Important Note: We've Switched Formats
We've decided to switch our news section to a blog format in order to generate more orignal content.
Check out the new blog at www.motorists.org/blog/
Texas: Red-Light Cameras Ticketing Houston Police Officers
Houston police commanders say the city's red-light camera enforcement program should increase safety at intersections by prompting "behavior modifications" in motorists.
Not all of their own employees are getting the message, however.
More than 100 Houston police vehicles moving through intersections without emergency lights were cited in the first year of the cameras' operation, according to ticket data.
Illinois: Legislative Push To Override Veto Of New Truck Speed Limits
Supporters of allowing truckers to drive faster on Illinois highways are gearing up for another go-around with the governor.
When state lawmakers roll into Springfield next week, they will likely be asked to override Gov. Rod Blagojevich's veto of legislation that would raise the speed limit for large trucks to 65 miles per hour.
Under current law, Illinois is a rarity when it comes to speed limits for 18-wheelers and their heavy-duty counterparts. Now, trucks are limited to 55 mph, while cars are allowed to travel at the 65 mph limit.
Florida: DOT Confirms Ticket Cameras Are Illegal
Several Florida jurisdictions, including Escambia County and Hallandale Beach, are considering the installation of red light cameras, even though the state legislature has refused to authorize the devices.
Furious lobbying by the insurance and red light camera industries along with local governments interested in sharing in the revenue has put increased pressure on lawmakers to concede. Cities such as Apopka and Gulf Breeze could not resist the temptation to wait and have for the past few months have been issuing automated photo tickets at intersections.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) suggested in a letter last month that this may be illegal.
Wyoming: Variable Speed Limit Pilot Project Coming This Winter
The state of Wyoming is hoping to introduce a first-of-its-kind speed limit system on its interstates. It’s called a “variable speed limit,” with the speed limit changing in response to weather and road conditions.
Wyoming currently has a uniform speed limit for trucks and cars – and that won’t change. But in heavy rain or snow, digital speed limit signs will slow all traffic down, and speed it back up when conditions permit.
There will be a pilot program this winter on a six-mile stretch of Interstate 80 between Rawlins and Laramie.
California: San Jose Sued Over Photo Radar Tickets
A San Jose law firm filed a $1 million claim against the city Thursday over a photo-radar traffic program the city scuttled in March amid concerns it was illegal.
Attorney James McManis is seeking refunds for motorists who paid speeding fines under the city's Neighborhood Automated Speed Compliance Program, or NASCOP. McManis said the claim lays the groundwork for a possible class-action lawsuit on behalf of thousands of drivers who paid fines that ranged from $99 to $350.
"We've got this illegal program that the city of San Jose has perpetrated for a number of years, and we've got to get that money back for the motoring public," McManis said.
NASCOP, which San Jose launched in 1996, featured a city traffic engineer in an unmarked van equipped with a speed-sensing radar gun and digital cameras to snap cars speeding by. Speeding tickets were then mailed to the registered owners of those cars.
