Should Red-Light Cameras be Legal?

By Gary Biller, NMA President

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. Among them: Read the rest of this article »

Routine Maintenance Not Routinely Done

By Eric Peters, Automotive Columnist

Most people know it’s important to get the oil/filter in their vehicle changed at least every once-in-awhile — if they care at all about the longevity (and efficiency) of their vehicle’s engine. But there’s more to a vehicle than its engine — and there are other filters (and other fluids) that are arguably just as important — because failure to change them out at least every once-in-awhile can lead to failures and repairs that can be just as expensive as neglecting to provide your vehicle’s engine with regular fresh oil and a clean filter. For starters: Read the rest of this article »

Driving News Roundup: May 18, 2012

This is a weekly feature on the NMA Blog, running each Friday, where we highlight seven of the most interesting driving news stories of the week.

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.

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.

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.

Texas: Judge strikes down red-light camera referendum
A Calhoun County, Texas judge on Monday ruled that voters were prohibited from having a say in whether a foreign company can issue red-light camera tickets in the city of Port Lavaca because the photo enforcement program’s primary purpose is revenue generation.

Louisiana: New Orleans traffic camera ticket appeals process will change if Gov. Jindal approves
The city of New Orleans will set up a new method for drivers to appeal tickets issued by traffic cameras if Gov. Bobby Jindal goes along with a bill passed 93-0 by the House late Wednesday.

Washington D.C.: Moves to eliminate shifting blame for camera tickets
Get a ticket generated by one of the District’s speed and red-light cameras? If a D.C. Council committee gets its way, “Someone else was driving” won’t be an acceptable excuse anymore for motorists looking to transfer blame.

Alabama: Prichard looking to speeders to increase city revenue
Prichard is counting on thousands of speeders to generate new revenue for the city, pay for six police officers and help curb crime, Mayor Ron Davis said Wednesday.

To see more stories like the ones above, check out our NMA Driving News site. Each weekday we update the site with news stories that are interesting and/or informative for drivers like you.

2012 Volvo XC60 Review

By Eric Peters, Automotive Columnist

Safety still sells — problem is, everyone’s selling it — not just Volvo.

That’s why Volvo’s gone sporty to an extent that’s truly startling in the context of Volvos-gone-by. Read the rest of this article »

TheNewspaper.com Roundup: May 16, 2012

Each Wednesday, we’ll publish quick summaries of the articles from the last week on TheNewspaper.com. We’re doing this because these articles are often strongly connected to the issues that National Motorists Association members are interested in.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012
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.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Tennessee: Federal Lawsuit Takes on Automated Justice
A group of motorists have launched a challenge to the Bluff City, Tennessee speed camera program. The class action suit was transferred to the US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee earlier this month. It alleges that not only is the ticketing automated but the adjudication process is as well. Read the rest of this article »