Sobriety Checkpoint Nets 45 Cars Impounded or Towed
That sobriety checkpoint the Riverside County Sheriff conducted in Canyon Lake, along Railroad Canyon Rd, back on Friday, June 27, here...
http://www.menifee247.com/2008/07/sobriety-checkpoint-nets-45-cars.htm
That sobriety checkpoint the Riverside County Sheriff conducted in Canyon Lake, along Railroad Canyon Rd, back on Friday, June 27, here's the results from the Department...
Violations of child safety seat laws should just be a warning. To impound cars, means that everyone will become too worried about driving through a sobriety checkpoint. We have enough "gray laws" on the books that allow LEOs to bust us for anything they want.
Now that you know the Sheriff will impound your car for something as innocent as a child safety seat violation, OR ANY OTHER vehicle code violation, do you feel confident that you will pass that checkpoint unscathed? Or will you do everything in your power to avoid that road?
These sobriety checks are not sending the message of DUI, they scare the crap out of every decent, well meaning, citizen.
Law enforcement should go after criminals, the guys who actually threaten public safety, the guys that take a lot of hard work to apprehend. Not busting moms and dads for "vehicle code violations".
On Friday, June 27, 2008, the Canyon Lake Police Department conducted a DUI / traffic safety checkpoint on Railroad Canyon Rd. at Sorrel Ln. Enforcement action began at 7:00 PM Friday evening and continued through 3:00 AM Saturday morning. The checkpoint was staffed by 16 deputies and several volunteers including citizens on patrol and police explorers from the Canyon Lake and Perris explorer posts.Is it just me, or is it an abuse of force to impound a vehicle because of a child seat violation?
During the course of the checkpoint, 67 citations were issued for a range of vehicle code violations which included; unlicensed/suspended drivers, no insurance, child seat violations, and several others, resulting in 45 vehicles being towed or impounded. Nine drivers were arrested for being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Additionally, one arrest was made for drug possession and one warrant was served.
The operation was considered successful in sending a message that DUI drivers, unlicensed drivers and other unsafe vehicle code violations will not be tolerated. The Canyon Lake Police Department is planning more DUI and traffic safety checkpoints in the future.
Violations of child safety seat laws should just be a warning. To impound cars, means that everyone will become too worried about driving through a sobriety checkpoint. We have enough "gray laws" on the books that allow LEOs to bust us for anything they want.
Now that you know the Sheriff will impound your car for something as innocent as a child safety seat violation, OR ANY OTHER vehicle code violation, do you feel confident that you will pass that checkpoint unscathed? Or will you do everything in your power to avoid that road?
These sobriety checks are not sending the message of DUI, they scare the crap out of every decent, well meaning, citizen.
Law enforcement should go after criminals, the guys who actually threaten public safety, the guys that take a lot of hard work to apprehend. Not busting moms and dads for "vehicle code violations".
impound your car for what? That's
ReplyDeletecrazy
good! they should impound cars for that. IF you can't follow the laws about child safety then you shouldn't have KIDS...and you sure as hell shouldn't put them in cars without the proper safety seats! IDIOTS! they get what they deserve.
ReplyDeleteOf course it's alright. I am a RN in pediatrics, do you know how many kids are hurt because parents don't use a car seat or use it wrong. There is no excuse! Their is always some community thing where they show parents how to restrain the car seat. So Yes it;s ok.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there's a section in the vehicle code to impound a car because of a child safety seat violation. You can for not having a license/having a suspended license, being arrested for any misd/felony, and having a registration over a year/or maybe 6 months out of date
ReplyDeleteSteve you really misread this article. You can't impound a car for a child seat violation, you can read the vehicle code for yourself here...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc27360_5.htm
I am glad to hear they made arrests and impounded cars for violations, people who don't obey the law should pay the consequences, it really isn't that far fetched of an idea is it?
And you can have your car impounded if your registration is 30 days past due.
I agree with the above posters. Who suffers in an accident when a child is not properly restrained??...THE CHILD! I see people driving around with their kids on their laps when I pick up my kids from school and I yell at them. If you can't be responsible for your kids...then by all means teach the parents a lesson. The kids are the ones that end up hurt. Shame on them!
ReplyDeleteYou yell at them?? That's ghetto, do you also yell "Get off my Lawn" at the kids. One of these days you're going to yell at the wrong person then you'll be posting on here about how violent people are.
ReplyDeleteGood for you chatty cathy. People driving with kids that aren't restrtained should be charged with child endangerment. Kids don't have the ability or knowledge to choose to sit in a car seat or keep their seatbelts on. It is up to parents to teach their kids what the rules and laws are and what is right vs wrong. This law is in place to keep kids safe because clearly not all parents are capable.
