re:  Houston police to motorists:  Give us space or pay a fine

As a regular commuter to and from work on I-10, I have witnessed several "tight" lanes when police have motorists pulled over for various offenses (see "Houston police to motorists:  Give us space or pay a fine, July 12).

Rather than pulling over even more motorists to write citations as per the "Move Over or Slow Down" law, perhaps more forethought should be put into when and where Houston police officers are pulling over drivers.  Often, speed traps are purposefully setup in areas where the officers are hard to see — around corners, over rises, etc.; however, this also makes it more difficult for other drivers to see the vehicles that have been pulled over until right on the scene, which in turn can make it extremely difficult to slow down or switch lanes in a safe manner.  Of course, pulling even more people over for not changing lanes or slowing down sufficiently would mean even more cars along the shoulder and in potential harm's way.

Choosing locations where speeding motorists can be pulled over more safely, for example, on service roads instead of the main highway, or on areas where the shoulder is wider or visibility greater, might result in fewer overall citations and, by extension, less revenue into city government coffers.  However, the stated purpose of the traffic patrol — enhancing public safety — would be met more completely.

Sincerely,
Dave Smith
Houston, TX