CINCINNATI -- It's not very safe to drive, walk or bicycle around here. And the cops aren't doing that much about it.
That was the gist of a WCPO analysis we produced a few days ago. Our reporters found that Cincinnati is the least safe city among Ohio's three major urban areas, when it comes to crashes per person.
They also found that traffic enforcement stops in the City of Cincinnati have decreased by about 60 percent in the last five years.
So we asked you: Should police enforce the speed limit more strictly?
Our question struck a nerve with Judith Hunt, who shared her experiences from her morning commute:
I've been complaining about this for years. I drive on Columbia Parkway every morning. The average driver is going 15 miles over the speed limit but are constantly passed by cars doing up to 30 miles over.
Yes, said Steffnie Donovan, who suggested setting up a separate traffic patrol:
Barbara Didrichsen said she's active in trying to calm traffic in her neighborhood of Pleasant Ridge, especially in the business district:
Until or unless enforcement is part of the mix, it’s unlikely people will make the necessary behavior changes required to get on top of this problem. There are no consequences to poor driving behavior.
This is not a slam on CPD; we recognize they’re doing a great job in tough times, and with inadequate resources. The city needs to step up and find money and resources to target traffic safety.
Mark Muse and George Smed saw the revenue possibilities for cash-strapped localities from stricter traffic enforcement:
Our completely unscientific, but still relevant pollfound that most of the 342 voters, 50 percent, favored more enforcement. Forty percent said no, there's enough of that, and 10 percent responded "Don't bother me, I'm late for work."
But Jeff Hartman wrote that speed is not the problem:
The problem is that people don’t possess even the most rudimentary driving skills, nor do they have the slightest intention of acquiring them. To compound the problem, they are completely distracted while driving, be it by texting, phone use, or just being so self absorbed inside their automotive cocoon.
Bob Roncker emailed that he is all for more enforcement, on a couple of fronts:
Along with stricter speed limit enforcement, I would appreciate seeing more ticketing for ‘running red lights.’ There was an era when the amber light meant that it was time to slow down and stop. Now it appears to be the signal to speed up and cross through the intersection before the light is red ‘too long.’
Jen Lynne would like people to obey traffic laws, and said maybe better enforcement would help with that.
Butch Sutton wants better enforcement, but on a very limited, personal basis, you might say:
And truck driver Rob Fredricks sees a lot of stuff out on the road and he's not too happy about it.
Someone who said his name was Tom Sawyer wondered why police would ever want to step up enforcement, as they would simply open themselves to criticism.
Do you ever stop to think, they don’t have time to enforce traffic violations. I read on the Channel 9 app everyday about some type of violent crime happening in Cincinnati ... And how about when they do try to stop a car, it flees, they chase, it wrecks and then the media blasts them for that. Why would they want to be in that situation over and over. The more I type this the more angry it makes me...
Thank you "Tom." And please, stop typing!
Don Land suggested our question wasn't even worth asking:
OK Don, next week, we'll ask your opinion on another topic. In the meantime, you can go to our Facebook page or Twitter and share your thoughts there. You can share your opinions in the form of text, photos, video, drawings or audio recordings.
And take a look at our Feedback Friday page for another way to express your what's on your mind
