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| In a neighborhood near you |
We've all traveled down streets when we suddenly see a 'speed trailer,' you know, that thing on the side of the road that shows the posted speed limit - then shows your actual speed. The Wellsville Police Department, not too long ago, acquired one thanks to community support. The gizmo shows up at various locations without notice...then shames drivers to SLOW DOWN, when your actual speed "Flashes" compared with the posted limit. Of course it's a great public awareness tool, but do drivers really slow down? Over the past year, Wellsville Regional News (sadly) has monitored the sites where this speed monitoring device is parked (some would say stalked). While WRN didn't conduct a scientific survey, we casually observed that in 60% of the cases, motorists sped past the tool, often registering speeds well above the local limit. One driver last year actually commented that she "wanted to see it the damn thing was accurate." She later admitted, "yep, it was." So...do these pricey tools make a difference?
Allegany County Sheriff Rick Whitney said this afternoon "I think they do slow down drivers." The Sheriff said some motorists simply don't realize how fast they are going. Is the investment worth it? Whitney, without hesitation, said, "yes." The device owned by the sheriff's office cost $11,000. As you may recall three Alfred State College students flipped over the old one, so they paid for a third of the new one.These speed monitors, unlike public perception, don't have a camera to snap a photo of your vehicle for prosecution. Whitney said, "it's simply a public safety awareness tool." Bottom line...slow down! It's a holiday weekend...plan on seeing (or not) gobs of police watching the roads.
