TIFTON — Starting Wednesday, the Tifton Police Department will be enforcing the prohibition against making left turns into parking spaces within the downtown area, as well as handing out tickets to motorists traveling 11 miles over the posted speed limit within city limits, including the interstate, says Capt. John Tyson.

According to the city ordinance on making left turns into parking spaces, “It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle in such a way as to attempt or to complete a left turn into either parallel or angle parking on any roadway designed and authorized for traffic traveling in opposite directions.”

Tyson said this ordinance was put into effect in 1999 by the efforts of former Chief of Police Jim Smith and Jim Willkomm, assistant to the chief of police. He advised that the TPD spoke to the city street department about this issue during that time which led to their putting up signs prohibiting motorists from making a U-turn. He noted that the problem with the U-turn signs was that motorists making a left turn into a parking space would state that they were not making a U-turn when receiving a citation.

Therefore, Tyson said signs specifically stating, “No Left Turn to Park,” are being put up throughout the downtown area. Some of the signs were put up last week.

Tyson stated that left turns have never been a really huge issue, noting that less than 100 citations have been written on making left turns since 1999; however, people are getting used to turning their vehicles any kind of way to get into a parking space. He advised that it’s best for motorists to turn around at a location in order to properly park.

He noted that the problem with parking in the downtown area is that vehicles backing out of a parking space can easily collide with another vehicle from the opposite direction attempting to make a left turn into the adjacent parking space. Tyson said there have been several wrecks as a result of this, as well as larger vehicles attempting to make a left turn and then having to adjust within the parking space. He said having the signs put up and by enforcing the ordinance, this would be an answer to these type of issues.

“We only plan to enforce it in the downtown area because that’s where we’re seeing it happening,” Tyson said.

He noted that the citations for making a left turn are usually written by a parking enforcement officer, which is Ray McLeod at the TPD. He stated that officers can write the citations,                   but they usually don’t.

In the past, making a left turn cost motorists $76.50 plus court costs if they went through the Municipal Court. Tyson said the current cost is $25 like any other ticket. However, parking in a handicap parking space without being handicapped will cost you $150.

“People will still be allowed to talk to a judge and go to court if they request a hearing,” Tyson advised about the left turn citations.

Also, effective Wednesday, motorists will no longer be allowed to exceed 10 miles over the posted speed limit within in the city limits, including the interstate. Tyson said when Smith was chief of police, he wanted for motorists to be given 15 miles over the speed limit before writing a ticket. He advised that Chief Buddy Dowdy recently spoke to the City Council about going back to the state law, which allows motorists to go only 10 miles over the speed limit.

Tyson stated, “11 miles over, officers will begin to write tickets.”

According to the Georgia Code, “No county, city or campus officer shall be allowed to make a case based on the use of any speed detection device, unless the speed of the vehicle exceeds the posted speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour and no conviction shall be had thereon unless such speed is more than 10 miles per house above the posted speed limit.”

Tyson said city officers have radars and lasers to calculate speed, which are both accurate, but he noted that the lasers are more precise. He explained that by law, officers can use the pacing method, but the problem with this is that an officer would have to be going above the speed limit to calculate if someone is speeding, which would then mean that their lights would have to be activated. “People don’t use the pacing anymore," he said.

He advised that they are also planning on allowing motorists to travel 10 miles over the posted speed limit in school zones with exceptions. Officers will be carefully paying attention, watching for vehicles weaving in and out of traffic and any other issues that could cause harm to a child, etc.

Tyson said school zones are usually congested. Therefore, an officer will be sitting at all school zones every morning and afternoon. He advised that they have been recently receiving complaints about motorists driving past the pre-k center. He stated that officers will also be writing tickets for motorists who are not stopping for children walking through the crosswalks.



To contact reporter Latasha Everson, call 382-4321.