ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, July 6, 1996                 TAG: 9607080017
SECTION: EDITORIAL                PAGE: A-7  EDITION: METRO 

BRIEFLY PUT . . . EARLY- WARNING SPEED TRAPS

KINDER, GENTLER speed traps? You might call them that.

Montgomery County Sheriff Doug Marrs is using a new, $4,000 ``speed buggy'' as an early-warning signal to drivers inching up over the speed limit on the county's roads. The ``buggy'' clocks a driver's speed then flashes it as ``Your Speed'' on a large digital display to get the driver's attention. Drivers so alerted in the few days the device has been in use have sensibly slowed their vehicles to the speed limit or below. Many, says the sheriff, will wave a thank-you as they pass by the law-enforcement officer. We hope they were thank-yous, anyway.

This is a nice idea to encourage voluntary compliance with the law. It may reduce speeding fines the county collects, but it also could save lives.

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