It's Come To This: Do It Yourself Speed Limit Enforcement

Update: I want to clarify that San Mateo residents who drive a police cruiser in this program can only drive to/from their destination, cannot use the lights/siren for any reason and have undergone training and passed a background check.

You gotta love Otto the Autopilot (in this picture he's being inflated by a flight attendant). Something similar is happening in nearby San Mateo, CA where the local constabulary is allowing common citizens the ability to pick up a police cruiser and park it in their neighborhood. To add extra realism a mannequin dressed like an officer is stuffed behind the driver's seat. The theory is that drivers will slow down and obey the speed limit without the need for an actual officer to be on duty.

Here in Redwood City, they've tried a number of tactics. One attempt was to post signs like "Got Time For a Speeding Ticket?" and "Is Today The Day Your Speed Hurts a Child?" They've also installed solar panel powered signs that display your speed. The problem is, the display is often messed up on the signs so it reads "Your Speed Is:"



My own avenue has seen its fair share of animal deaths and parked cars that have been smashed into by careless speeders. Not to mention bullies that speed up when they see you pulling out of your driveway. If parking a police car out in front of my house would slow people down a bit, I'd definitely be in favor of it.

source: San Mateo Daily News