And horses due to safety issues, distracted drivers. Pretty sad when it comes to this.



The police department in St. Paul, Minnesota, faced a tough call this year.

Their motorcycle officers and historic equestrian unit (dating back to 1865!) were popular with the community. But new challenges, like the rise of distracted driving and increased injuries for officers on motorcycles and horses, prompted a drastic reorganization within the department. “In an effort to improve efficiencies, effectiveness and better respond to emerging public safety concerns,” the SPPD ultimately chose to end its Mounted and Motors units.

The move affects 12 officers, who will be moved off their mounts and into patrol cars. The SPPD explained the reasons for ditching the bikes and horses. First, calls for service have increased in Saint Paul, and the SPPD mostly needs patrol cars to dispatch these calls, not bikes or horses. Then there’s officer safety. “Mounted and Motors officers are hurt more frequently than traditional patrol officers — and their injuries tend to be more severe,” said Saint Paul police spokesman Steve Linders.

In the past four years, SPPD motorcycle police have been injured 15 times. One officer lost his career to his injuries. Now, riding on the streets has been deemed too dangerous for Saint Paul officers. That’s partly due to the third reason: “the growing public safety risk that is distracted driving.”

Yeah, you read that right. The SPPD says it’s too dangerous for their officers to ride motorcycles, and distracted driving is part of the problem.

“We are seeing an increase in distracted driving," observed Linders. “And the consequences can’t be ignored.”

Here’s the good news. Some of the officers from the disbanded motorcycle unit will join a new unit that specifically targets distracted drivers. The SPPD records show more than 500 crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists in just the last two years. Too many of these crashes involved distracted driving, leaving hundreds injured and six dead. Additional crashes involving motorcycles only add to the city’s safety concerns.

The SPPD hopes their dedicated anti-distracted driving units will bring those numbers down. After all, distracted driving laws don’t mean much if they go unenforced.
https://www.revzilla.com/common-trea...%7C%20Combined

 

Distracted = Cell Phones

 

Teenage girls and their phones.

 

Too bad for St Paul residents, motors are essential for traffic enforcement and catching cell phone violators.
Increase in crashes is violators knowing there is less traffic enforcement.

 

Here's the bad.

Yeah, you read that right. The SPPD says it’s too dangerous for their officers to ride motorcycles, and distracted driving is part of the problem.

“We are seeing an increase in distracted driving," observed Linders. “And the consequences can’t be ignored.”



Now the good.

Here’s the good news. Some of the officers from the disbanded motorcycle unit will join a new unit that specifically targets distracted drivers. The SPPD records show more than 500 crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists in just the last two years. Too many of these crashes involved distracted driving, leaving hundreds injured and six dead. Additional crashes involving motorcycles only add to the city’s safety concerns.

The SPPD hopes their dedicated anti-distracted driving units will bring those numbers down. After all, distracted driving laws don’t mean much if they go unenforced.

Sad situation but would be curious how this works out in the long run. I don't see this group having that much impact that it would decrease cell users while driving. Maybe what people need are DD, like with folks that would drink while driving.

 

That is a sad day.....

 

soccer moms and businessmen are much worse.

 

Why they haven't developed the technology that when you are in the driver's seat,and the car is in gear or in motion the cell phone deactivates from making out going calls or any texting frustrates me. That would end this issue and save lifes.

 

you make the laws, enforce the laws. It is far too easy for a lot of these people to worm their way out of some of these tickets. I always look at a drivers hands when I pass..... if their hands are up high, I don't worry much. If I can't see their hands, it is typically because they have something in them, and I will fade back and let them stay in front. It would be nice to have these things shut down when vehicle is in motion. Come back on when stopped. And for the police to enforce these laws. But then what's more important..... cell phone/distracted driving or assault on a citizen? And/or the reduction of police force due to a couple bad apples or reduced budgets???

 

The argument phone violators have against that is 911 calls, GPS tracking and deactivation on train, bus and passenger phones.. Phones and texting are such a habitual addiction now, drivers do it without thinking. Phone use is now thought of as a "right". When you pull them over, it's like they were awaken from a slumber.
I think there are apps to voluntarily add that feature to a phone so the technology exists..