NMA Driving News

Washington D.C.: Council approves more speed cameras, longer bar hours

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:04:14 -0500

Washington D.C.: Council approves more speed cameras, longer bar hours:

The D.C. Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a $9 billion budget for fiscal 2013 — a 4 percent bump from fiscal 2012’s — inching the city closer to an expansion of its lucrative traffic camera program and longer hours for alcohol sales to bolster the District’s coffers.

Louisiana: Council votes to extend traffic camera contract

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:58:06 -0500

Louisiana: Council votes to extend traffic camera contract :

The City-Parish Council voted tonight to extend Lafayette Consolidated Government’s contract with Redflex Traffic Systems to keep the controversial traffic cameras intact for another four years.

Oklahoma: Speed trap town cheats motorists, refuses refunds

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:51:37 -0500

Oklahoma: Speed trap town cheats motorists, refuses refunds:

Bernice, Oklahoma trustees voted Monday not to refund illegally collected speeding ticket fines. The notorious Northeast speed trap town of just 500 residents was busted last month by the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector for charging up to $545 for a single traffic ticket when it could only legally collect $50.

New York: Big Apple explores parking meter privatization

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:48:12 -0500

New York: Big Apple explores parking meter privatization:

New York City seems to be taking tentative steps toward embracing privatizing their parking meter system, according to the Wall Street Journal. After putting the initial idea on hold for several months, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has restarted the process exploring the idea of a private firm operating the city’s 39,000 parking meters.

New Jersey: Senator introduces bill to ban red-light cameras

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:57:00 -0500

New Jersey: Senator introduces bill to ban red-light cameras :

A New Jersey state Senator has introduced legislation that would ban municipalities from using camera systems which detect violations of traffic control signals and automate the process of issuing tickets to drivers.

Rhode Island: Television news team highlights questionable traffic tickets

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:54:00 -0500

Rhode Island: Television news team highlights questionable traffic tickets:

A television news investigation has revealed that video cameras on some Providence school buses have generated tickets for questionable violations.

Florida: Florida Highway Patrol troopers disciplined for speeding

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:49:44 -0500

Florida: Florida Highway Patrol troopers disciplined for speeding :

Fallout from a Sun Sentinel investigation of speeding cops widened Monday as the Florida Highway Patrol confirmed 31 troopers received oral reprimands for driving at excessive speeds and another 17 troopers are still under internal investigation.

Alabama: Vestavia Hills city council rejects traffic light cameras

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:46:14 -0500

Alabama: Vestavia Hills city council rejects traffic light cameras :

The Vestavia Hills City Council tonight said no to traffic light cameras.

Tennessee: Federal lawsuit takes on automated justice

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:41:00 -0500

Tennessee: Federal lawsuit takes on automated justice:

A group of motorists has launched a challenge to the Bluff City, Tennessee speed camera program. Earlier this month the class action suit was transferred to the US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

North Carolina: Cary red-light camera malfunctions 31 times

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:23:23 -0500

North Carolina: Cary red-light camera malfunctions 31 times :

At least 20 people were victims of the same overenthusiastic Cary traffic camera system, and town officials are not happy. After an investigation revealed the repeated glitch, and amid a lawsuit regarding the camera network, two council members said Cary could make significant changes to its automated red-light ticketing program.

Federal courts split on forgiving police use of GPS evidence

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:18:03 -0500

Federal courts split on forgiving police use of GPS evidence:

The US Supreme Court in January laid down the final verdict that police may not install GPS tracking devices on automobiles without the sanction of a warrant signed by an independent magistrate. The issue remains far from settled, however.

Red-light cameras about revenue, not safety

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:09:00 -0500

Red-light cameras about revenue, not safety:

Red-light cameras threaten the public interest in critical ways and should be outlawed across the country. Fifteen states already have banned automated traffic enforcement, mostly on constitutional grounds. Several key tenets of a citizen’s due process rights are violated by red-light camera ticketing.

Connecticut: Radioactive man? Milford resident pulled over by state police

Fri, 11 May 2012 15:14:49 -0500

Connecticut: Radioactive man? Milford resident pulled over by state police:

Mike Apatow was minding his own business Wednesday, driving to an appointment for work in Washington Depot when a state police car appeared suddenly and signaled for the Milford resident to pull over.

CAFE standards kill

Fri, 11 May 2012 15:10:15 -0500

CAFE standards kill :

As Washington keeps yanking money from Americans’ wallets, car prices are set to rise beyond the reach of low-income drivers. And from there, things grow deadly. At fault is a regulatory regime called Corporate Average Fuel Economy, commonly called CAFE standards.

Michigan: Ann Arbor needs to get up to speed on its speed limits

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:06:23 -0500

Michigan: Ann Arbor needs to get up to speed on its speed limits :

Ann Arbor is five years overdue to bring the posted speed limits on our main roads into compliance with state law and accepted engineering practices. The city should set the posted speed limits that maximize safety and the smoothest traffic flow

Virginia: State to get $150,000 a year of Hopewell's I-295 fine revenue

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:03:09 -0500

Virginia: State to get $150,000 a year of Hopewell's I-295 fine revenue :

City leaders in Hopewell expect the state to claim $150,000 of the city’s Interstate 295 ticketing revenue in the new fiscal year. City Manager Ed Daley called a recent amendment to the state budget, which curtails local traffic enforcement programs, “a new creative way” to funnel revenue from localities to the state.

Illinois: Chicago residential speed limit could change

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:01:45 -0500

Illinois: Chicago residential speed limit could change:

The speed limit on Chicago’s residential streets could be changed to 20 miles per hour under a new city plan. Also, pedestrians would get three more seconds to cross the street. Those are some measures in a proposal being considered by the Department of Transportation.

Arizona: Governor preserves camera revenue stream by backing non standard intersection definitions

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:59:47 -0500

Arizona: Governor preserves camera revenue stream by backing non standard intersection definitions:

Governor Jan Brewer on Wednesday vetoed a measure that would have brought Arizona’s definition of an intersection into compliance with federal law. In her veto message, Brewer said it would be too dangerous to adopt the same legal standard implemented across forty-eight other states.

Gov't unsure on who can establish distracted driving laws

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:23:33 -0500

Gov't unsure on who can establish distracted driving laws:

Turns out the federal government’s attempts to create enforceable oversight of cell-phone use in vehicles has hit a snag: It seems there isn’t a government agency specifically empowered with the authority to do so. The legislative boundaries of the Federal Communications Commission end at the phone itself, those of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration end at the vehicle itself. Neither is equipped to address how people combine the two while driving.

Pennsylvania: Bill would raise turnpike speed limit to 70 mph

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:20:23 -0500

Pennsylvania: Bill would raise turnpike speed limit to 70 mph :

A bill that would raise the speed limit on certain sections of the Pennsylvania Turnpike to 70 miles per hour has cleared its first legislative hurdle. House Bill 2119 was approved Tuesday by the House Transportation Committee.