Thymeclock -
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Originally Posted by Thymeclock
In the 1970's, during the gas shortages in the U.S., our government decided to make 55 MPH a national maximum speed limit on all highways. In order to enforce it, some states decided to have three marked police cars routinely travel alongside each other on an interstate highway, going exactly 55 MPH so that no one could pass them. Road captains, indeed. It was more of a show of force than anything else.
Why did they abandon this strategy? Because those police cars traveling in that pattern created a situation that caused accidents to occur.
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I looked that up but couldn't find any accidents :
Protesting the 55 MPH speed limit.
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The Dallas Police pull the same stunt here (at least they used to). The former chief thought it would be a good idea to create a "rolling road block" during rush hour traffic every day in a different part of the city. Several police cars would line up across the highways and cruise from one end to the other at 55 mph. It took quite a few squad cars to block Dallas freeways, and they also needed additonal support cars to stop violators and keep the rolling roadblock safe.
When the local papers started pointing out that with Dallas having the highest crime rate in the nation for several years running that maybe the police could better be used doing something other than publicity stunts, and the rolling roadblocks went away.
I still don't understand how they managerd to do 55 mph in rush hour in Dallas, I rarely get above 30 mph on the freeways in rush hour.
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AS usual you have COMPLETELY misrepresented the effort. DPD was launching an new traffic enforcement program. They NEVER did it in rush hour. They did not "block" freeways" It did not take "quite a few cars". If there were three lanes, it took 3 cars. The support cars were not to keep the roadblock safe.
They lined up patrol cars side by side who drove AT THE SPEED LIMIT down selected sections of roads. They would then set up traffic untis working radar behind the moving cars.
There was no media outcry, just reporting. It was an effective traffic safety program ...
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Assuming the following article from 2003 is correct, then it's also not just a 55 MPH thing :
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Roadblocks and Police Escorts-Dallas police will force you not to speed
Dallas police target speeders
01/13/2003
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA-TV and ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
Dallas motorists who have been getting away with their own rules of the road should beware: Dallas police say they've had enough.
Chief Terrell Bolton Monday announced one of the toughest traffic crackdowns the department has ever launched.
Starting this week, teams of motorcycle officers and others in specially marked Chevrolet Camaros will be conducting rolling roadblocks on freeways and interstates around the city. The officers ride side-by-side across the traffic lanes and drive the speed limit, forcing motorists trailing behind to slow down to the legal posted speed. ...
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While accidents are plausible, I think the police markings lowered the likelihood of accidents.
CarloSW2