UPDATE February 3, 2020: Died on file pursuant to Joint Rule 56. UPDATE May 6, 2019: Do pass on 9 to 0 vote from Transportation. Re-referred to Appropriations Committee. UPDATE April 30, 2019: Transportation Committee voted “do pass” on 6 to 0 vote. Re-referred bill to Judiciary Committee. UPDATE April 11, 2019: From Transportation Committee: […]
188 Alerts Found For: "california"
Lane Courtesy or Law–A California Cultural Examination: NMA E-Newsletter #439
June 11, 2017 • CALIFORNIA, DRIVER EDUCATION, Driver's License, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LANE COURTESY, MARYLAND, NEW JERSEY, NEWSLETTER, NMA, PENNSYLVANIA, ROUNDABOUT, SPEED LIMIT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON D.C.
from Norman Risch, NMA California Member While the NMA has been increasingly promoting left lane courtesy for years, I can compare several states in which I have lived or worked. California is far worse than Maryland, DC, or Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and most other Eastern states in left and right lane courtesy (not that any […]
NMA E-Newsletter #738: The Revenue-Hungry Rise of Automated Ticketing
April 30, 2023 • Automated Camera Tickets, Automated Ticket Enforcement, Bus Lane Cameras, CIVIL, DUE PROCESS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, Photo Enforcement, RED LIGHT CAMERA, REVENUE GENERATION, SAFETY, SCHOOL BUS CAMERA, SPEED CAMERA, TICKET CAMERA, TICKET REVENUE
By Jay Beeber, Director of Policy & Research For the past few years, we’ve been monitoring a concerning trend in traffic enforcement: a steady shift towards more and more automated ticketing. Unfortunately, this trend appears to be gaining momentum. In California, we’ve witnessed a surge of bills introduced that attempt to authorize various forms of […]
Wyoming Bans Sale of Electric Vehicles by 2035 – What State is Next?: NMA E-Newsletter #732
January 29, 2023 • Electric Vehicle, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Gasoline, infrastructure, LEGISLATION, NEWSLETTER, REVENUE GENERATION, WYOMING
By Lauren Fix, Guest Blogger Well, this is very interesting – Wyoming has introduced state legislation to ban the sale of new electric vehicles by 2035 to ‘ensure the stability’ of its oil and gas industry. This, after car manufacturers and the federal government have pushed so hard to incentivize drivers to purchase or lease […]
Low-Level Traffic Fines: A Slippery Slope to Civil Court: NMA E-Newsletter #730
January 8, 2023 • CIVIL, CRIMINAL, Discovery, DMV, Driver's License, DUE PROCESS, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LEGISLATION, NEVADA, NEWSLETTER, NMA, OREGON, TICKET FIGHTING, TICKET FINES, Traffic Tickets
On January 1st, Nevada became the latest state to remove the threat of a criminal charge for motorists who can’t pay fines for minor traffic violations. The new law has downgraded these minor infractions from criminal misdemeanors to civil violations with civil penalties. This change only applies to low-level traffic tickets, not to tickets like reckless […]
Guns in Motor Vehicles–What Are Your Rights?: NMA Newsletter #726
December 11, 2022 • Concealed Carry, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, First Amendment, FOURTH AMENDMENT, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, Second Amendment
By Texas Member, Ted Levitt On June 23, 2022 the US Supreme Court ruled in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen that New York’s law requiring citizens to show a “Special need” to obtain a gun carry permit/license violated the Second Amendment. Writing for the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas said, “We […]
Taking the Politics Out of Speed Limit Setting: NMA E-Newsletter #724
November 27, 2022 • 85TH PERCENTILE, CALIFORNIA, Complete Streets, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, GPS, MASSACHUSETTS, NEWSLETTER, NMA, OREGON, Road Safety, speed limits, Technology, VISION ZERO
All traffic is local, and nothing gets people riled up more than speed limits. The 85th percentile has been the standard for measuring speed limits for years. Due to pressure from groups such as Vision Zero and Complete Streets, this standard of measuring speed is losing ground in states such as California, Oregon, and Massachusetts, […]
Motorists Vote 2022: An Overview of US Motorist-Related Ballot Initiatives from the November 8th Vote: NMA E-Newsletter #723
November 20, 2022 • CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, infrastructure, MAINE, MASS TRANSIT, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW MEXICO, NEWSLETTER, NMA, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, TEXAS, Voting, Washington State, WEST VIRGINIA
Here is how Americans voted on ballot initiatives that the NMA outlined in Newsletter #719. The following election results came from Ballotpedia unless listed otherwise. Here are some articles from the national perspective on motorist and transportation issues: Voters Across the Country Support Public Transportation at the Ballot Box (APTA Center for Transportation Excellence) It’s […]
Will Gas Stations Survive the Evolution Towards Electric Vehicles? NMA E-Newsletter #722
We still need gas stations as long as we drive internal combustion engines (ICE). That’s obviously a given. According to Kelley Blue Book, though, automakers sold 576,000 EVs in the last nine months–a whopping 70-percent increase during the previous year. If we continue buying electric vehicles (EVs) at this pace, we will need electric […]
Funding for Road Infrastructure–Never Seems to be Enough: NMA E-Newsletter #721
November 6, 2022 • Congestion Pricing, Electric Vehicle, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Fuel Tax, Gas Tax, Highway Trust Fund, infrastructure, Infrastructure Funding, LEGISLATION, mileage-based user fee, NEWSLETTER, NMA, Road User Charge, VMT, VMT Tax, WHEEL TAX
Out of the many transportation problems America currently faces, funding infrastructure remains at the top of the pile. Currently, we pay at the pump both a national and state gas tax and in many local counties and cities around the country, we also pay special sales taxes and wheel taxes for infrastructure. It never seems […]
Motorists Vote 2022: An Overview of Ballot Initiatives around the US: NMA E-Newsletter #719
October 23, 2022 • CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW MEXICO, NEWSLETTER, NMA, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, TEXAS, Washington State, WEST VIRGINIA
Mid-term elections on November 8th draw near. Here is a list of ballot initiatives that directly affect motorists around the country. No matter your political stance, the National Motorist Association encourages all motorists to vote in every local election. Remember–all traffic is local and your vote can make a difference in how streets and roads […]
War on Parking Just Got Real: NMA E-Newsletter #717
October 9, 2022 • CALIFORNIA, Congestion Pricing, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LEGISLATION, MASS TRANSIT, NEWSLETTER, Parking, tolls, TRAFFIC CONGESTION
Back in the 1960s: Joni Mitchell once sang: “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” But city planners who once were blamed for creating space for cars are now reversing direction. The new strategy is to “save paradise and take away a parking lot.” How did we get here? The only way to […]
Community Speed Watch: Is it Snitching or Driver Education Part 2—Readers Respond: NMA E-Newsletter #715
September 25, 2022 • EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LETTER WRITING, NEWSLETTER, Road Rage, SAFETY, Speed Humps, SPEED LIMIT, SPEEDING, TICKET REVENUE, VISION ZERO
We had varied responses to the September 11th NMA E-Newsletter #713 on the new community speed watch program (Read Here), in Green Bay, WI. We appreciate any comments that are sent to the NMA and please feel free to email us anytime at nma@motorists.org. ___________ Community snitching is a slippery slope to something that starts […]
NMA Legislative Roundup – January-June, 2022: NMA E-Newsletter #705
July 17, 2022 • CELL PHONE, Drone, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Facial Recognition, Fuel Tax, Gas Tax, LANE COURTESY, LEGISLATION, NEWSLETTER, Photo Enforcement, Red-Light Cameras, School Bus Stop Arm Cameras, Speed Cameras, SPEED LIMIT, TICKET QUOTA, TICKET REVENUE, Traffic Tickets
The January through June legislative activity at the state and national levels is complete. It is worth reviewing a report card of bills resolved during the period, motorist-related legislation that we followed. Overall, 38 bills that the NMA supported or opposed met the fate we desired as opposed to 21 that went against our wishes. […]
Countering the Safe Streets/Vision Zero Mindset: NMA E-Newsletter #699
June 5, 2022 • DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, ITE, NEWSLETTER, NHTSA, NMA, Road Safety, Safe Streets, SPEED LIMIT, SPEEDING, Traffic Fatalities, VISION ZERO, VMT
Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued its estimate of 2021 U.S. traffic fatalities. A Reuters headline blared, “U.S. traffic fatalities surge 10.5% in 2021 to highest count since 2005,” followed by the lede, “Traffic deaths surged after coronavirus lockdowns ended in 2020 as more drivers engaged in unsafe behavior like speeding and […]
Speed Trap Karma Part 2: NMA E-Newsletter #698
May 29, 2022 • EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LEGISLATION, NEWSLETTER, RADAR, RADAR DETECTOR, REVENUE GENERATION, SPEED LIMIT, speed limits, SPEED TRAP, speed traps, TICKET FINES, TICKET QUOTA, TICKET REVENUE, Traffic Enforcement, Traffic Tickets
Reason.com recently published a list of eleven U.S. towns where their police forces were either disbanded or their autonomy as a governmental entity was dissolved because of an addiction to, and dependence on, ticket revenue. We thought it would be informative to present excerpts from Reason’s article for those cities along with select driver-sourced comments […]
Motor City should be Renamed Speed Hump City: NMA E-Newsletter #696
May 15, 2022 • Complete Streets, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, Speed Bumps, Speed Humps, TRAFFIC CALMING
The city of Detroit recently identified more than 2,000 new speed hump locations. The plan is to install 3,000 of the traffic obstacles by the end of 2022. That is in addition to the 5,500 humps added throughout the city in 2021. When this street obstacle program started as part of Detroit’s Complete Streets program, […]
Want to check out my Car’s Infotainment System? Get a Warrant!: NMA E-Newsletter #681
January 30, 2022 • AUTO INDUSTRY, Biometrics, CELL PHONE, Connected Vehicles, EDR, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FOURTH AMENDMENT, ILLEGAL SEARCH, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, Search Warrant, Technology
Many of us find using a cell phone convenient for communicating and learning. Now, connecting a smartphone to a vehicle extends the utility of that little pocket computer. Vehicles have become smartphones on wheels. A car’s infotainment system records and stores call logs, contact lists, GPS information, emails, photos, text messages, social media feeds, videos, […]
A Driver’s License as a Convenience for Whom?: NMA E-Newsletter #677
January 2, 2022 • BODY CAMERAS, CELL PHONE, Digital Driver's License, DMV, Driver's License, Drone, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, TICKET FINES, TRAFFIC RECORD, Traffic stops, Traffic Tickets
If you drive, you likely have a physical license indicating you passed a test and can legally drive on the nation’s roadways. After the September 11th attack 20 years ago, driver’s licenses became a primary form of identification if you wanted to fly domestically. Now, a driver’s license is once again being asked to do […]
Should Bikelash be Over?: NMA E-Newsletter #675
December 19, 2021 • 85TH PERCENTILE, Bicyclist, Bike Lanes, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Idaho Stop, infrastructure, MASS TRANSIT, NEWSLETTER, Parking, PEDESTRIAN, Speed Bumps, speed limits, Stop Signs, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, VISION ZERO
