It’s easy: Obey laws and don’t worry about fines

Q

I had to look at Friday’s column on traffic fines twice to make sure it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke. Here’s a concept: Don’t break traffic laws and you won’t get a ticket. Following traffic laws will also reduce accidents and deaths. Suspend the licenses and impound the cars of extreme violators.

Do your readers think we should reduce or eliminate insurance requirements for drivers with low incomes because they can’t afford the premiums? Oh, and who is going to determine the net worth of traffic offenders? Should we establish a new California state agency and task it with investigating drivers’ income and net worth?

Fines are a penalty for failure to follow rules. Seems simple.

— Dee Danna, San Jose

A

No, we don’t need more bureaucracy. Q

Recently I made a non-emergency call to the Antioch police after passing a man lying on the sidewalk. He seemed sick, not injured. After seeing him, I noticed a police car nearby and considered trying to signal the officer to pull over so I could relay the situation, but I quickly realized I didn’t know if it was appropriate to flag a police officer in a non-emergency situation.

I ended up stopping and making a call for non-emergency assistance. When is it appropriate to flag down an officer while driving and how should it be done?

— Patt Hoellwarth,

Antioch

A

You made the right choice. You can also call 911 and explain that you don’t know if this is an emergency or not, and they will divert you to the appropriate number.

Q

The #3 westbound bore in the Caldecott tunnel is plagued by multiple dips that feel like a roller coaster. They work on it occasionally, but it’s never actually fixed. I suppose it’s from the Hayward Fault creep. It’s quite dangerous if you’re not expecting it. That older bore is narrow and dark (another subject …).

— Linda Landau, Orinda

A

Caltrans has received a request to smooth out the road in the Caldecott tunnel. Yours is one of several emails I received about this area in response to recent reader reports of dangerous dips on Bay Area roads.

Q

Caltrans gets a lot of heat for trash on our roads, potholes and other things. Today I would like to pay them a compliment on the recent resurfacing of I-280 from Foothill Expressway north though Palo Alto and beyond.

The resurfaced road has made driving along that stretch very pleasant. It is smooth and quiet. Thank you for a job well done!

— Jeff Hacker, Palo Alto

A

I like good news like this. They used rubberized pavement, which produces a quieter, smoother road.