ReplyDeleteGO CATHY!
I wonder what the results would be if they'd move the check point down before the Canyon Lake turn-in. The last one I saw, they put it near the newly paved road (Newport realignment road).
ReplyDeleteThis sort of isolates the check to people other than residents of Canyon Lake doesn't it?
This law is in place to keep kids safe because clearly not all parents are capable.
ReplyDeleteSo are you saying that my mom was never able to keep me safe?
Laws need to be respected, no argument there. I'm asking if the punishment fits the crime. Code violations should be "fix it" tickets at worst, or better yet, let go with a warning.
Sounds like you are a 100% perfect driver and parent, never making any mistakes at all.
The rest of us will make innocent mistakes, oversights, or will be distracted, and that's when the police will bust us. I just hope the police will understand that we're just "Human", and not criminals.
you are an idiot. There is no excuse for a child to not be properly restrained. It has nothing to do with being a perfect parent...it is common sense.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know the person with a child unrestrained wasn't also a DUI? Children, not in car seats, during an accident are called projectiles. Do you know the stats on people, children or not, who die because they're not retrained?
ReplyDeleteYou should go on a ride along someday.
Usually, I'm in agreement with you. Here...not so much.
No where in that article did it say cars were impounded for child seat violations ~ It stated how many citations were issued, but not what offenses cars were towed ~ I would expect it would be for the unlicensed/uninsured drivers and vehicles, not the car seat violations ~
ReplyDeleteSteve, you are way off here. First, it never said anything about cars being towed for not having children in proper restraints and second, I can't believe you are defending parents or other drivers for not having kids in carseats or seatbelts. Can you really think of ANY valid reason why a child shouldn't be in a carseat or seat belt and why the driver or parent should not be held responsible for this?
ReplyDeleteC'mon a "fix it" ticket for this is ridiculous. Borrow a car seat, show up at a police station with it, and pay $10, done. Would that really deture anyone from not buckling their kid up next time? Fix it tickets are for things you need to repair on your car, ie head lights or illegal tint on your windows.
Clearly your mom kept you safe. But, not all parents choose to obey laws and take appropriate safety measures. Next time you see a child without a seatbelt on or a toddler standing on the floor board of a moving car ask yourself, "how safe is that?" Better yet, would you put your own child in a car unrestrained and go driving around at night with them?
Bravo for the police - I hope they keep it up. My biggest complaint is that the unlicensed drivers are often illegals. Do they deport them or report them to immigration?
ReplyDeleteNot likely.
You have to be kidding me Steve? I cannot believe your what you are saying. You sound like you don't care for any sort of authority.
ReplyDeleteI do care for law enforcement, I just want it directed at gangsters, burglars, taggers, child molesters, arsons. Not the everyday folks trying to get from Point A to Point B.
ReplyDeleteThe everyday folk trying to get from point A to point B are normally obeying all laws and don't have a problem getting through any type of checkpoint be it driver's license or sobriety.
ReplyDeleteReally, is it that hard to get from point A to point B and obey traffic laws that are in place to protect people?
I find it interesting that the people who are reduced to name-calling always post "anonymous". Cowards.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I agree with Steve in principle. LEOs should concentrate on busting real criminals, not necessarily ignorant parents.
BTW, there is a right way and a wrong way to secure a child-safety seat. You literally have to put all your weight (depending on your weight) into one of those seats and strap in in tight for it to be "correct".
If the kids are just not strapped in period, they should be subject to heavier consequences, as opposed to kids who are not stapped in "correctly", for instance, too loose.
I've seen lots of cars around here that don't even have the kids in seat belts, probably because it's not the law where they're originally from. These people should be busted, impounded and deported if applicable, IMHO.
And you people should stop the name calling, you're embarrassing yourself and showing your own ignorance.
I say good for the police. If they just get 1 drunk driver off the road.However they managed to get a few more then that. I know they did not impound any vehicles for lack of carseats although they should. Children are our greatest gift and should always be a parents first priority.You can go to a designated(Sheriff, Highway Patrol or police) Station and they will install the carseat for you and check that it meets all safety requirements for free. More then likely a ticket was given for having the child facing the wrong way (Front facing before 20lbs)Children are suppose to be in some sort or child restraint till 40lbs.However i find it absolutely absurd that you (Steve) would complain about a parent getting reprimanded about child safety. What could be more important then our children's safety, did you NOT read how many DUI drivers they took in, anyone of those drivers could have wiped out a whole family and the chance of NOT surviving any kind of crash are much greater when you dont secure your children/family in a vehicle.I understand your statement about the police catching the REAL criminals but do you know how many people die in just CA due to drunk driving? Look up the statistics.Drunk drivers kill whole families so i say the police were getting real criminals off the streets, they may have even saved your family. I was hit by a drunk driver on my childs 2 B-day. My heart stopped more then once, my parents were told to come say their goodbyes and i was in ICU for a month, the drunk driver went home to his family without a scratch.I begged the Doctors to keep me alive for at least a week so i wouldnt die on my daughters b-day. Thankfully i made it after 3 months in the hospital,but i still carry the scars both outside and in and so does my family. Thanks for just brushing us off as unimportant.