Even before the pandemic, bike lanes were springing up all over the country in cities large and small. Most motorists weren’t happy, mainly because fewer travel lanes typically translated into longer trips through congested traffic. During the pandemic, the rate of cities building bike lanes and banning cars on streets rose dramatically. The anti-car crowd […]
Traffic Safety is the Responsibility of All – Not Just Motorists: NMA E-Newsletter #674
December 12, 2021 • 85TH PERCENTILE, Bicyclist, CALIFORNIA, CROSSWALK, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Idaho Stop, Jaywalking, LEGISLATION, LIDAR, NEWSLETTER, PEDESTRIAN, RADAR, SAFETY, speed limits, SPEED TRAP, SPEEDING, Stop Signs, TICKET QUOTA, TRAFFIC CALMING, Traffic Safety, VISION ZERO
In October, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed AB122, a bill that would have enabled bicyclists to utilize the Idaho Stop (using stop signs as yield signs if no cars or pedestrians are present). Newsom cited safety as the primary reason for the veto: “While I share the author’s intent to increase bicyclist safety, I am […]
A Data-Driven Approach to Transportation Safety Part 1: NMA E-Newsletter #670
November 14, 2021 • Bicycle, Bicyclist, CELL PHONE, Complete Streets, CROSSWALK, DISTRACTED DRIVING, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Jaywalking, NEWSLETTER, NHTSA, PEDESTRIAN, SAFETY, TRAFFIC CALMING, Traffic Safety, VISION ZERO
By Randal O’Toole, The Antiplanner Editor’s Note: The NMA has received permission to post this report on recent findings on traffic safety in the US. Parts 2 and 3 will be featured in subsequent weeks. About 20,160 people died in traffic accidents in the first half of 2021, according to an early estimate released last week by the […]
Driving through a Weather Disaster: NMA E-Newsletter #669
Weather disasters can take on many forms: a sudden downpour that is much worse than predicted, an ice storm that hits suddenly, a dust storm that shows up unexpectedly, or localized ground fog so thick, you can only see a few feet in front of you. Everyone likes to say, “Be prepared.” You can be […]
Crime Isn’t the Only Thing That Doesn’t Pay: NMA E-Newsletter #668
October 31, 2021 • EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LOS ANGELES, NEWSLETTER, Parking, Parking Tickets, REVENUE GENERATION, TICKET FINES, TICKET QUOTA, TICKET REVENUE, Traffic Tickets
Care to hazard a guess on how much money the city of Los Angeles has raked in from traffic and parking enforcement during their last five fiscal years, which end each June 30th? If your estimate is more than half a billion dollars, you are getting warm. During those five years, Los Angeles collected more […]
Driver Courtesy Month—How did you Rank on the “Are You a Courteous Driver?” Quiz: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #667
Thank you to everyone who participated in the “Are You a Courteous Driver?” quiz during the NMA’s September Driver Courtesy Month. We had nearly 2500 respondents participate from across the US and Canada. New Jersey and California led with the number of respondents, respectively. Thank you also for taking the time to test your […]
Classic and Old Cars at the Cusp of the Electric Generation: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #666
October 17, 2021 • AUTO INDUSTRY, CALIFORNIA, Car Care, Electric Vehicle, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, ICE, LEGISLATION, MASS TRANSIT, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, Right to Repair, Technology
Many of us still drive older cars in our daily lives out of necessity. The average on-road vehicle age is currently over 12 years, while the average cost of a new vehicle hovers near $40,000. The microchip shortage has even pushed the price of some used cars and trucks close to their original price right […]
A Primer on Induced Demand, Part 2: NMA E-Newsletter #665
By Christopher M. DiPrima, NMA Board Member Editor’s Note: In Part 1, Chris detailed two major causes of induced demand and explained why the overall supply vs. demand effects are manageable. Here he takes on some of the arguments which cite induced demand as a rationale against increasing highway capacity. Having established the relationship […]
A Primer on Induced Demand, Part 1: NMA E-Newsletter #664
By Christopher M. DiPrima, NMA Board Member Editor’s Note: We touched on induced demand—the theory that as highway capacity increases, demand does also, thereby creating a never-ending need for more capacity—in NMA E-Newsletter #599 last year. In light of the current infrastructure negotiations in Washington, and the ongoing effort to reshape urban land use by […]
Immediate Attention: Contact Governor Gavin Newsom TODAY about AB43–the Traffic Safety Bill
Dear California NMA Members, AB43 is a “hair on fire” situation. The bill, generically titled “Traffic Safety,” was passed by the state Senate and Assembly earlier this month by votes of 30 to 5 and 68 to 5 respectively, with a few abstentions in both chambers. AB43 was forwarded to Governor Newsom on September 17th and […]
Charging Ahead with Electric Vehicles: NMA E-Newsletter #663
September 26, 2021 • AUTO INDUSTRY, Electric Vehicle, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, Public Private Partnership, Technology
President Biden announced earlier this year that he wanted 50 percent of all cars sold in 2030 to be electric. But is that practical? Car-buying decisions by consumers are just one piece of the puzzle. According to the US Department of Energy, the nation has over 43,000 public charging stations with about 105,000 individual outlets. […]
Infrastructure Urgency, Part 2: NMA E-Newsletter #661
September 12, 2021 • Automated Traffic Enforcement, Corruption, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, infrastructure, Infrastructure Funding, LEGISLATION, NEWSLETTER, NMA, Red-Light Camera, REVENUE GENERATION, Road User Charge, SAFETY, SCHOOL BUS, School Bus Cameras, School Bus Stop Arm Cameras, SPEED CAMERA, SPEED LIMIT, TICKET CAMERA, TICKET REVENUE, Traffic Tickets, VISION ZERO
The sausage-making is in full swing as opposing parties in Washington wrestle the Senate’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and the House’s $3.5 trillion version to the ground. In Infrastructure Urgency, Part 1, NMA E-Newsletter #659, we shared the first two in a series of NMA emails directed to members of the Transportation & Infrastructure […]
The Effort to Dictate How We Live: NMA E-Newsletter #655
August 1, 2021 • Bicyclist, Complete Streets, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, infrastructure, MASS TRANSIT, NEWSLETTER, Parking, PEDESTRIAN, Technology, VISION ZERO
While we have warned about the Vision Zero and Complete Streets mission to force people out of their cars in many previous writings, that goal has not been stated in starker terms than those used by the Shared Mobility Principles For Livable Cities. Its mission, published by an international coalition of over 150 agencies, organizations, […]
Jane Jacobs and the Mid-Rise Mania Part 3: NMA E-Newsletter #653
July 18, 2021 • EMAIL NEWSLETTER, infrastructure, MASS TRANSIT, NEWSLETTER, Parking, PEDESTRIAN, REVENUE GENERATION, TRAFFIC CONGESTION
Editor’s Note: The following content, reprinted in three parts over this and the previous two NMA e-newsletters, is presented with permission from Randal O’Toole’s The Antiplanner, a blog whose tagline describes its point of view: “Dedicated to the sunset of government planning.” O’Toole is a senior fellow with the Cato Institute who specializes in land-use and […]
Autonomous (Self-Driving) Vehicles – Available Soon? (Yes and No) Part 1: NMA E-Newsletter #648
June 13, 2021 • AUTO INDUSTRY, Autonomous Car, Bicyclist, CROSSWALK, Electric Vehicle, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, GPS, LIDAR, NEWSLETTER, PEDESTRIAN, RADAR, Ridesharing, SAFETY, Technology, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, TRAFFIC SIGNAL
By Gary Witzenburg, Automotive Senior Writer and Contributing Editor, President of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year, and NMA Member. Editor’s Note: HOUR Detroit Magazine has graciously permitted the NMA to publish this piece, which initially appeared in a slightly different version on its pages. Part 2 will be presented in […]
Should We Lean into a Federal Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax?: NMA E-Newsletter #643
May 9, 2021 • AUTO INDUSTRY, CALIFORNIA, Electric Vehicle, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Gas Tax, GPS, infrastructure, Infrastructure Funding, LEGISLATION, MINNESOTA, NEWSLETTER, NMA, OREGON, PRIVACY, REVENUE GENERATION, Road Usage Charge, Road User Charge, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, VMT Tax, WASHINGTON
Most experts agree that the way America funds infrastructure is broken. Many of our roads are in terrible shape. The Highway Trust Fund is nearly empty. Many local governments have difficulty paying for year-round road maintenance. The reasons vary. The federal and state gas taxes have never been adjusted for inflation. Many states divert funds […]
The Legal Obliteration of Due Process: NMA E-Newsletter #642
May 2, 2021 • Automated Camera Tickets, CALIFORNIA, Driver's License, DUE PROCESS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LEGISLATION, NEWSLETTER, NMA, SCHOOL BUS, TICKET FINES
Coercion is an ugly word, but lawmakers have been known to use it as a blunt weapon to force compliance by the very people they represent. The latest and all-too-blatant example of legislative intimidation is contained within California Senate Bill 111. While this bill is about the use of school bus automated enforcement, a topic […]
Is This the Beginning of the End?: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #638
Are we ready for the end of gas-powered cars? Internal combustion engines (ICEs) have been around for over 100 years. Are consumers ready to trust a battery solely to keep their vehicle’s engine running for the distances they want to travel? In March, many automakers announced they would by a certain year no longer sell […]
Virtual Shopping Grows Up—Readers Stories: NMA E-Newsletter #635
Editor’s Note: In last week’s newsletter #634 Virtual Shopping Grows Up, we asked for your stories, which you can read below. It seems we started a steamroller. Since the first newsletter, many stories have come out about online vehicle shopping that might be of interest: EV rivals Tesla, Rivian unite to target direct sales legislation (Tech […]
Protecting Wildlife and Motorists through Infrastructure Design: NMA E-Newsletter #625
January 3, 2021 • CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, infrastructure, INSURANCE, NEWSLETTER, Public Private Partnership, SAFETY, speed limits, TEXAS, UTAH, Wildlife Crossings, WYOMING
Several states have recently announced that they have added wildlife over and underpasses, with many more on the way. Large animals such as deer, elk, and bears roam seasonally, frequently colliding with vehicles in the process. In Wyoming, for example, there are 6,000 documented collisions annually. Wildlife managers and transportation engineers use infrastructure design to […]
Long-term Implications of Working from Home: NMA E-Newsletter #624
December 27, 2020 • EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Gas Tax, infrastructure, Infrastructure Funding, LEGISLATION, NEWSLETTER, Telecommuting, TICKET FINES
You might not think telecommuting is a motorist issue, but you’re mistaken. Recently, various news outlets stated that almost half of the 160 million American workers commute from home due to the pandemic. Even after COVID-19 vaccinations are available, will working from home continue? Many workers have told researchers that they want to keep working […]
Leading the Charge: NMA E-Newsletter #619
November 22, 2020 • civil asset forfeiture, CIVIL FORFEITURE, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, NHTSA, PUBLIC RECORDS, REVENUE GENERATION, TICKET QUOTA, Traffic Tickets
