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View Full Version : OT: Local Sheriff shaming drivers on facebook


Geeheeb
02-01-2016, 08:02 PM
https://www.facebook.com/ClintonCountyMISheriff/

http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/Shaming-drivers-into-being-safer-367282331.html

Careless drivers that cause an accident are getting called out on Facebook as part of a new approach the Clinton County Sheriff's Office is taking.

The idea is that posting pictures and details of the crash will encourage other drivers to be more careful on the road.

Drivers like Joshua Martin hope the posts will work, especially after a distracted driver almost caused him to crash.

"Somebody you know just about took me off the road, come over into my lane," Martin explained.

He says was able to safely swerve out of the way, but Martin says the driver of the other car was on the phone and didn't realize what happened.

"Nobody's ever paying attention anymore," Martin added.

The Sheriff's Office says it's responding to more accidents that involve reckless drivers, and it's fed up with drivers like that putting others at risk. That's why it's using Facebook to bring attention to accidents that are avoidable.

"Some strong, nice words or what not, to kind of slow down and pay attention," explained Sgt. Jeffery Clarke, who's one of the people in charge of the posts.

One of the posts says, "the driver made the choice her phone was more important." It shows pictures of the drivers smashed car and the pick-up truck she rear-ended.

"We'll give the location and maybe a couple vehicles involved, but we're never going to publish somebody's name or identity," Clarke noted.

Every post about an accident gets thousands of views online, and the Sheriff's Office hopes that will lead to safer driving on the roads.

"I think its a lot more graphic when you see a car down the ditch or somebody's car all smashed up," Sheriff Wayne Kangas said.

He says the goal is to show drivers how easy it is to cause an accident, and remind them to be more careful behind the wheel.

"Just one mistake, one mistake and you kill somebody as a result of you losing control or your vehicle, Kangas said. "We've had some instances of that happening and you can't take those things back."

Seeing the posts and reading what happened is something Martin hopes will get more drivers to turn off their phones.

"Throw it in the other seat and don't even pay attention to it," he added.

Martin says he's just happy his experience was a near miss and not bad enough to end up on Facebook

carpediemracing
02-02-2016, 11:29 AM
People need motivation to behave. If they don't have motivation they don't, and often a social media thing is more effective than, say, increasing police presence.

I have cams in our cars. The rear ones are interesting, people come up and tailgate like normal (everyone around here thinks that 1 car length is about right at 35-50 mph). Then, after about 10-20 seconds, suddenly they're about 50 yards behind. The behavior is so predictable I'm sure it's because they saw the camera. They won't even stop near my bumper at a light. At night, with the camera not visible, behavior doesn't change, they tailgate as normal.

I sometimes post pictures off my dashcam on Facebook, and I even posted a short clip on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0w3XgqBlgo). The Missus is in the red car in front of me, FYI, with Junior in the car, hence I was following. The Missus and I work well as a team and we're good at protecting each other's "wheel", if you will. I was following her so that people wouldn't tailgate her. I didn't see the police car approach, I had to review the clip to see where it came from. I thought it was hidden off the shoulder on the other side of the road. Subaru driver had a young girl sitting in the back, at most a booster seat, so probably 8 to, say, 12 years old. Not a great example to set for your kid.

This car below started pulling forward after I entered the intersection. They finally stopped when I laid on the horn (it's a longish intersection due to it being a triangular shape, and I had to traverse the intersection the long way). What's amazing is that it was crystal clear that I was going straight (I even use the left signal since most people in my spot turn right) and this car just went forward like I'd magically disappear from the intersection. Camera makes things look further away.
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash2/v/t1.0-9/529415_10151619338733824_1163012678_n.jpg?oh=f2049 556e9d05542519320ea0392f8a1&oe=573CE453

Careless driver (this 50-100 yards of road has the most accidents I've seen around here, drivers fail to make this turn and crash at the stop sign just after). Pretty much once a month.
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xla1/v/t1.0-9/10462517_10153841823313824_8649941143308685357_n.j pg?oh=d5e0ffb4000b6515581269b91a8987d0&oe=573A779D

It's not just random people. A number of (cycling) friends have admitted to driving a bit more carefully because they don't want to be pictured on FB in my "Dashcam and Rear View shots" album. Apparently they see a red VW (we have two, both fitted with front/rear cams) and they make sure they're behaving.