Or reducing traffic deaths from dangerous driving with a financial deterrent

Did you know that during GWOT, US military personnel deployed to combat zones were more likely to be killed in a car accident after returning home than they were to be actually killed in combat?

Cops being abusive pigs doesn’t invalidate the logic behind the law, but then again it always has been the uneven enforcement that’s the problem

IMO traffic enforcement is convenient busywork to keep cops occupied until capital needs them for something specific. As a bonus, it generates lots of interactions with the public that they can choose to turn violent if they want to let off some steam, and so keeps a persistent note of terror playing.

Traffic deaths have surged with the post 2020 decrease in enforcement. Cars are dangerous and bad drivers kill people.

How many tickets are given out for texting while driving versus being unluckily singled out while going a road's customary traveling speed?

Oh, definitely. That's why its a convenient thing to use surplus-at-the-moment cops for.

I figure it's both. There are 10 gorillion cops and municipalities. Some likely have policies and staff that get along well with the public and just try to administrate traffic in a safe and fair way. Some treat it as a cash cow and care more about the revenue stream than increase or decrease in harm. It's one of those things where both sides of the argument can be true in specific cases, making it perfect "internet debate" fodder.