NATIONAL MOTORISTS ASSOCIATION


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Dear MA Motorists,


What was the year it was? Gas prices went to record highs - and back down again, 'green' went mainstream, and the global warming produced snow in Las Vegas and in New Orleans.


REGISTRY NEWS

Locally, the RMV quietly eliminated mailing courtesy notices such as your license renewal notice as a cost saving measure. Now you have to check your license expiration year and then to make sure to renew at least seven days before your birthday in order to ensure that you receive your new license before your old license expires. Additionally you won't get the official change of address stickers for your license anymore and now it will be up to you to put a sticker on the back of your license in case you move.

The new state inspection now includes a child passenger restraint check which can be performed only by a certified Child Passenger Safety technician, an aftermarket lighting check for federal compliance, window tinting check, and making sure your license plates are legible from 60 ft away and that the words "Massachusetts" and the logo "The Spirit of America" are not obstructed - as a part of the the 'safety' portion of the inspection.


LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Massachusetts lawmakers have passed a so-called "slow down, move over" law to help protect police and other emergency workers at highway traffic stops.

It only stands to reason that these laws might have been evaluated in terms of looking for reduced crashes and injuries related to roadside accidents. So NMA contacted the AAA, the advertised chief promoter of this campaign, and asked them if they had research or if they could point us to a study that verified the supposed benefits of these laws.

The short answer was "no" they don't have any evidence to support the value of these laws, just the conviction based on the bias of troopers and tow truck drivers that "move over, slow down" laws are a good idea.

Personal and anecdotal evidence however suggests in states that have this law a stopped vehicle on the shoulder creates a mayhem 50 or 100 vehicles back, where speeds suddenly drop 20 MPH and the inattentive get the opportunity to meet their fellow travelers, up close and personal. This is a perfect example of public policy that takes a useful voluntary gesture (showing a little consideration for those stranded or working along the roadside) and turns it into an arbitrary, counterproductive law.

But not all is lost. In answer to "do we have red light cameras in Massachusetts?" the answer is "no." Until legislation changes, all photo - such as red light and speed camera - enforcement is illegal in Massachusetts. The only exceptions are toll violations on the Turnpike.

So until next time, thank you for your support and a Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.

Ivan
MA State Chapter Coordinator


1/09

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