Most of us who use google maps on Android or iOS devices are aware of the Speed Trap Alerts on Google Maps. Along with lane closures, slowing traffic, objects on road, etc we get alerts on speed traps as well. Speed trap is an area of a road in which hidden police detect vehicles exceeding a speed limit. It is typically done by radar.The waves bouncing off the target, a car or any other vehicle that the police officer believes to be speeding, are picked up by a receiver. The shift in frequencies tells the police officer how fast the vehicle is going.

Why are they letting us know of their presence if they want to penalize/ discipline those who are not driving within the speed limits? During one of our recent Staycation trips , we had a long discussion on this question. This discussion further led to an even larger question- What is the purpose of all the rules and regulations in the society?

For instance, is the main purpose of all traffic rules to issue tickets and  collect fines? No way! The main objective of traffic rules is to prevent accidents and keep people safe. In fact, the word discipline originates from the latin word ‘disciplina‘ that originally meant instruction or knowledge. As we can see, the emphasis is on corrective measures rather than punitive actions.

Hence, the purpose of specifying disciplinary actions , rules and regulations etc is to give us the information and increase our knowledge about the consequences of doing or not doing certain activities.

When we hear the speed trap alert, as a reflex, the foot eases on the accelerator. We become aware of the speed of the vehicle and make an effort to ensure we are within the speed limits.That awareness and action is exactly what can save us from a speed ticket. It can also keep us safe on the roads. It is like having an extra set of eyes on the road.

Thus, this information is useful for regulating our speed and avoiding tickets.

Now, this made me think – Do we get speed trap alerts in our life?  Don’t we have speed traps in our lives? The ones that force us to stop and give us a ticket for not following the rules? 

When we are over-speeding,  neglecting loved ones, not caring about our own health or wellbeing, not respecting the nature’s laws, we are driving straight into that speed trap. Don’t we hear alerts in our own systems? Don’t we get warning signs from our body? Don’t we experience hazard alerts from nature?

The tickets are often delivered in the form of mental fatigue, depression, anxiety, physical ailments, untimely death, broken families, haphazard weather, natural disasters etc. 

Sometimes, the alerts are loud and clear. They stare us in the face and we tend to ignore them. We can immediately see the harm that we have caused ourselves and the society because we did not let go of the pedal and step on the brake in a timely manner. In other instances, the alerts are feeble and needs a lot of inward tuning to be heard . 

However, it would have been really good if for every instance that we forget that we are over speeding and can cause harm to ourselves and those who share the roads with us,  we got a loud and clear warning of the speed trap ahead. Or even better, it would be really good if we learn to tune ourselves and pick those alerts that keep blaring all the time we overspeed – SPEED TRAP AHEAD!

Drive Safe.

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