We like clever wordplay as much as the next guy. The double entendre of the title, however, stirs an emotion stronger and more negative than “like.” Christopher Matthew Spencer, one of our most active members in Southern California, led the charge by submitting a public records request to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office […]
Motorists Vote 2020 Ballot Initiatives Final Count: NMA E-Newsletter #618
November 15, 2020 • ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, Bicycle, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, Electric Vehicle, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Facial Recognition, GEORGIA, infrastructure, Infrastructure Funding, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASS TRANSIT, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MONTANA, NEWSLETTER, OREGON, PEDESTRIAN, PRIVACY, Ridesharing, Right to Repair, Search Warrant, TOLL, TOLLING, VIRGINIA, Voting
Statewide ballot initiatives and local votes on infrastructure and transit have now been finalized from the November 3, 2020 election. Check out the final results below from the motorists’ rights statewide initiatives we outlined in the NMA weekly E-Newsletter #612. Important local election results follow the state ballot initiatives reporting. Statewide Ballot Initiatives Arkansas […]
Motorists Vote 2020 Ballot Initiatives: NMA E-Newsletter #612
October 4, 2020 • ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, Car Care, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, GEORGIA, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, REVENUE GENERATION, Ridesharing, Search Warrant, VIRGINIA, Voting
The November 3rd election day is a month away, and mail-in voting has already begun in many states. If you have not cast your ballot yet, be sure to consider motorists’ rights issues in your decisions on which candidates and issues to support. Check out the NMA’s Motorists Vote 2020 Guide (a slideshow with a […]
What about Police Traffic Stop Reform Part 2: NMA E-Newsletter #604
August 9, 2020 • Automated Traffic Enforcement, CIVIL, CRIMINAL, DISTRACTED DRIVING, Drone, DUE PROCESS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Facial Recognition, License Plate Readers, NEWSLETTER, RACIAL PROFILING, Red-Light Camera, SAFETY, SPEED CAMERA, SPEED LIMIT, Traffic Enforcement, TRAFFIC STOP, Traffic stops, Traffic Tickets, VISION ZERO
Editor’s Note: Last week, in Part 1, we discussed ideas for traffic stop reform. This week we delve into some of the thornier issues for reform from the NMA perspective. Recently, Berkeley, California’s city council passed an ordinance to remove police officers out of the traffic enforcement equation. After the requisite planning and community input, […]
Driving for Opportunity Act: NMA E-Newsletter #601
July 19, 2020 • ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, CIVIL, civil asset forfeiture, CRIMINAL, Driver's License, Eighth Amendment, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, IDAHO, INDIANA, LEGISLATION, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, NEWSLETTER, NMA, TICKET FIGHTING, TICKET FINES, Traffic Tickets
None of us ever want a traffic ticket, but at least many of us can afford to deal with the ticket either by fighting it or paying the fine. You might believe that if you violate a traffic law, no allegedly about it, you should pay the fine. But what if the only recourse for […]
Induced Demand, Probing the Issue: NMA E-Newsletter #600
July 12, 2020 • EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Induced Demand, infrastructure, NEWSLETTER, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, VISION ZERO, VMT
In last week’s Induced Demand, A Reality Check, #599, Maryland Member Sherman Johnson raised important concerns that, “even developers must admit that we cannot continue to widen our way out of traffic congestion indefinitely. More highway capacity means more housing developments and more cars on the road (induced demand).” His response was in reaction to […]
Vision Zero’s War on Arterials Has Been a Failure. It’s Time to Stop Worrying and Embrace the Grid: NMA E-Newsletter #596
June 14, 2020 • Bicycle, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, PEDESTRIAN, SAFETY, TRAFFIC CALMING, VISION ZERO, VMT
By Christopher M. DiPrima, California Member of the NMA The COVID-19 shelter at home orders have given us the opportunity to evaluate the effects of massive, rapid changes in the use of our transportation system. The results of this giant experiment are trickling in, and they are proving that years of speed-slowing measures on arterials […]
Compunction to Shame needs to Stop: NMA E-Newsletter #593
May 24, 2020 • Bicycle, Bicyclist, Driver's License, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, MASS TRANSIT, NEWSLETTER, NMA, Parking, PEDESTRIAN, VISION ZERO
From the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, anti-car groups have shamed, cajoled, and humiliated city officials to open streets and relegate vehicular traffic to the role of unwanted guests. These various programs, called Active Streets, Open Streets, Safe Streets, or Slow Streets, have popped up in nearly every major city in the country. Not only […]
The Selling of a Narrative: NMA E-Newsletter #591
May 10, 2020 • 85TH PERCENTILE, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, NMA, SAFETY, SPEED LIMIT, SPEEDING, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, Traffic Tickets
By Gary Biller, NMA President The media has never shied away from peddling stories that sell. Often in doing so, the truth gets kicked to the curb or run over. Such is the case in the current lockdown climate where sensationalistic headlines scream that 100+ mph super speeders are taking advantage of less-crowded roads across […]
Turn Signal on a Roundabout; Readers’ Comments Part 3: NMA E-Newsletter #588
Editor’s Note: Part 3 will be the final chapter for readers’ comments on our Newsletter #585. More than 40 readers emailed us their thoughts on roundabouts. We did a tally on how many believe in signaling or not signaling in roundabouts: 46 percent for signaling 32 percent opposed to signaling 22 percent who did not […]
Turn Signal on a Roundabout; Reader Comments Part 1: NMA E-Newsletter #586
Editor’s Note: One thing we do know about roundabouts (traffic circles or rotaries), every driver has an opinion. There is something fundamental about stopping, yielding, and signaling that seems to create as much conflict on the road and strong opinions as almost anything we tackle. Roundabouts, just like speed limits, are something that many drivers […]
Ticket Quotas are Alive and All Too Well: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #572
December 29, 2019 • EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, NHTSA, NMA, REVENUE GENERATION, SPEED TRAP, TICKET QUOTA, TICKET REVENUE, Traffic Tickets
By our latest count, twenty states have explicit laws banning traffic ticket quotas. And yet, the practice continues, even within some of those states. City, county, and state budgets must be met, and a reliable target for revenue continues to be the motorist. A brief rundown of the states with quota prohibitions follows but first, […]
What U.S. Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards (if any) Should Be – Results of an NMA Online Survey, Part 2: NMA E-Newsletter #570
December 15, 2019 • AUTO INDUSTRY, CAFE, CALIFORNIA, Electric Vehicle, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Fuel, Gas Tax, infrastructure, LETTER WRITING, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, NMA, SAFETY, Technology
Last week’s newsletter (Part 1, #569) provided a statistical summary of responses to an NMA November online survey seeking feedback about CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) standards. Here, in Part 2, is where the rubber hits the road. Those taking the survey were given the opportunity to include commentary to explain their choices of whether […]
What U.S. Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards (if any) Should Be – Results of an NMA Online Survey, Part 1: NMA E-Newsletter #569
Throughout November, we posted an online survey designed to better understand the sentiment of NMA supporters toward government-imposed CAFE standards. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations established in 2012 mandated automakers to meet a fleetwide average of 54.5 miles per gallon by the vehicle model year 2025. That is quite a leap forward considering the […]
Your Home is Your Castle . . . Until It Isn’t: NMA Newsletter #565
November 10, 2019 • Car Care, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FOURTH AMENDMENT, NEWSLETTER, NMA, PRIVACY, speed limits, VISION ZERO
By Gary Biller, NMA President On a recent trip to Sacramento to walk the halls of the state capitol with Jay Beeber and engage legislative staffers on why an arbitrary lowering of speed limits in the name of Vision Zero is a colossally bad idea, I had the opportunity to have a nice dinner with […]
Transportation Engineers Debate Vision Zero, Part 2: NMA E-Newsletter #564
November 3, 2019 • Bicycle, Bicyclist, Complete Streets, Congestion Pricing, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, ITE, LEGISLATION, MASS TRANSIT, NEWSLETTER, Parking, PEDESTRIAN, SAFETY, Scooter, TOLL, VISION ZERO
Last week in Part 1, we shared some posts made on the Institute of Transportation Engineers Member Forum that started a debate about the efficacy of the Vision Zero goals. The discussion in that thread — “A ‘War on Cars’? Let there be Peace!” — was too varied and interesting to fit into the contents […]
NMA Wrap Up of Legislative Activity, 3rd Quarter 2019: NMA E-Newsletter #562
October 20, 2019 • 85TH PERCENTILE, BAC, Bicycle, Complete Streets, Congestion Pricing, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, HAWAII, ILLINOIS, ITE, LEGISLATION, MOVE OVER LAW, NEWSLETTER, NMA, NMA Foundation, NORTH CAROLINA, OREGON, PEDESTRIAN, RADAR, Road Diets, SAFETY, Scooter, SPEED CAMERA, SPEED LIMIT, SPEED TRAP, TICKET CAMERA, TRAFFIC CALMING, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, VISION ZERO, YELLOW LIGHT, YELLOW LIGHT TIMING
July, August, and September were not nearly as active in resolving NMA-tracked legislation as in the second quarter, but October began with some very important events that will have positive ramifications for motorists well into the future. Let’s start with the final disposition of bills in the third quarter: Bills Opposed by the NMA […]
What Happened to Actual Cars?: NMA E-Newsletter #560
October 6, 2019 • AUTO INDUSTRY, Bicyclist, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Fuel, Motorcycle, NEWSLETTER, RENTAL CAR, Road Diet, SAFETY, Scooter
By guest writer Jim Millick Automakers have made some big announcements this past year regarding cars—I’m talking about sedans, coupes and smaller runabouts that we have all owned in the past. The car companies have decided to stop manufacturing most related models. The SUV (“sport” utility vehicle) and pickup trucks, which the U.S. Environmental Protection […]
Do Vision Zero Programs equal more Traffic Accidents?: NMA E-Newsletter #559
September 29, 2019 • 85TH PERCENTILE, Bicycle, Bicyclist, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, Road Diets, SAFETY, Speed Cameras, SPEED LIMIT, TRAFFIC CALMING, Traffic Safety, VISION ZERO
Many cities and states around the country have adopted a Vision Zero program which strives for zero traffic deaths, usually by a specific year. Some of the oldest programs, though, are finding that the ideal of zero traffic deaths is becoming ever more elusive and expensive over time. Instead of decreasing, traffic deaths involving accidents […]
Are We Slinking Ever Closer to a Universal Road User Charge? Part 3—Regional and Local Efforts: NMA E-Newsletter #551
August 4, 2019 • CALIFORNIA, DELAWARE, Electric Vehicle, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FHWA, Fuel, Fuel Tax, Gas Tax, HAWAII, infrastructure, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEWSLETTER, NORTH CAROLINA, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, PRIVACY, Road User Charge, SAFETY, Technology, UTAH, VIRGINIA, VMT, VMT Tax
