Daytime Running Lights: No Statistically Significant Effect On Safety
Thursday, September 25th, 2008 Posted in Technology | 17 Comments »By James Baxter, NMA President You’re not likely to see any bold headlines, and CNN will not be interviewing Bush administration DOT officials, but the seven year long saga of trying to prove that Daytime Running Lights improve highway safety is ...
Funding Our Highways
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 Posted in Toll Roads | 8 Comments »By James Baxter, NMA President The Bush administration just released another version of their plan to shift responsibility for highway funding to the “users.” This isn’t a bad idea, except that’s exactly the situation that has largely existed for most of ...
The Effect Of A National Speed Limit On Traffic Safety & Fuel Prices
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 Posted in Speed Limits | 20 Comments »By James Baxter, NMA President In 1982 Congress authorized the National Academy of Science to do a study that documented the “benefits” of the 55 MPH National Maximum Speed Limit (NMSL). I, as the President of the organization most critical of the ...
The Traveling Public Can Go Elsewhere
Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 Posted in Speed Traps | 8 Comments »By James Baxter, NMA President According to public opinion, there are 57,000 speed traps in the United States. That’s how many speed traps have been listed by individuals on SpeedTrap.org, a website sponsored by the NMA. That averages out to 1140 ...
Tired Of High Gas Prices? Don’t Ask The Government For Help
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 Posted in Helpful Information | 24 Comments »By James Baxter, NMA President I don’t like the idea of $4 gasoline, I doubt that anyone does. However, I like gas lines, closed gas stations, and no gasoline at all, even less. That’s what we are likely to end up ...
Reinstating "55," Are They Crazy?!
Thursday, May 29th, 2008 Posted in Speed Limits | 420 Comments »By James Baxter, NMA President The same forces that resisted the use of fire many thousands of years ago are still with us, only now they are advocating the return of the national maximum speed limit of 55 miles per hour. Anyone ...
Drinking Improves Highway Safety (Apparently)
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 Posted in DUI/DWI | 10 Comments »By Jim Baxter, NMA President A new federal study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (part of the US Dept. of Health and Human services) just confirmed that states with the highest levels of self-reported drinking and ...
Why Don’t Politicians Care About Transportation Issues?
Friday, April 18th, 2008 Posted in Helpful Information | 6 Comments »By Jim Baxter, NMA President In what has to be history’s longest political campaign, I have yet to hear anything meaningful about public policies that directly affect motorists. Sure, there have been inane and uneducated comments stimulated by major events, like the ...
The Privileged Many: "Professional Courtesy" Exposed
Thursday, April 10th, 2008 Posted in Corruption | 14 Comments »By Jim Baxter, NMA President Jennifer Muir of the Orange County Register did a little digging at the California DMV and found that thousands of state employees have special license plates that are not traceable for enforcement purposes. The recipients are ...
The 4 Types Of Red Light Violations And How To Stop Them
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 Posted in Red-Light Cameras | 18 Comments »By Jim Baxter, NMA President Intersection safety issues usually break down into four general problem areas. Each of these situations has unique qualities that defy a universal solution. 1) Red light violations just at the moment of signal change. These are the bread ...
