THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 21, 1994 TAG: 9410200144
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: The Road Warrior
LENGTH: Long : 121 lines
The question-of-the-week award goes to Mr. Watson who asked about police and their use of seat belts.
Here's Watson's question: ``Why do the police not have to wear seat belts? I can imagine when they're cruising a parking lot, that would be fine. But, when they're doing 55 mph on the interstate or they're doing 35 and 45 mph going up Kempsville Road, why don't they have to wear their seat belts? I believe it is a law. I'd like an answer on that please, sir.''
Here's what Road found out, thanks to Mike Carey with the Virginia Beach Police Department.
City Code says that any person, age 4 to 16 and older, who sits in the front seat of a vehicle should wear a seat belt at all times while the vehicle is in motion on any public highway. There is no mention of back seat passengers.
Anyway, according to City Code, those exempt from the seat belt law are:
Anyone whom a physician has determined that a seat belt would be impractical because of physical or medical reasons. The person must carry a signed written statement identifying the person as exempt and why.
``Any law enforcement officer transporting persons in custody or traveling in circumstances which render the wearing of such safety belt system impractical. . . ''
Any person performing the duties of rural mail carrier for the post office, a rural newspaper route carrier, newspaper bundle hauler, or newspaper rack carrier, or driver of taxis.
This also includes people of commercial and municipal vehicles while engaged in the collection or delivery of goods, a utility meter reader, or police or sheriff's department personnel operating motor vehicles to enforce laws governing motor vehicle parking.
As for the rest of us, if we get caught without our seat belts, or if our passengers are caught without seat belts, we are subject to a fine of $25. No points are added to a driver's license, and there are no court costs.
Of course, an officer isn't allowed to stop someone strictly for not wearing a seat belt. A driver must be stopped for another offense before he can be ticketed for not belting up.
As for the police and seat belts or anyone legally exempt, common sense dictates that if they're not on the job, it would be wise to belt yourself in.
SNARLS OF THE WEEK
The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.
Carla Altmann, The Lakes. Regarding the stoplight at Edwin Drive and Princess Anne Road. Taking a left onto Edwin, off of Princess Anne, the light needs to be a little longer green. All these school buses now have to go through the neighborhood and to take a left we can't do it because we have no crossing guard at the light on Princess Anne Road.
We're all getting stopped up. Can't they check and see if the light can be made longer? Thank you very much.
RW: The Congestion Mitigation for Air Quality (CMAQ) project will be coming through this corridor soon. It's the project where the feds have given us money to have our signals retimed and coordinated. It involves some 20 corridors and 130-something signals. Until then, there'll be no changes.
John Hudson, Captain Adams Court. I live on a circle and we need speed signs because people come around this circle like it's a race track and I would like to see speed zone signs in here for 10 mph.
RW: Signs aren't always the answer, John. Mainly because people tend to disregard them, as well as traffic signals. The city does not post speed limit signs for less than 25 mph on city streets anyway. Privately owned streets can post what they want. It seems that you're out of luck. Unless you call your police precinct for a little speed enforcement.
Mr. Pokey, Thoroughgood. I'm wanting to know what the story is on school zone markings at private schools, specifically Bay Lake Pines on Shore Drive. It's like the Indy 500 getting out of there in the mornings and afternoons. I'd appreciate your information.
RW: It seems that the private school and the city are in negotiations about what to do as far as speed zone caution lights and other warnings.
Until they decide what they're doing, things will remain the same. You'll know when Road knows.
Drew Adcock, North Sunland Drive. Road, I think you made a boo boo. In response to a reader's complaint about people not using their turn signals, you suggested that blinkers be made automatic, so that they activate when the car moves left or right. It seems to me that would be too late. After the car has already moved that's too late for the car behind them.
RW: Good point, Drew. Maybe that wasn't such a hot idea after all.
Lillian Jones, Pocahontas Village. Concerning the new stop signs at Columbus Street and Kellam Road. When they first put those signs up, they didn't put up all the signs or all the markings. They put the stop signs up and then after they had a bad accident, then they put up red flags and markings on the road.
RW: Typically, the city erects signs and warning signs at the same time when there is a change in traffic pattern. In this area, the warning signs were erected and covered well before the stop signs went up.
Mike, no address given. I thought it was a law that when you have your windshield wipers on, you have to turn on your headlights.
I've had the same headlights in my car for seven years and I turn them on every time it's raining. They serve two purposes - they help you see and help other people see you. Can you check and see if that's a law around here?
RW: The law says to use headlights in inclement weather, but the code doesn't correlate the use of headlights with windshield wipers. But, overall, turning on your headlights when your wipers are on is a good rule of thumb.
Ann Baxter, Glenwood. Technical question for you, big guy. When are they going to issue parking permits for Ferrell Parkway and Indian River Road east of Kempsville Road?
It takes me a good 15 minutes or so to get from Indian Lakes Boulevard to Kempsville Road every morning, regardless of when I go. Is there anyway they can retime the traffic lights? I see traffic moving no cars at all on Kempsville and traffic backed up to China. I'm thinking about about changing my residency to China.
Can they retime the lights or something like that? Talk to you later, bye.
RW: Actually, they can and will, Ann or Andy (Road couldn't hear the call that well). This is another area CMAQ will be working on. And that'll be happening this year, too. So that's good news. Relief is in sight. MEMO: Tell the Road Warrior about your motoring problems. Get 'em off your
chest. Call on Infoline, at 640-5555. After a brief message, dial ROAD
(7623). When directed, press 1 to deliver your message, and 1 again to
sign off.
Or, write: The Road Warrior, Virginia Beach Beacon, 4565 Virginia
Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, Va. 23462.
Don't forget to include your name, address and neighborhood.
by CNB