In Parts One and Two of this series, Are We Slinking Ever Closer to a Universal Road User Charge?, we explored what is happening on the national level and in Congress respectively. Road User Charges (RUC) are also called Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax (VMT) or Mileage-Based User Fees (MBUF). A number of states are experimenting […]
Are We Slinking Ever Closer to a Universal Road User Charge? Part 2—Congress: NMA E-Newsletter #550
July 28, 2019 • CALIFORNIA, DRIVERLESS CARS, Electric Vehicle, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Fuel Tax, Gas Tax, infrastructure, MICHIGAN, MISSOURI, NEWSLETTER, OREGON, REVENUE GENERATION, Road Usage Charge, TOLL ROAD, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, VISION ZERO, VMT, VMT Tax
Last week, in Part one of Are We Slinking Ever Closer to a Universal Road User Charge?, we examined the efforts of various groups that are currently pushing road user fees onto the American public. (A road user charge or RUC is also commonly referred to as the Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax or VMT Tax […]
Profound Privacy Risks without our Consent: NMA E-Newsletter #545
June 23, 2019 • ACLU, CALIFORNIA, CELL PHONE, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Facial Recognition, License Plate Readers, MASS TRANSIT, NEWSLETTER, NMA, OREGON, PRIVACY, SAFETY, Technology
GeekWire posted last month that Portland, Oregon quietly launched a controversial mobile location data project with partner Sidewalk Labs (a subsidiary of Alphabet–which is the parent company of Google). In this year-long pilot program, the city has authorized that people, who have smartphones, will be tracked without their consent or knowledge. Portland is using software […]
Paying More for Less Service: NMA E-Newsletter #534
April 7, 2019 • ALPR, Bicycle, CALIFORNIA, Congestion Pricing, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, infrastructure, MASS TRANSIT, MASSACHUSETTS, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, New York City, NEWSLETTER, OREGON, REVENUE GENERATION, Ridesharing, Scooter, TOLL, TOLLING, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, UTAH, VMT Tax
By 2021, New York City will begin charging drivers who enter Manhattan below Central Park under the guise of congestion pricing. No one is surprised. City and state officials have been trying to make this happen for years. The rare alignment of views between the governor, the mayor, and the state legislature─each likely motivated by […]
An Eye on Recent Motorist Rights Court Cases, Part 2: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #530
March 10, 2019 • ACLU, CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, ILLEGAL SEARCH, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, INSURANCE, Insurance Company, IOWA, LICENSE PLATE, MINNESOTA, Motorcycle, NEW JERSEY, NEWSLETTER, NMA, OHIO, OOIDA, PENNSYLVANIA, RACIAL PROFILING, RED LIGHT CAMERA, RENTAL CAR, TEXAS, TICKET CAMERA, TOLL, TOLL ROAD, TOLLING, TRAFFIC STOP, Traffic Tickets, VERMONT
Many motorist rights court cases have made news in the past three months. Last week, we presented the first part of this update that focused on federal court decisions, and a few from the US Supreme Court. This week, we are diving into key motorist-related cases in state supreme or appellate courts. Our hope is […]
Are Cyclists Vision Zero Zealots—Readers’ Responses: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #525
February 3, 2019 • Bicyclist, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, NMA, NMA Foundation, Speed Bumps, SPEED LIMIT, TEXTING, TICKET FINES, TICKET REVENUE, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, VISION ZERO, WASHINGTON D.C., WYOMING
Last week, we emailed and posted on our website a guest newsletter entitled Are Cyclists Vision Zero Zealots? written by Eric Berg, an NMA Board Member, an NMA Life Member, an avid sport bicyclist, and a staunch defender of motorists’ rights. Readers, including some of whom (like Eric) are bicyclists, responded with interesting perspectives which […]
The Next Ten Years – Readers’ Edition, Part 1: NMA E-Newsletter #522
January 13, 2019 • 85TH PERCENTILE, DISTRACTED DRIVING, DRIVERLESS CARS, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, infrastructure, NEWSLETTER, NMA, NMA Foundation, PRIVACY, RED LIGHT CAMERA, REVENUE GENERATION, SAFETY, SPEED CAMERA, SPEED LIMIT, Technology
When we published E-Newsletter #520, The Next Ten Years, on December 30, 2018 with predictions from some NMA and NMA Foundation directors of the challenges that the NMA and motoring public are going to face over the next decade, we encouraged readers to provide their insights. And boy, have you. We currently have enough material […]
Problem Solved: Ban Cars – NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #516
December 2, 2018 • DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LANE COURTESY, NEWSLETTER, NMA, RED LIGHT CAMERA, SPEED LIMIT, VISION ZERO
Randy LoBasso, policy manager at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, loves to hate the National Motorists Association. We are often the bogeyman he uses as a counterpoint to his pro-bicyclist, Vision Zero, anti-car rhetoric. For instance: “Let’s understand what the National Motorists Association is: An extremist fringe group that thrives on emotional explanations to […]
Ballot Decisions that Affect Motorists–2018 Version: NMA E-Newsletter #513
November 11, 2018 • ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, Fuel Tax, Gas Tax, IDAHO, infrastructure, LOUISIANA, MAINE, MISSOURI, NEVADA, NEW MEXICO, NEWSLETTER, Red-Light Camera, SAFETY, TEXAS, UTAH, Washington State
The mid-term elections are officially over. Ballotpedia stated this week on its website that voters in 37 states decided a total of 155 statewide ballot measures. Not all, of course, were motorist related but a few certainly were. We have also included some important county or city ballot issues that asked voters to raise the […]
To Record or Not to Record, That is the Question: NMA E-Newsletter #512
November 4, 2018 • CALIFORNIA, CELL PHONE, CONNECTICUT, Dashcam, Driver's License, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, ILLINOIS, INSURANCE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MONTANA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEWSLETTER, PENNSYLVANIA, PRIVACY, Technology, TRAFFIC STOP, WASHINGTON
An interesting phenomenon is being reported by some members. Police officers approaching their vehicles during routine traffic stops are asking an opening question different than the traditional, “Do you know why I stopped you?” Rather, in this day of rising popularity of dashcams and the ubiquitous presence of smartphones, the opening query is just as […]
Are Drivers losing the War on Cars? NMA E-Newsletter #511
October 28, 2018 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Gas Tax, LETTER WRITING, New York City, NEWSLETTER, NMA, POLICING FOR PROFIT, Red-Light Camera, Road Diet, SAFETY, SPEED LIMIT, SPEED TRAP, TEXAS, TOLL, TOLL ROAD, VISION ZERO
Even though drivers constitute what should be the largest voting block in the country, you would never know it by apathetic motorists who drive blissfully unaware until they are confronted with the reality of the war on cars—which is essentially an effort to get people out of their cars for good through regulations that impede […]
What’s Going on at the DMV?: NMA E-Newsletter #509
October 14, 2018 • CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, Digital Driver's License, DMV, Driver's License, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, HAWAII, IDAHO, MINNESOTA, NEWSLETTER, NMA, NORTH CAROLINA, Real ID, TEXAS
For years, comedians have made fun of long lines at the DMV (Departments of Motor Vehicles), but you know what…it’s not really funny anymore. The widespread problem seems to be three-fold. · Short term: A number of states are now under a tight deadline to implement REAL ID and motorists must apply for one in […]
The Real Police Overtime Scandals: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #507
September 30, 2018 • ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, Automatic Traffic Enforcement, CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LOUISIANA, MASSACHUSETTS, NEWSLETTER, Red-Light Camera, SAFETY, SPEED TRAP, TEXAS, TICKET CAMERA, TICKET QUOTA, Traffic Tickets, WASHINGTON
Much has been written about the Massachusetts State Police Overtime Scandal. A number of officers have been arrested for federal counts of embezzlement for allegedly cutting hours or outright skipping overtime (OT) traffic enforcement shifts on the MA turnpike while getting paid in full. Forty-two members of Troop E have been implicated and the troop […]
Bicycle Idaho Stops are Not Safe for Any Road User: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #504
September 9, 2018 • CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, DELAWARE, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, IDAHO, MINNESOTA, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, OKLAHOMA, SAFETY, Traffic Safety, UTAH
Since 1982, Idaho has been the only state that has allowed bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs and stoplights as stop signs. No other state passed a similar law until 2017. Delaware now has a similar law on its book and the Idaho stop fever is starting to rise. Colorado passed a law […]
Police Misconduct Costs Taxpayers More Than Just Money: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #502
August 26, 2018 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FOIA, INSURANCE, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, SAFETY, TENNESSEE, TRAFFIC STOP, Transparency, VIRGINIA
Society has trouble talking about police misconduct in any meaningful way. If we question police actions, it looks as if we don’t support them. In reality, most of us do support the brave men and women who put themselves on the line every day for our safety. When traffic stops are the most common daily […]
The Zipper Merge—Coming to a Construction Zone near You Part 2, Readers Comments: NMA E-Newsletter #501
August 19, 2018 • ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LETTER WRITING, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, OKLAHOMA, PENNSYLVANIA, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, ZIPPER MERGE
The National Motorists Association received some thoughtful comments from readers like you and thought we should share them. If you missed reading Part 1, click HERE. I’m glad one more place seems to have figured this out. Many other places have not. People get the idea that others who are using an open lane to a […]
Can the Proverbial Pothole Problem be Disrupted?: NMA E-Newsletter #493
June 24, 2018 • CALIFORNIA, Car Care, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, Drone, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, infrastructure, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEBRASKA, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, PENNSYLVANIA, PPP, Public Private Partnership, Technology, TEXAS
Nothing worse than hitting a pothole you can’t avoid on the road. Not only is it jarring and disruptive to your driving but it can also damage your car. AAA reports that American drivers pay an estimated $3 billion per year to repair cars damaged by potholes. AAA Manager of Technical Services Michael Calkins said […]
A License Plate to Remember Part 2—Your Comments: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #492
June 17, 2018 • ALABAMA, ALPR, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LICENSE PLATE, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, Technology, TEXAS, TOLL
The National Motorists Association received some thoughtful comments from readers like you and thought we should share them. If you missed reading Part 1, click HERE. Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the author. I enjoyed reading today’s NMA Weekly E-Newsletter. Another topic that has hit several people I have worked […]
All Hail more Traffic Congestion: NMA E-Newsletter # 484
April 22, 2018 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, GEORGIA, MASS TRANSIT, MASSACHUSETTS, NEWSLETTER, Ridesharing, TOLLING, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON D.C.
