that have been adapted for street racing, and can do so before a race takes place or any charges are laid, Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant said Wednesday.

Car junkies who pour thousands of dollars into their vehicles to make them as fast as possible are wasting their money, Mr. Bryant said.

He warned potential racers that all it takes is a tip from police to seize and destroy their cars.

“If we can establish someone has parts and they're juicing up their car — obviously for the purpose of street racing — then we can seize those vehicles,” Mr. Bryant said.

In the last couple of weeks there have been two high speed accidents in the Toronto region that have caused deaths. The most recent was a few days ago, when a Grand Am and a Mustang on their way up to cottage country, were swerving in and out of traffic at high speed, causing a tractor trailer to fishtail and subesequently crash, killing the driver almost immediately.

Yes, it's tragic.

Yes, the idiot drivers should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law (which is laughably lenient).

No, it's the not the fault of street racers.

There's a very real difference between street racing and idiotic driving. Street racers are, well, racing. And idiotic drivers, well, are driving idiotically.

My real beef here is that the government of Ontario is apparently taking a page from Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, and interpreting fictitious events as being plausible in the real world. No Mr. Bryant, this is not 'Minority Report'- you can't predict who will be street racing their vehicles, who will be making their vehicles more powerful just for kicks, and who will be actually taking their vehicles to the track. Using this line of reasoning, anyone who bodybuilds for the purposes of being stronger should theoretically be pre-arrested for assault. And anyone who buys a legal gun for the range should theoretically be pre-arrested for murder. And anyone who buys a DVD burner should be pre-arrested for piracy. And anyone who takes a penny from the 'take a penny leave a penny jar' should be pre-arrested for armed robbery.

Another issue with what Mr. Bryant has said is exactly what constitutes a street racing vehicle? Is the idiot down the street with the fart can muffler and racing decals looking to street race his Honda Civic? Or is it the guy who just bought an AMG CLS with about 600 HP? Or the kids who just had their parents buy them a WRX STi for their birthday? As seen from the accident a few days ago, you don't need a performance car OR mods to street race- the Grand Am being a prime example.

Not that I'm surprised at their actions. With a provincial election coming soon, and the Toronto media in an uproar over these 'idiot' kids speeding everywhere around the city (funny, because I drive everyday and I don't see them), the easy decision for a government is to overreact. And they satisfied the criteria with this move.

Unfortunately, the real issue here, and the overlooked issue here, is that police forces, not just in Toronto, but around North America, are not interested in having safe roads for the most part- they're interested in ticket revenue and catching speeders. And until that changes, we're going to continue to see such accidents.