2010 NMA Legislative Fund Drive
Our 2010 Legislative Fundraiser is in full swing, and many of you have responded not only with donations, but also with enthusiastic support for the specific motorist issues that we are focusing on this campaign. Thank you!
As an added benefit to your contributions to the NMA, each $30 you donate by July 30, 2010 will earn you a separate entry into the NMA Legislative Sweepstakes, where winners will be chosen by a random drawing in August. The more entries you have, the greater opportunity for you to win one of these great prizes:
- Apple iPad Tablet Computer
- Laser Pro Park Defense System
- Garmin StreetPilot i3 Portable GPS Navigation Unit
- Cheetah C100 Speed Camera Detector
More details about the contest, the prizes, and how to contribute can be found here.
Your help is needed to tackle each of the following key issues in the coming months:
1) Setting proper speed limits
Set limits based on the 85th percentile speed and eliminate speed traps
2) Establishing adequate yellow light intervals
Longer yellows dramatically reduce red-light infractions and seriously undermine the financial viability of red-light camera programs
3) Enacting realistic right-turn-on-red traffic enforcement policies
Change the policy to allow a yield, rather than a complete stop, before turning right against a red light, and kill the ticket camera programs that derive 80 percent or more of their ticket revenue from minor technical violations that don’t have safety implications.
4) Repealing laws that require disruptive and dangerous “move over immediately” driving maneuvers when passing roadside emergency vehicles
Changing lanes on short notice, at prevailing speeds, and with traffic in adjacent lanes, causes more safety hazards than what the “move over” laws are trying to prevent. There are actually reports of “move over” traps, where two police cars are parked on the side, one with lights flashing and the other to stop and ticket passing vehicles that don’t move over quickly enough.
The NMA has provided sample letters that can be sent to legislators for each of the four highlighted issues at www.motorists.org/letters/. For any or all of the issues that stir you to action, please consider sending your state representatives and senators your personalized version of the appropriate letter(s). It isn’t always easy getting the attention of politicians, but they do pay attention to letters from their constituents.
If you would like to donate to the fundraiser, please click here.
Newsletter Archives:
You can now view all past issues of the NMA email newsletter, including this one, online here: http://alerts.motorists.org/tag/emailnewsletter
Want to find the speed traps in your neighborhood?
Check out the NMA’s speed trap registry at www.speedtrap.org.