The math is simple. More cars on the streets equals more traffic congestion. Ridesharing companies such as Lyft and Uber have tipped that delicate balance between street traffic and transit alternatives. Many city officials are finally taking notice. In a recent Boston survey of 944 rideshare users over four weeks in late 2017, nearly six […]
Walking While Distracted–Nobody Wins: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #481
April 1, 2018 • ARIZONA, AUTO INDUSTRY, CALIFORNIA, CELL PHONE, DISTRACTED DRIVING, DRIVERLESS CARS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, HAWAII, IDAHO, New York City, NEWSLETTER, NHTSA, SAFETY, Technology, TEXTING, WASHINGTON
Have we become a nation of cellphone zombies? Many experts believe that the increase in distracted driving, in particular using a cellphone to text while driving, has been a big factor in the increase of traffic fatalities since 2009. Another factor apparently is distracted walking. Pedestrian deaths account for 16 percent of all traffic fatalities. […]
The Trouble with Sunroofs: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #479
As sunroofs become more popular with new car buyers, questions abound whether they are safe or not. In October 2017, Consumer Reports (CR) came out with a scathing study on sunroofs that seem to shatter for no reason. Over the past 22 years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had received 859 complaints of […]
Watch Out—You Could be Next!: NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #475
February 18, 2018 • ACLU, CALIFORNIA, Driver's License, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, INDIANA, NEW JERSEY, NEWSLETTER, OHIO, TRAFFIC STOP, VIRGINIA
Most people’s interaction with a police officer is usually during a traffic stop. The anxiety and fear that most of us feel when stopped by a police officer makes it worse when we believe we have done nothing wrong or thought we were doing the right thing. Placed in jeopardy of receiving a ticket or […]
Senior Drivers in Transition: NMA E-Newsletter #474
February 11, 2018 • Autonomous Car, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, Driver's License, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, NEWSLETTER, NHTSA, SAFETY, SEAT BELT, SPEED LIMIT, TEXTING
Driving is not just about mobility—fundamentally it is about independence. None of us want to lose that freedom. Age is not the only factor in the decision to drive or not to drive anymore. Studies show that giving up this lifeline increases with age a person’s likelihood of suffering from depression and eventually ending up […]
NMA Lobbying in DC, Part 2 – License to Steal: NMA E-Newsletter #465
December 10, 2017 • CALIFORNIA, civil asset forfeiture, CIVIL FORFEITURE, DUE PROCESS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FOURTH AMENDMENT, LEGISLATION, NEWSLETTER, NMA, POLICING FOR PROFIT, REVENUE GENERATION
By Gary Biller, NMA President I get annoyed by the overuse of certain clichéd buzzwords and catch phrases in our area of advocacy, terms like “big brother,” “nanny state,” and “taxation by citation” for instance. That isn’t to say that they don’t sneak into the NMA vernacular from time to time. In fact, I used […]
Next Generation Police Tools: NMA E-Newsletter #462
November 19, 2017 • BODY CAMERAS, BREATHALYZER, civil asset forfeiture, CIVIL FORFEITURE, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, INDIANA, NEBRASKA, NEWSLETTER, ROADBLOCK, SAFETY, TRAFFIC STOP, WASHINGTON D.C., X-RAY SCANNER
Traffic enforcement continues to go high tech beyond just the newest drone technology. Here are three recent examples of how police are using federal and state funding – some from assets seized from citizenry – to patrol motorists. Police Body Cameras In late October, results from a large study on police body cameras was released […]
Cities are getting paid to turn street lights into spying SmartNodes: NMA E-Newsletter #458
From guest writer, Joe Cadillic, of the MassPrivatal blog The future of privacy in big cities is bleak—cities are now getting paid to convert street lights into spying SmartNodes. What are SmartNodes you ask? SmartNodes will soon replace street lights, because they are equipped with cameras, microphones, speakers, etc., all-in-one light pole. For example, the […]
Losing a License Due To Unpaid Fines Is Hurting Millions: NMA E-Newsletter #455
October 1, 2017 • CALIFORNIA, Driver's License, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, IOWA, MICHIGAN, NEWSLETTER, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, SAFETY, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, TICKET FINES, VIRGINIA
When a motorist receives a traffic ticket the expectation is that if you plead guilty or are found guilty, you pay the fine. Most of us would agree that if you break the law then you should pay for it. But what if you really cannot “pay for it” due to life circumstances? The Falls […]
Just How many Motorists are stopped and ticketed in America?: NMA E-Newsletter #446
July 30, 2017 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, ILLEGAL SEARCH, MONTANA, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, NMA, RACIAL PROFILING, REVENUE GENERATION, RHODE ISLAND, TEXAS, TICKET QUOTA, TICKET REVENUE, TRAFFIC STOP
From guest writer Joe Cadillic who writes the MassPrivatel Blog According to The Stanford Open Policing Project which looked at over 100 million police traffic stops in the United States, “Police pull over more than 50,000 drivers on a typical day, more than 20 million motorists every year.” Does that mean 50,000 people are breaking […]
What Bugs Motorists Part 2, Your Comments: NMA E-Newsletter #445
July 23, 2017 • 85TH PERCENTILE, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Gas Tax, NEWSLETTER, RED LIGHT CAMERA, REVENUE GENERATION, ROUNDABOUT, SPEED LIMIT, SPEED TRAP, TICKET REVENUE, YELLOW LIGHT TIMING
The National Motorists Association received some thoughtful comments from readers like you and thought we should share them. If you missed reading Part 1, click HERE. Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the author. Wow! Now that is some list. I could say, “Yes”, to all of them. Thought I would add my […]
Putting Courtesy Back into Driving: NMA E-Newsletter #440
June 18, 2017 • DRIVER EDUCATION, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LANE COURTESY, MINNESOTA, NEWSLETTER, NMA, ZIPPER MERGE
When promoting the virtues of lane courtesy, the NMA will often get feedback from readers suggesting – some more forcefully than others – that the proper terminology should be ‘lane discipline’ or ‘keep right except to pass.’ Both of those phrases have specific and important meanings, but neither does justice to the spirit of cooperation […]
How Policing for Profit can lead to a Debtors’ Prisons Part 2 Readers Comments: NMA E-Newsletter #430
April 9, 2017 • civil asset forfeiture, CIVIL FORFEITURE, CRIMINAL, Driver's License, DUE PROCESS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, INSURANCE, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, POLICING FOR PROFIT, RED LIGHT CAMERA, REVENUE GENERATION, SAFETY, SPEED TRAP, TICKET REVENUE
The National Motorists Association received some thoughtful comments from readers like you and thought we should share them. If you missed reading Part 1, click HERE. Sadly, what you write rings true. My old home town, Cambridge, NY, has for years supported an aggressive policing for profit operation on NY route 22. They have a […]
How Policing for Profit can lead to a Debtors’ Prisons: NMA E-Newsletter #429
April 2, 2017 • ACLU, ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, Driver's License, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, GEORGIA, ILLINOIS, KANSAS, LOUISIANA, MICHIGAN, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, NEWSLETTER, POLICING FOR PROFIT, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, TICKET FINES, TICKET REVENUE, TRAFFIC ENGINEERING, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON
Alexander City, Alabama has agreed to give $680,000 to nearly 200 people who were jailed because they were too poor to pay their court fines. The suit filed in September 2015 by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) claimed that the town ran “a modern-day debtors prison.” Indigent debtors served time in the municipal jail […]
The Politics of Roadblocks: NMA E-Newsletter #427
In Montana, one state lawmaker has taken aim at random roadblocks. House Bill 146 would require law enforcement to give at least 48 hours public notice, which includes information to the news media, before setting up temporary road blocks. HB146 has already passed nearly unanimously in both the state house and senate and is now […]
The Jigsaw Future of Car Ownership: NMA E-Newsletter #416
January 1, 2017 • CALIFORNIA, CELL PHONE, DRIVER EDUCATION, Driver's License, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Gas Tax, INSURANCE, NEWSLETTER, tolls
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director Owning a car has always been one of those milestones in a person’s life. When we were kids we dreamed about what kind of car we would own in the future. We dreamed of dragging Main Street so we could visit our friends and crush on each other. We […]
Young Adults now targeted for GDL: NMA E-Newsletter #414
December 18, 2016 • CHECKPOINT, DRIVER EDUCATION, Driver's License, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, ROADBLOCK, SAFETY, Technology
Earlier this month, the National Safety Council and the Traffic Injury Research Foundation outlined additional guidelines to the already implemented Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Program that has already been implemented in many states. This newest set of guidelines seem more like punishment than an actual gateway to adulthood. For example, all new drivers 21 and […]
Who Will Fix Rural Roads and Bridges? NMA E-Newsletter #413
December 11, 2016 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, MASSACHUSETTS, MISSISSIPPI, NEWSLETTER, SAFETY, Technology, TOLLING
The chronic underinvestment in infrastructure dates back to the Reagan Administration. Since the 1980’s, public spending on water and transportation infrastructure fell from around one percent to 0.6 percent of the annual U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). Instead of renewing or building additional infrastructure to keep up with population and current technology, government officials have […]
Transportation Shakeout from the 2016 Election: NMA E-Newsletter #409
November 13, 2016 • ALABAMA, CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Fuel Tax, GEORGIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MAINE, MICHIGAN, NEVADA, NEW JERSEY, NEWSLETTER, NORTH CAROLINA, OREGON, PPP, SAFETY, SOUTH CAROLINA, TEXAS, TOLL, TOLL ROAD, TOLLING, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, UTAH, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON
The entire country shared a sigh of relief when the election in-fighting finally ended this week. Before the election, President-elect Donald Trump released his ideas on rebuilding America’s infrastructure. He said he wants to put a trillion dollars into rebuilding infrastructure over the next 10 years without raising taxes. He plans to do this through […]
J’accuse! The Future of Traffic Enforcement?: NMA E-Newsletter #401
September 18, 2016 • ALPR, CELL PHONE, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, EVENT DATA RECORDER, LICENSE PLATE, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, RADAR DETECTOR, SPEED LIMIT
Nexar, a fast-growing U.S.-Israeli startup, is marketing a smartphone-turned-dashcam app that records the habits of nearby drivers. If any get out of line – a few mph over the posted speed limit, making a sudden lane change, or any other maneuver the app deems as questionable – it records the license plate of the offending […]
Vultures Await! Beware of the Predatory Tow: NMA E-Newsletter #390
July 3, 2016 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, ILLINOIS, NEW JERSEY, NEWSLETTER, OREGON, TOWING, VIRGINIA
If you have ever had your car towed for whatever reason, getting it back is a real hassle. Unfortunately, having your car towed because you parked illegally, had an accident or break down usually means you are having a pretty bad day. Predatory towing makes the experience even worse. According to the Parking Enforcer Blog, […]
The Chiseling Away of the Fourth Amendment Continues: NMA E-Newsletter #389
June 26, 2016 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FOURTH AMENDMENT, ILLEGAL SEARCH, LOUISIANA, MISSOURI, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, PENNSYLVANIA, PRIVACY, TICKET FINES, TRAFFIC STOP, UTAH
The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and […]
Intexicated While Driving: NMA E-Newsletter #387
June 12, 2016 • Biometrics, BREATHALYZER, CALIFORNIA, CELL PHONE, COLORADO, DISTRACTED DRIVING, DNA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LEGISLATION, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, Technology, TEXTING
New York State has legislation called Evan’s Law that is winding its way through the system. It would allow law enforcement to use a textalyzer to determine if you have been on your phone while driving. This means even hands free phone usage, texting, surfing the web, and engaging with various apps can raise flags. […]
Shenanigans Continue with Red-Light Cameras: NMA E-Newsletter #385
May 29, 2016 • ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LOUISIANA, MARYLAND, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, OHIO, RED LIGHT CAMERA, REVENUE GENERATION, SPEED CAMERA, TICKET FINES, TICKET REVENUE
Red-light cameras are the biggest local boondoggle ever. Lafayette, Louisiana was recently in the news because the city-parish council decided to extend their red-light camera program another year despite the fact that $12.4 million dollars had not been collected on over 211,000 photo enforced tickets since the program’s inception nine years ago. But the story […]
How Technology Facilitates Roadside Justice: NMA E-Newsletter #379
April 17, 2016 • ALPR, BAC, BREATHALYZER, CALIFORNIA, CELL PHONE, COLORADO, Driver's License, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LEGISLATION, LICENSE, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, Technology, TEXAS, TRAFFIC STOP, WASHINGTON
The California Senate recently took up a bill that would let police officers use oral fluid drug screening tests to check motorists for the presence of drugs in their systems. The proposed test is administered with a handheld device that uses an oral swab to check for the presence of a variety of controlled substances […]
