Is it legal for local police to set up in work zone on weekends?

Why should you give a second thought to police enforceing traffic laws in a work zone on a weekend. Slow down and don't worry about it. There are still traffic stantions and cones out inhibiting the free flow as it normally was so cars should slow down even if no workmen are present.

Seems to be a little police phobia going on here... Request your local Law Enforcement chief/sheriff to allow you to go on a ride along on a busy night so you can see what sort of trash the police are usually forced to deal with. Perhaps that will give you a better appreciation and respect for the job they do.

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Please be clear that I do not advocate speeding in work zones or have any lack of compassion for anybody killed or injured in one. That doesn't change the FACT that the new federally funded "safety zone" initiatives are a cash cow for a lot of juristictions. It doesn't change the Fact that most deaths in construction zones are not related to speeding motorists. We have a federal and state criminal organizations that operates under the cover of calling themselves "governments". The use of cell phones while operating a vehicle has been proven to be as dangerous as drunk driving. Every day people are killed and injured in crashes involving cell phone users. Logically, you would imagine that there would be a huge uproar at the state and federal level to ban cell phone use while driving? Not a chance. The cell phone industry makes billions of dollars a month while their products are used in a dangerous manner, so they lobby, bribe and make campaign contributions wherever they need to. As long as they can prevent our governments from doing the right thing, the cash keeps rolling in. If you get hit head on, while some little twit is droning on about her trip to the mall, and drifts into your lane, too bad. As far as the cell industry is concerned, we got ours, if hundreds of people are killed a year, so what? The fact that LEOs are trying to collect huge fines in unoccupied work zones further highlights the lack of concern they really have for true safety issues. Every week I spend time on busy interstates where groups of fools from NY&NJ drive eighty to ninety miles per hour, six feet apart, in the left lane. When somebody makes the slightest mistake it is nothing but a bloody mess. I've seen it happen several times. But, I have never seen one of these groups pulled over for reckless driving. Traffic safety enforcement is a joke in my state.

Oh, my not running a stop sign The definition includes rolling through a stop sign, which is done millions of times a day, in a perfectly safe, yet illegal manner in most states. Thank God that most judges will not allow time to be wasted by "citizens" who feel that they have some responsibility to elect themselves as traffic cops. There is no excuse for any officer issuing a citation for a moving violation that they did not witness. This type of spying and reporting to the authorities is the basis for keeping the masses in line in depraved regimes like the Chinese have. I find it disturbing that you seem to find such behavior to be acceptable. Remember if ratting on your fellow man, to gain points from the authorities, gets you excited, China is a short plane ride away. good luck, comrade.

It's a construction zone whether there's anyone working there or not. As long as construction is ongoing and even if there's no one around the speed limit is in effect.

Bobg

What's the big deal? If you were going the posted speed limit, who cares if a cop sits there trying to catch those that aren't doing the limit? Sometimes it seems that law enforcement sticks to the "easy money" (ie: traffic tickets) instead of trying to stop other crimes, but fact is it's dangerous for road workers to have people driving in such a manner through work zones. Yes, they should be busted wether there's any workers there or not. (my opinion)

Kaza

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Easy there big fella (or gal, I don't know), I didn't say I was an advocate of reporting every little violation, just clearing up the fact that a citizen can report a violation and the officer can issue a citation based on those facts if he/she deems it appropriate.

The police seem to be in a no win situation in traffic enforcement, for every one who say's it's not important and just another form of taxation/revenue collection, there is someone else complaining that the police don't do enough to enforce traffic laws. Frankly, I'm glad I'm retired and out of it

So go 25 in the work zone. Who cares if anyone is working or not. What's the rush? I always go the posted speed (sometimes slower!) It really annoys people behind me who want to BREAK THE LAW and go faster. Oh well. Too bad for them.

Relax, take a deep breath, put some soft music on the radio/cd player and go 25.

donsgal

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Life is what happens while you are making other plans. (John Lennon)

Why do you think it is the Feds jumping on it? BJ said it was local cops, and the feds aren't getting a cut of the fines. If any government is to blame, it's local here.

Why worry about it, just go the posted speed limit and avoid any problems. People are in way too big a hurry to get nowhere anyway. I can't tell you how many times I have been passed by some idiot going way over the speed limit and taking chances for his welfare and others. The same idiot will be one car in front of me 10 miles down the road at a stop light. Sure doesn't make any sense to me. Slow down in the construction area, even if nobody is working there, and enjoy a nice casual ride, it will be good training for you for when they are working.

Just a little comment on the subject of weather a Officer has to witness a violation or not. When I lived in Killeen right across the street was a elem. school and cars (and motorcycles) would actually race, side by side up the street. I called the local P.D. till I was sick of talking to them. I gave them tag numbers, descrips of the vehicles, heck even followed a couple home and gave the street address. Guess what they told me? They could NOT do anything unless a Officer actually witnessed it. was that the real law or were they just lazy? I dunno. I moved.

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I'm surprised CF hasn't moved this to GC yet. The officers either didn't think there was an adequate case, or that they had better things to do. If it was me and I wanted something done, I would have spoken to someone higher up in the food chain.