ReplyDeleteSandy
--"You yell at them?? That's ghetto, do you also yell "Get off my Lawn" at the kids. One of these days you're going to yell at the wrong person then you'll be posting on here about how violent people are."---
ReplyDeleteHELL yes I yell at them! It infuriates me that someone would have such disregard for the safety of ANY child riding in the car with them. As far as the lawn comment goes...I'm not ghetto and I don't tell the kids to get off MY lawn! I do however, teach my children to respect other peoples property and I do tell them to get off OTHER peoples lawns and driveways (unless they have permission) Does that make me a bad person? I don't think so! I try to teach my kids to obey rules and respect other people. I lead by example. I'm not saying that I'm perfect by any means.I'm human and we all make mistakes. But I do my best to keep my kids (and other peoples kids) safe.
I think that there is a lack of respect with some of todays kids. It starts with the parents. If the parents can't be responsible and be on top of their kids safety, then I will stick my nose in and say something. Trust me I have had people tell me to mind my own business and that's okay. But I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I just let it go and ignored it.
To ChattyCathy: Amen
ReplyDeleteSteve ~ You say you want the cops to "hit the real criminals harder" ~ Well, there's a good possibility that some of those drivers tagged for minor offenses ARE tomorrows criminals ~ When citizens have little regard for the law, they cross farther and farther over the line ~ By stopping AND PUNISHING them now, before someone gets injured or killed (either by a drunk driver, an unlicensed driver or an improper car seat) is by far the BEST option! I hope they do it more often so people realize the laws are meant to be obeyed and not snubbed ~ Yes, this includes the ILLEGAL use of cell phones!!
ReplyDeleteYea, for Chatty Cathy! I bet you have the nerve to teach your children self-discipline, respect, and the value of moral ethics.
ReplyDeletePolice CAN NOT impound a vehicle for child seat violations. The article never said that and the California Vehicle Code (CVC) does not allow for it. I know this because I am a cop. This is a great forum for the people of Menifee to get information but Steve, as the proprietor of this site I think) you need to make sure the information you put forth is accurate.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to think about this post. Should I be glad that 90% of the commenters are ready to crucify the 'law breakers' as if every infraction were criminal?
ReplyDeleteOf course only legislators and the 'enlightened' know what's best for us and our children.
I pity you if you've never caught a ride in the back of your dad's pickup? Yep, the california safety police would take your dad to jail and keep his truck. Don't you feel safer?
I suppose it's a wonder my kids survived my own 'abuse' 'cause their dad and I had a "kick-A" van customized with seats that turn into beds and plenty of walking around room for our 5 kids. We sang silly songs, interacted with each other, made sandwiches, swapped laps, etc. on our road trips.
What's that compared to child restraints and the 100th showing of the same kiddie movie in the personal DVD player. Or an infant crying for comfort while safely cuddled by his DOT approved car seat.
You can't convince me that anything good comes from these new age, 'I'm too stupid to think for myself' laws.
"I suppose it's a wonder my kids survived my own 'abuse' 'cause their dad and I had a "kick-A" van customized with seats that turn into beds and plenty of walking around room for our 5 kids. We sang silly songs, interacted with each other, made sandwiches, swapped laps, etc. on our road trips."
ReplyDeleteaskmieke,
I am guessing on these road trips you were never plowed into by a drunk driver and your kids were not tossed from the vehicle and slammed into the pavement?
My parents too took us on long road trips and we were not in seat belts or even seats. I was in my playpen on the folded down seats of our suburban. They have said to me that if they knew then what they know now, that would have never happend.
These laws did not come about because car seat makers lobbied for them but because it has been shown that car seats and seat belts save lives. I would hope that you as a parent would not be willing to do something to put your kids lives in danger.
I agree with "jeffm". I don't agree with "askmieke". Your last quote Is very true though.
ReplyDeleteThe Sheriff's report says there were 67 citations issued and 45 vehicles were towed or impounded. No where does it say the vehicles were towed for child seat violations. While concentrated programs like checkpoints don't nab all violators, it's a step in the right direction and MUST be supported and encouraged by a city trying to establish itself.
ReplyDeleteaskmieke.....idiot.
ReplyDelete