2016 First Quarter Legislative Update: NMA E-Newsletter #376
March 27, 2016 • 85TH PERCENTILE, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, LEGISLATION, LETTER WRITING, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, NEWSLETTER, RED LIGHT CAMERA, REVENUE GENERATION, RIGHT-TURN-ON-RED, SCHOOL BUS CAMERA, SPEED LIMIT, TEXAS, TICKET CAMERA, TICKET FINES, TICKET REVENUE, TOWING, WEST VIRGINIA
The NMA continues to advocate for motorists’ rights at the national, state and local level. Legislatures across the country took up a broad range of motorists’ issues in the first quarter of 2016. Here’s a brief summary of the driving-related issues we addressed. Arizona Opposed House Bill 2366 which would revise Arizona’s red-light camera law […]
The Economic Consequences of Photo Enforcement: NMA E-Newsletter #374
March 13, 2016 • ARIZONA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, NEWSLETTER, NMA Foundation, RED LIGHT CAMERA, REVENUE GENERATION, SAFETY, SHORT YELLOW LIGHT, TICKET CAMERA, TICKET REVENUE, YELLOW LIGHT, YELLOW LIGHT TIMING, YELLOW LIGHTS
Editor’s Note: News that red-light cameras in Jacksonville, Florida, delivered almost $368,000 in profits prompted this recent email exchange between NMA Foundation Executive Director Jim Walker and a city official. Jim’s economic argument against ticket cameras is instructive but clearly fell on deaf ears. His follow-up email is equally powerful. Note the official response to […]
The Consequences of Intolerance: NMA E-Newsletter #373
Ecosystem: A system, or a group of interconnected elements, formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment What is our transportation network of streets and highways if not an ecosystem? Every day it is teeming with a multitude of users—that sounds a little better than “organisms”—who serve communities in a […]
Never Let a Serious Crisis go to Waste: NMA E-Newsletter #370
February 14, 2016 • BAC, Driver's License, DRIVERLESS CARS, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, RED LIGHT CAMERA, SAFETY, SEAT BELT, SPEED LIMIT, TICKET CAMERA, VISION ZERO, VMT
The headlines were predictable: “Huge spike in traffic deaths is largest since 1940s”, “Why Are America’s Traffic Deaths Rising So Fast?”, “Rise in traffic deaths last year raises alarm at NHTSA”, “NHTSA seeks new ways to boost safety.” They’re responding to news of a projected 9.3 percent jump in highway fatalities through the first nine […]
DHS Delays Travel Restrictions, But Real ID Still Stirs Controversy: NMA E-Newsletter #366
January 19, 2016 • ALABAMA, CALIFORNIA, Driver's License, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, Real ID, TSA, WISCONSIN
In last week’s e-newsletter (DHS Moves to Restrict Travel: NMA E-Newsletter #365) we updated you on Real ID and the possibility of domestic air travel restrictions for passengers who couldn’t produce an acceptable ID. The good news is that the Department of Homeland Security just announced it will hold off on enforcing any restrictions for […]
Removing Humans from the Equation: NMA E-Newsletter #363
December 27, 2015 • CALIFORNIA, Driver's License, DRIVERLESS CARS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LICENSE, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, SAFETY, SPEED LIMIT, Technology
We see many news stories touting the potential benefits of driverless cars: increased mobility for the elderly, congestion mitigation and safer roads to name a few. But amid the enthusiasm, we ran across two stories this week that illustrate the conflicts and contradictions that arise when trying to reconcile the role driverless cars will play […]
The NMA Reveals the Top Speed Trap States in the Country: NMA E-Newsletter #359
November 29, 2015 • EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FUNDRAISING, NEWSLETTER, REVENUE GENERATION, SAFETY, SPEED LIMIT, SPEED TRAP, SPEEDING, TICKET REVENUE
The NMA just launched its latest salvo in the speed trap wars with the following press release that ranks the Worst Speed Trap states in the country. The goal is to call attention to “Policing for Profit” wherever we see it and to expose the worst offenders. Not coincidentally, this is also the theme for […]
Cutting Through the Clutter: NMA E-Newsletter #354
NMA Founder Jim Baxter knew the power of the written word. Throughout his 30-year tenure with the association Jim penned countless impactful letters to policymakers and editors following a few simple rules: keep it short, focus on one topic and make it personal. We were reminded of Jim’s common-sense approach after listening to this story […]
Some Pointers on Driver’s License Points: NMA E-Newsletter #352
October 11, 2015 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, INSURANCE, MARYLAND, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, TICKET CAMERA, TICKET FIGHTING, TICKET FINES, WISCONSIN
One of the most common questions we get from members is how many points will a given violation add to their driving record. It’s an important question, but it’s not the only one to ask after you get a traffic ticket. You also need to know how many points it takes to trigger a license […]
2015 Third Quarter Legislative Update: NMA E-Newsletter #351
The legislative process slows down over summer (not necessarily a bad thing) since most state legislatures are in recess and won’t resume their business until next year. However, we did see a few notable proposals that required our members’ attention in the third quarter of 2015, which we will summarize below. Alerting members to important […]
The “Gold Standard” for Red-Light Camera Accident Analysis: NMA E-Newsletter #346
August 30, 2015 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, NEWSLETTER, RED LIGHT CAMERA, SAFETY, TRAFFIC CAMERA
“Red-light cameras have helped cut wrecks by 83% in Richmond,” cheers a recent headline from The Richmond Times-Dispatch. Wow! That sounds almost too good to be true. Let’s read on. A little further into the story we learn that the 83 percent reduction was for a single intersection, not citywide, as the headline implies. And […]
2015 Second Quarter Legislative Update: NMA E-Newsletter #338
July 5, 2015 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LEGISLATION, NATIONAL, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, TENNESSEE
The NMA continues to advocate for motorists’ rights at the national, state and local level. Legislatures across the country took up a broad range of motorists’ issues in the first quarter of 2015. Here’s a brief summary of the driving-related issues we addressed. California Supported Senate Bill 218 which would prevent the Mountains Recreation and […]
NMA E-Newsletter #333: Does Good Police Behavior Offset the Bad?
May 31, 2015 • ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LETTER WRITING, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER
In last week’s newsletter NMA Vice President John Bowman described his encounter with an angry police officer as well as his subsequent thoughts on police/community relations. John’s piece prompted many passionate responses from members, and we wanted to share a few with you. From a New York Member: This question about why there isn’t more […]
NMA E-Newsletter #331: The Tradeoffs of Driverless Cars
May 17, 2015 • CALIFORNIA, DRIVERLESS CARS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, INSURANCE, LEGISLATION, MICHIGAN, NEVADA, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, SAFETY, Technology
No development in the auto industry has attracted more attention lately than the prospect of driverless cars. And with good reason. Driverless car advocates promise many potential benefits including safer roads, less congestion, greater mobility and convenience, and lower insurance costs. As we pointed out in our summer 2013 Driving Freedoms cover story, driverless cars […]
NMA E-Newsletter #325: 2015 First Quarter Legislative Update
April 5, 2015 • ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, INDIANA, Kentucky, LEGISLATION, MARYLAND, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEVADA, NEWSLETTER, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON
The NMA continues to advocate for motorists’ rights at the national, state and local level. Legislatures across the country took up a broad range of motorists’ issues in the first quarter of 2015. Here’s a brief summary of the driving-related issues we addressed. Arizona Supported Senate Bill 1167 which would ban red-light and speed cameras […]
NMA E-Newsletter #317: “Courteous” Driver the True Obstruction
February 8, 2015 • CALIFORNIA, DELAWARE, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, ILLINOIS, LANE COURTESY, LETTER WRITING, MINNESOTA, NEWSLETTER, OKLAHOMA, ROADBLOCK
Last week’s e-newsletter really stirred up member response with an overwhelming number of you rejecting the Seattle driver’s approach to trying to single-handedly wipe out traffic jams and backups. The consensus was that he was obstructing traffic and should have stayed in the far right lane to let faster traffic pass. We agree. Here are […]
NMA E-Newsletter #314: 2014 Third and Fourth Quarter Legislative Update
January 18, 2015 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, ILLINOIS, LEGISLATION, LETTER WRITING, MISSOURI, NEWSLETTER, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA
The NMA continues to advocate for motorists’ rights at the national, state and local level. Legislatures across the country took up a broad range of motorists’ issues in the second half of 2014. Here’s a brief summary of the driving-related issues we addressed. California Opposed Assembly Bill 1646 which would add a violation point for texting […]
NMA E-Newsletter: #305: T’row de Bum(s) Out!
November 16, 2014 • ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, COMMUNITY, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, KANSAS, MARYLAND, MISSOURI, NEWSLETTER, OHIO, PETITION, RED LIGHT CAMERA, TEXAS, TICKET CAMERA, WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN
By Gary Biller, NMA President Popular lore has it that the phrase “throw the bums out” originated during the 1941 World Series when the New York Yankees faced off against the Brooklyn Dodgers. A man supposedly walked into a bar—stop us if you’ve heard this one before—in Brooklyn in the midst of the games and […]
NMA E-Newsletter: #304: Wiping Out While Riding the Wave of “Smart Growth”
November 9, 2014 • CALIFORNIA, COMMUNITY, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, SAFETY, SPEED LIMIT, VISION ZERO
Editor’s Note: In a recent e-newsletter we discussed how planners want to remake the urban landscape to discourage automobile travel. But as often happens with such schemes, the law of unintended consequences comes to bear. This is what happened in in Long Beach, California, as described in this first-hand account by a California NMA member. […]
NMA E-Newsletter #301: Caution! This is a Completely Hypothetical Exercise that could become Reality.
October 19, 2014 • CALIFORNIA, COMMUNITY, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, NMSL, SPEED LIMIT, TOLL, VMT
The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Resources Board (ARB) recently put on a presentation titled “The Science behind Sustainable Communities Strategies.” The stated goal was to provide “an objective review of the empirical evidence on how effective various transportation and land use strategies are at reducing vehicle miles traveled (and thus greenhouse gas emissions).” A […]
NMA E-Newsletter #294: Numbers Don’t Lie, People Do
August 31, 2014 • CALIFORNIA, COMMUNITY, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, IIHS, NEW JERSEY, NEWSLETTER, RED LIGHT CAMERA, REVENUE GENERATION, SAFETY, TICKET REVENUE, TRAFFIC CAMERA
We call it Competing Studies Syndrome. One study says red-light cameras significantly reduce accidents. Another says they have no effect, and still another says they actually increase accidents. Why so much conflicting information? An analysis published last month in The Journal of Evaluation and the Health Professions sheds some light on the issue. Researchers from […]
NMA E-Newsletter #292: Passing the Sniff Test
The civil forfeiture racket is never far from the headlines these days, and thanks to the ubiquitous use of drug sniffing dogs, it’s easier than ever for police to shakedown motorists and get away with it. Here’s how the scam works: A police officer pulls over a driver for a routine traffic stop, becomes “suspicious” […]
NMA E-Newsletter #287: 2014 Second Quarter Legislative Update
July 13, 2014 • ALPR, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, Fuel Tax, IID, ILLINOIS, LASER, LEGISLATION, LICENSE PLATES, MISSOURI, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, PRIVACY, RADAR, RED LIGHT CAMERA, SPEED CAMERA, SPEED LIMIT
The NMA continues to advocate for motorists’ rights at the national, state and local level. Legislatures across the country took up a broad range of motorists’ issues in the second quarter of 2014. Here’s a brief summary of the driving-related issues we addressed. California Supported Senate Bill 893 which would strengthen privacy protections pertaining to […]
NMA E-Newsletter #286: Recent SCOTUS Decision Boon to Privacy Rights
July 6, 2014 • CALIFORNIA, CELL PHONE, DNA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FOURTH AMENDMENT, ILLEGAL SEARCH, MARYLAND, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, Technology, TRAFFIC STOP
Chalk one up for privacy rights, thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a far-reaching ruling in June (Riley v. California), the court unanimously decided that police must obtain a warrant to search the contents of a cell phone seized from someone who is under arrest—except in cases of emergency. The decision stems from a […]
NMA E-Newsletter #285: Can Pennsylvania Hold Out Much Longer?
June 29, 2014 • 85TH PERCENTILE, CALIFORNIA, CANADA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, ENRADD, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, LASER, LEGISLATION, LIDAR, MASSACHUSETTS, NEWSLETTER, PENNSYLVANIA, RADAR, SAFETY, SPEED LIMIT, SPEED TRAP, Technology, TEXAS
Even though Pennsylvania scored in the bottom 10 in our recent rankings of how states treat drivers, motorists in the Keystone State can be happy about one thing: Pennsylvania is the only state in the country that prohibits local police forces from using electronic devices other than those that measure distance over time for speed […]
NMA E-Newsletter #283: He Said, She Said, It Said?
June 15, 2014 • CALIFORNIA, DUE PROCESS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, LEGISLATION, NEWSLETTER, RED LIGHT CAMERA, REDFLEX, REVENUE GENERATION, SHORT YELLOW LIGHT, TICKET CAMERA, TICKET FIGHTING, TRAFFIC CAMERA, YELLOW LIGHT, YELLOW LIGHT TIMING
Challenging a red-light ticket on constitutional and due process grounds just became more difficult thanks to the California Supreme Court. In a recent ruling (California v. Goldsmith) the court concluded that red-light camera evidence does not constitute hearsay, which is defined as second-hand evidence about a statement made by a person. The court also ruled […]
NMA E-Newsletter #279: Spy vs. Spy
May 18, 2014 • ALPR, CELL PHONE, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FOIA, GPS TRACKING, LICENSE PLATES, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, PUBLIC RECORDS, RED LIGHT CAMERA, SPEED LIMIT, Technology
A couple weeks ago we wrote about what happens when the cameras and microphones are turned on those (law enforcement officers) who normally do the watching. Turns out they don’t like it much. You know who also doesn’t like it? The private companies that partner with law enforcement agencies to help with the watching. Vigilant […]
NMA E-Newsletter #271: 2014 First Quarter Legislative Update
March 23, 2014 • CALIFORNIA, Driver's License, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, Kentucky, LEGISLATION, MICHIGAN, MISSOURI, NEWSLETTER, OHIO, RED LIGHT CAMERA, SCHOOL BUS, SCHOOL BUS CAMERA, SPEED CAMERA, SPEED LIMIT, TICKET CAMERA, TRAFFIC CAMERA, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON
The NMA continues to advocate for motorists’ rights at the national, state and local level. Legislatures across the country took up a broad range of motorists’ issues in the first quarter of 2014. Here’s a brief summary of the driving-related issues we addressed. California Opposed efforts by the Elk Grove City Council to renew its […]
NMA E-Newsletter #266: Warrantless Vehicle Searches Part 2—The “In Plain View” Doctrine
February 17, 2014 • CALIFORNIA, CRIMINAL, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, ILLEGAL SEARCH, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, TEXAS, TRAFFIC STOP
This is the final part of a two-part series on warrantless vehicle searches written by NMA Texas member Ted Levitt, who is not an attorney but who has done extensive legal research on the subject. Read Part 1 here. Please note that neither of these articles should be construed as legal advice. The circumstances justifying […]
NMA E-Newsletter #265: The Ins and Outs of Warrantless Vehicle Searches (Part 1)
February 10, 2014 • CELL PHONE, Driver's License, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FOURTH AMENDMENT, ILLEGAL SEARCH, INSURANCE, NEWSLETTER, SAFETY, TRAFFIC STOP
By Ted Levitt, NMA Member If you’ve ever been pulled over for a traffic stop you’ve probably wondered if the officer could search your vehicle without a warrant as well as how far that search could go. I decided to look into it. I am not a lawyer, but I have spent many hours doing […]
NMA E-Newsletter #252: Cell Phones and Driving—Kind of like Politics and Religion
November 10, 2013
Our newsletters discussing the topic of cell phone use while driving always generate the most, and the most impassioned, responses from readers. And last week’s newsletter (#251: Usefulness Takes a Backseat to Technology and the Law) was no exception. We thought we’d share a few notable reader comments: From Mark H., Utah: As a proud […]
NMA E-Newsletter #251: Usefulness Takes a Backseat to Technology and the Law
November 3, 2013 • CALIFORNIA, CELL PHONE, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, DISTRACTED DRIVING, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, HAWAII, ILLINOIS, INSURANCE, MARYLAND, NEVADA, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, OREGON, Technology, WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON D.C., WEST VIRGINIA
Did you rush out and buy the latest and greatest iPhone, the 5S model, as soon as it became available last month? If so, this newsletter is for you. Actually, since smartphone technology typically follows in Apple’s footsteps, everyone who uses the mobile communication devices will eventually need to pay heed. Here’s a hint: Many […]
NMA E-Newsletter #248: Seeing Yellow before Red
October 13, 2013 • 85TH PERCENTILE, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, NEWSLETTER, RED LIGHT CAMERA, REVENUE GENERATION, SAFETY, SHORT YELLOW LIGHT, SPEED LIMIT, TICKET REVENUE, TRAFFIC CAMERA, YELLOW LIGHT, YELLOW LIGHT TIMING, YELLOW LIGHTS
By Gary Biller, NMA President At the heart of the red-light camera debate is the signal timing for the yellow light. Do the cameras improve intersection safety by modifying driver behavior through punishment or are they a financial windfall for local and state governments and the for-profit camera companies? The answer depends largely on whether […]
NMA E-Newsletter #242: The Myth of “No-Point” Violations
September 1, 2013 • ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, DELAWARE, DUI, GEORGIA, INSURANCE, LOUISIANA, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, RED LIGHT CAMERA, RHODE ISLAND, SCHOOL BUS, SPEEDING, TICKET FINES, TRAFFIC CAMERA, TRAFFIC RECORD
Traffic courts and prosecutors know that many traffic defendants will happily plead guilty and pay the fine as long as no points appear on their driving record. The court exacts its pound of flesh and the driver keeps a clean record. Everybody wins, right? Not always. A former school teacher from Georgia emailed us with […]
NMA E-Newsletter #237: 2013 Second Quarter Legislative Update
July 28, 2013 • ALPR, CALIFORNIA, DUE PROCESS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, LEGISLATION, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, NEWSLETTER, NORTH CAROLINA, PRIVACY, SCHOOL BUS CAMERA, SHORT YELLOW LIGHT, SPEED LIMIT, TICKET FINES, TRAFFIC CAMERA, YELLOW LIGHT, YELLOW LIGHT TIMING, YELLOW LIGHTS
The NMA continues to advocate for motorists’ rights at the national, state and local level. Legislatures across the country took up a broad range of motorists’ issues in the first quarter of 2013. Here’s a brief summary of the driving-related issues we addressed: California: Supported Assembly Bill 612 which would add 1.0 second to the duration […]
NMA E-Newsletter #236: Mors Ab Alto
July 22, 2013 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, OHIO, SPEED LIMIT, SPEED TRAP, TICKET FIGHTING, TICKET REVENUE, VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN
We’ve all seen those “Speed Enforced by Aircraft” signs, and the first question that comes to mind is: Do they actually still do that? The answer is yes, but probably not as much as you think. Airplanes are expensive to maintain and operate ($150-$200 per hour, not including labor costs). Budget constraints in recent years […]
NMA E-Newsletter #229: Time to Recognize Those Who Take a Stand
June 2, 2013 • CALIFORNIA, COMMUNITY, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, NEWSLETTER, ROADBLOCK, TICKET CAMERA, TICKET QUOTA
Public officials taking outspoken, principled stances? It’s rare, but it does happen. What’s even rarer is when those stances favor drivers’ rights. Here are a few recent examples. During his 2012 re-election bid, Fullerton, California, City Councilman Travis Kiger publically spoke out against taking federal grant money to implement DUI roadblocks. He rightly criticized this […]
NMA E-Newsletter #222: 2013 First Quarter Legislative Update
April 14, 2013 • ALPR, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DUE PROCESS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, INDIANA, LEGISLATION, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MINNESOTA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEWSLETTER, PENNSYLVANIA, RADAR, RED LIGHT CAMERA, RIGHT-TURN-ON-RED, RTOR, SHORT YELLOW LIGHT, SOUTH DAKOTA, SPEED CAMERA, SPEED LIMIT, TEXTING, TICKET FINES, TRAFFIC CAMERA, TRAFFIC RECORD, VIRGINIA, YELLOW LIGHT, YELLOW LIGHT TIMING, YELLOW LIGHTS
The NMA continues to advocate for motorists’ rights at the national, state and local level. Legislatures across the country took up a broad range of motorists’ issues in the first quarter of 2013. Here’s a brief summary of the driving-related issu…
NMA E-Newsletter #221: Administrative Hearings Deny Motorists Due Process
April 5, 2013 • CALIFORNIA, DUE PROCESS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LEGISLATION, NEWSLETTER, TICKET CAMERA, TICKET FIGHTING
Photo ticket profiteers will stop at nothing to discourage motorists from fighting and beating unfair camera tickets. Their latest ploy comes in the form of California Assembly Bill 666, which would require ticket camera cases to be heard in admin…
NMA E-Newsletter #219: Resistance is Not Futile
March 24, 2013 • CALIFORNIA, CIVIL, DUE PROCESS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LEGISLATION, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, Parking, RED LIGHT CAMERA, REVENUE GENERATION, SPEED CAMERA, TICKET REVENUE, TRAFFIC CAMERA
Profiteers from photo tickets, whether camera companies like ATS or Redflex, or the communities who plan on red-light and speed camera ticket revenue to prop up their budget deficits, would have you believe otherwise. They are waging an ongoing (a…
NMA E-Newsletter #205: Technology Failure Brings Early Holiday Gift to Motorists
December 16, 2012 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, OHIO, SPEED CAMERA, Technology, TICKET FIGHTING, TICKET REVENUE, TRAFFIC CAMERA, WASHINGTON
The Village of Elmwood Place, Ohio, has had its share of ups and downs since it installed speed cameras on September 1. By some measures the program has been wildly successful, issuing 14,000 tickets and generating $470,000 in revenue. Elmwood Pla…
NMA E-Newsletter #203: Understanding the Different Types of Speed Laws
December 2, 2012 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, PRIMA FACIE, RADAR DETECTOR, SPEED LIMIT, SPEEDING, TEXAS, TICKET FIGHTING
When fighting a speeding ticket, one of the most important things to find out it is what kind of speed law you’re charged with violating. Believe it or not, there are several classifications of speed laws in force around the country. Knowing which…
NMA E-Newsletter #197: Don’t Smile for the Camera
October 21, 2012 • Biometrics, Driver's License, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, Facial Recognition, NEW JERSEY, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, Real ID
Given their state’s ongoing red-light camera debacle, New Jersey motorists may not have much to smile about these days, but that’s OK with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. That’s because the commission has banned drivers from smiling for t…
NMA E-Newsletter #195: 2012 Third Quarter Legislative Update
October 7, 2012 • 85TH PERCENTILE, CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LEGISLATION, MINNESOTA, NEWSLETTER, PENNSYLVANIA, RED LIGHT CAMERA, RIGHT-TURN-ON-RED, RTOR, SPEED LIMIT, SPEEDING, TRAFFIC CAMERA, VERMONT, VIRGINIA
The NMA continues to advocate for motorists’ rights at the national, state and local level. The reduced amount of legislative/lobbying activity this quarter reflects the fact that the majority of states wrap up their legislative sessions by June. …
E-Newsletter #191: ALPRs—Coming to a Street Near You
The NMA first raised the alarm on automated license plate readers (ALPRs) two-and-a-half years ago (E-Newsletter Issue #61: Here, There, Everywhere). With more and more police agencies throughout the country employing the technology, we thought an…
NMA E-Newsletter #183: The Confrontation Clause v. Traffic Enforcement Cameras
July 15, 2012 • ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, CRIMINAL, DNA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, ILLINOIS, NEWSLETTER, SPEED CAMERA, TICKET CAMERA
The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states, “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right … to be confronted with the witnesses against him …” Known as the Confrontation Clause, this idea that a defendant should have th…
NMA E-Newsletter #182: 2012 Second Quarter Legislative Update
July 8, 2012 • CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, EVENT DATA RECORDER, ILLINOIS, IOWA, LEGISLATION, NATIONAL, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, PENNSYLVANIA, SPEED CAMERA, TICKET CAMERA
The NMA continues to advocate for motorists’ rights at the national, state and local level. Legislatures across the country took up a broad range of motorists’ issues in the second quarter of 2012. Here’s a brief summary of the driving-related iss…
NMA E-Newsletter #169:The Latest Generation of Traffic Busy Bodies
April 2, 2012 • CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LASER, NEWSLETTER, RADAR DETECTOR, SPEED LIMIT, SPEED TRAP
The police have a long history of enlisting citizens to assist with routine law enforcement tasks. Everyone is familiar with police-sponsored neighborhood watch programs, and many communities train volunteers to monitor traffic (complete with rada…
NMA E-Newsletter #167: Members Weigh In on Pay as You Drive Auto Insurance
March 18, 2012 • BLACK BOX, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, GPS TRACKING, INSURANCE, LICENSE, NEWSLETTER, PAYD, PRIVACY, SPEED CAMERA
NMA members are never shy about sharing their opinions. Our recent E-newsletter on Pay as You Drive (PAYD) auto insurance (#165: The Trade-Offs of “Pay as You Drive” Auto Insurance), spurred many to respond with their own thoughtful and provocativ…
NMA E-Newsletter #163 – DNA Sampling for Motorists: The Latest Threat to Privacy
February 19, 2012 • CALIFORNIA, CELL PHONE, DNA, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, ILLEGAL SEARCH, NEWSLETTER, PRIVACY, TRAFFIC STOP
Drivers face all kinds of threats to their privacy, and one area sure to garner increasing scrutiny is the collection of DNA samples during traffic stops. A recent example comes from California with the case of People v. Thomas. Motorist Troy Cors…
NMA E-Newsletter #161 – Ticket Amnesty Schemes: Misguided and Perpetual
February 5, 2012 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, LICENSE, NEWSLETTER, TEXAS, TICKET FINES, TICKET REVENUE
Policymakers love to use amnesty programs to demonstrate their magnanimity toward perceived rule-breakers or, more likely, to encourage them to fork over some of what they owe. Typical amnesty programs target things like delinquent taxes, overdue …
NMA E-Newsletter #157: An Insider’s Guide to the NMA Virtual World
January 8, 2012 • CELL PHONE, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, ROADBLOCK, SHORT YELLOW LIGHT, SOCIAL NETWORKING, SPEED LIMIT, SPEED TRAP, TICKET FIGHTING, TOLL ROAD
As the NMA’s digital footprint continues to expand, we’re always looking for ways to help you find and share driving-related information. Here are some tips and tricks for getting the most out of the NMA’s substantial online presence. When you rec…
NMA E-Newsletter #154: Will We Never Learn?
December 18, 2011 • CALIFORNIA, CELL PHONE, DISTRACTED DRIVING, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, IIHS, INSURANCE, LOUISIANA, MINNESOTA, NEWSLETTER, TEXTING, WASHINGTON
The feds are at it again. Anyone following the news last week almost certainly ran across a headline like this one from CNN.com: “NTSB recommends full ban on use of cell phones while driving.” In the frenzy to report this story, CNN and other medi…
NMA E-Newsletter #152: Gotcha! When Politicians Do Good
At the NMA we spend a lot of time documenting the misinformation, demagoguery and outright hypocrisy that pervade the pronouncements of public officials when it comes to red-light cameras. So when we catch politicians doing right by their constitu…
NMA E-Newsletter #143: Experience Matters
To paraphrase the late Art Linkletter: “Kids do the darndest things.” Government has taken that sentiment very seriously by establishing prescripted ages when our youth – all apparently in lockstep on the same maturity scale – are suddenly better …
NMA E-Newsletter #140: Lock, Stock, and Barrel
September 13, 2011 • EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, IIHS, INSURANCE, NEWSLETTER, RED LIGHT CAMERA, TICKET FIGHTING, TICKET FINES, TICKET REVENUE, TRAFFIC CAMERA, YELLOW LIGHT TIMING
The Herald-Tribune in Sarasota, Florida published an editorial in its September 6, 2011 edition that is unabashed in its support for red-light cameras. “Red-light cameras are lifesavers” uses many of the buzzwords and catch-phrases we see every da…
NMA E-Newsletter #132: The Roadblock Registry
July 19, 2011 • CALIFORNIA, CHECKPOINT, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, GEORGIA, NEWSLETTER, ROADBLOCK, SPEED TRAP, TRAFFIC STOP
When it is mentioned that Georgia conducts over 10,000 roadblocks per year, people may naturally assume this is a statistic from the former Soviet country that sits on the southern border of Russia. After all, there can’t be that many roadblocks s…
NMA E-Newsletter #130: It’s A Fee, Not A Fine
July 5, 2011 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, MONTANA, NEWSLETTER, RED LIGHT CAMERA, SPEED CAMERA, TICKET FINES, TRAFFIC CAMERA, TRAFFIC STOP
We don’t get the opportunity to write much about Montana. Big Sky Country has breathtaking vistas that make driving through the state a truly memorable experience. Montana’s prohibition of the use of red-light and highway speed cameras is an added…
NMA E-Newsletter #129: Mayors Buffaloed in Baltimore
June 28, 2011 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, IIHS, INSURANCE, NEWSLETTER, RED LIGHT CAMERA, SPEED CAMERA, TRAFFIC CAMERA
The 79th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors was held June 17-21 in Baltimore this year. Apparently the goal of the conference was to pass as many non-binding resolutions – well over 100 this year – as possible. One of our favorite resolution titles …
NMA E-Newsletter #121: Enlightened vs. Opportunistic
May 3, 2011 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, MARYLAND, NEWSLETTER, SPEED CAMERA, TICKET CAMERA, TICKET QUOTA, TICKET REVENUE, TRAFFIC CAMERA
This is a tale of two cities and how they approach their traffic safety responsibilities. As the newsletter title intimates, Roseville (California) and Chevy Chase Village (Maryland) represent a contrast of law enforcement philosophies. Let’s star…
NMA E-Newsletter #119: The Pressure To Redefine Our Rights
April 19, 2011 • ALPR, CALIFORNIA, CELL PHONE, CHECKPOINT, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FOURTH AMENDMENT, GPS TRACKING, LICENSE, NEWSLETTER, TEXAS
We don’t particularly like to report every few months about attacks on the Fourth Amendment, but here we go again. The crucial protection afforded U.S. citizens against unlawful search and seizure by that key component of the Bill of Rights contin…
NMA E-Newsletter #118: Two-Way Street
Last week’s newsletter (“Looking Twice”) noted a few things that motorists should do to share the roads more safely with motorcyclists. A California member, Louis Goldsman, subsequently sent us a copy of a letter to the editor he wrote about anoth…
NMA E-Newsletter #112: Here Comes The Annual Gas Crisis
The drumbeat is starting to roll, Spain is lowering its speed limit, public radio reports “regular for $4.21” a gallon in New York City, and the usual horror stories from California can only be around the corner. Never mind the small print where i…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #106
January 18, 2011 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, INSURANCE, LICENSE PLATES, NEWSLETTER, TOLL ROAD
Reader Feedback On Car Rental Service Fees Several readers provided personal perspectives on the topic of the extra fees charged by rental car agencies (re NMA Email Newsletter #103) for certain options or services, fees that many drivers aren’t a…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #105
January 11, 2011 • CALIFORNIA, CELL PHONE, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FOURTH AMENDMENT, GPS TRACKING, NEWSLETTER, TEXTING
The People v. Gregory Diaz: Twisting The Fourth Amendment In a disturbing decision issued in this new year, the California Supreme Court ruled 5 to 2 that the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not apply to cell phones and stored infor…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #85
Making A Difference This headline caught our attention: “Does Ruling Doom Red Light Cameras?” The story postulates that a recent decision by an Orange County, CA appellate court to overturn an earlier red-light running conviction could, in fact, b…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #76
Photo Ticket Games Issue #71 of this newsletter series, entitled “Police Protected,” highlighted a story of several Los Angeles area officers who had piled up dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of unpaid parking tickets without retribution. This is a…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #73
NHSTA Overreaction There are several pleonastic terms in common use: burning fire, black darkness, tuna fish, hot water heater, unfair speed trap. Pleonasm is the use of redundant terms in a single phrase to describe something. The title of this a…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #59
February 23, 2010 • CALIFORNIA, DUI, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FOURTH AMENDMENT, MICHIGAN, NEWSLETTER, ROADBLOCK, TICKET FINES, TRAFFIC STOP
Time to Revisit Sitz vs. Michigan Sitz vs. Michigan is the US Supreme Court decision that officially opened the door for roadblocks in the United States. The Michigan Supreme Courts ruled that DUI roadblocks were unconstitutional. The case was app…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #55
Excessive Force Ruling Could Limit Police Tasering The U.S. Supreme Court established a three-part test to determine when excessive force by police is justified. Is the officer being threatened? Is the suspect attempting to flee? Does the severity…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #53
January 12, 2010 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, SPEED LIMIT, SPEEDING, TICKET FIGHTING, TRAFFIC STOP
Eye In The Sky: Speed Enforcement By Air Currently, nineteen states have an aviation component to their enforcement of traffic laws. If you live in, or have occasion to drive through, any of the states shown below, you should be aware of how the p…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #41
October 20, 2009 • CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, RED LIGHT CAMERA, SHORT YELLOW LIGHT, TICKET FIGHTING, TICKET REVENUE, TRAFFIC CAMERA, YELLOW LIGHT, YELLOW LIGHT TIMING
Many Red Light Camera Programs Don’t Follow The Law The upcoming Nov/Dec 2009 issue of Driving Freedoms will include a story about three California communities that have skirted state law while operating their photo enforcement programs. Many loca…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #36
Think Twice Before Asking For That Continuance It has become standard advice to ask for a continuance when you receive a traffic ticket. The theory is that the delay improves the chances the officer will miss the trial, and this is generally true….
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #31
Texting While Driving Gains Attention Four Democratic U.S. senators proposed legislation last month that turned up the pressure on states to enforce bans on text messaging while driving. If enacted, states are threatened with losing federal highwa…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #27
July 14, 2009 • ARIZONA, DUE PROCESS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER, SPEED LIMIT, SPEEDING, TICKET FIGHTING
Justice, Arizona Style Last week we discussed the erosion of due process in Massachusetts, where defendants now have to pay a fee for the “privilege” of going to traffic court. Just to show that the East Coast doesn’t have a monopoly when it comes…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #24
June 23, 2009 • ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, LICENSE, NEBRASKA, NEWSLETTER, TICKET CAMERA, TICKET FIGHTING
How Do I Fight A Ticket From Another State? This story comes in many different variations, but the bottom line is “what can a person do to fight a ticket that was generated in another state.” Your options are limited. You can go back to that state…
NMA Email Newsletter: Issue #21
June 2, 2009 • ALABAMA, ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, DELAWARE, Driver's License, DUE PROCESS, EMAIL NEWSLETTER, FLORIDA, FOURTH AMENDMENT, GEORGIA, ILLEGAL SEARCH, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, INSURANCE, KANSAS, LICENSE PLATES, LOUISIANA, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, NEWSLETTER, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, RHODE ISLAND, TEXAS, TRAFFIC STOP, UTAH, VERMONT, WISCONSIN
Periodically we receive questions regarding what kinds of information a person is required to give a police officer upon demand. The review and discussion by NMA member Ted Levitt (included below) is a general overview of the topic, in particular …
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