The NMA Office receives numerous calls throughout the year from members asking how to defeat a speeding ticket they happened to receive driving in another state. Unfortunately, these are rather difficult to fight because many small towns and counties target out-of-state drivers. After all, authorities know they won’t come back to fight the ticket. Ticketing out-of-state drivers is how towns, the police, and even the county or small town traffic court make money to pay themselves. Sad, but true.
This is why the National Motorists Association sponsors a driver-curated website called www.speedtrap.org and a Twitter account @speedtrapx. If you find a speed trap, whether you receive a ticket or not, please place the information under the state and city on the website. All new speed traps are then tweeted.
Some drivers have had enough and, with the American Civil Liberties Union, have filed a class action against the Kansas Highway Patrol. The suit alleges that the state’s HP deliberately targets out-of-state drivers, especially those from Colorado. This lawsuit will indeed be one to watch and perhaps an important one for all motorists who have ever been caught in a speed trap. If successful, more motorists will perhaps consider using the court system to stop this heinous practice of speed entrapment.
Trending this week in the news is the New York City Council’s passage of the Reckless Driver Accountability Act. This new law will allow the city to take your car if you receive five red-light cameras or 15 speed camera tickets in a year. This abuse of civil asset forfeiture is of the worst kind and talk about speed traps—the entire city is one. The default speed limit is 25 mph, there is practically a red-light and/or speed camera on every street, and parking goes away every day. Many media outlets filed stories:
- City To Confiscate Cars Over Speed Camera Tickets –The Newspaper.com
- She Ran Over and Killed 2 Children. Should She Have Had a Car? (NMA Mention) –New York Times
- Council’s ‘Reckless Driver Accountability Act’ Passes Committee — But Not Without Friendly Fire (NMA Mention) –Streetsblog NYC
- Speed camera violations–Plan to impound cars approved by City Council –Staten Island Live
- Opinion: Impound our cars, and Staten Islanders really will secede –Staten Island Live
In International Driving News
Across the Pond—UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants all cars in the country to be non-gas by 2035—this includes hybrids. Bloomberg News reporter this week that the plan is to stop selling gas powered vehicles by 2032.
Also, in the UK a report came to our attention which must be very frustrating for vehicle owners: Catalytic converter theft: hybrid car owners face insurance nightmare
Civil Asset Forfeiture in the News
Alabama
Bill HB120 Would End Civil Asset Forfeiture –Tenth Amendment Blog
Michigan
Class-Action Lawsuit Challenges Detroit’s Asset Forfeiture Racket –Reason
South Carolina
Prosecutor appeals overturning of SC’s forfeiture laws –Daily Interlake
A Great Deal is going on with Driver’s Licenses and the DMV around the Country
National
- US Senate Bill to Allow Interstate Truckers under 21 Touted at Hearing –Transport Topics
- Real ID compliance may leave up to 85,000 stranded the first day; US Senators aren’t having it –USA Today
- How Fines and Fees Reform Became a Priority for Cities across the Country –Route Fifty
Georgia
- GA Department of Driver Services offers new option for taking driver’s license road tests –Savannah Now
Massachusetts
- Immigrant driver’s license bill moves forward –Common Wealth Magazine
Michigan
Nevada
- More registered voters in Nevada after new law takes effect –The Hour.com
- DMV eliminates parallel parking from driving exam (video report) –Fox 5 Vegas
South Dakota
- City, business leaders turn out in force for Spanish-language driver’s license bill SB70 –Argus Leader
Utah
- Does privacy outweigh research? Lawmakers grapple with driver’s license data in Bill HB183 –Deseret.com
Virginia
- Bill SB34 granting licenses to undocumented immigrants advances (Also, identical HB1211) –Washington Times
- Voters May No Longer Need to Carry Photo IDs such as a Driver’s License (SB65) –WAMU
West Virginia
Wyoming
- Wyoming DOT unveils new hi-tech REAL ID driver’s license –Buckrail.com
Speed Limits and Traffic Ticket Quotas also in the News
National
- Speeding Ticket Industry Offers Bounty To States Issuing More Citations –The Newspaper.com
California
- First Bill in Response to Speed Limit Study (HB 2121) –Streetsblog CA
Florida
- Gainesville Police Chief: 4 in 10 traffic stops are on I-35, US82 –Gainesville Register
Iowa
Massachusetts
- State Police overtime scheme, illegal ticket quota was devised by higher-ups 20 years ago, former trooper says –Boston Globe
Tolling in America is always in the News
National
- Audit Reveals The High Cost Of Toll Roads –The Newspaper.com
Alabama
California
Florida
- Florida’s Turnpike turns to collections for $150M in outstanding bills (video report) –WFTV
- Orange County: Plan to extend Osceola Parkway toll road through Split Oak Forest moves forward –Click Orlando.com
Maryland
New York
- NYC Congestion Pricing Needs Federal Approval; Report Says –Patch.com
- Toll evasion could lead to misdemeanor –Hudson Valley 360.com
- Governor Andrew Cuomo Targets Motorists who Deface License Plates to Avoid Tolls –Streetsblog NYC
Oregon
- Tolling on I-5, I-205 in Portland area ‘years away’ –Columbian.com
Virginia
Washington State
- WSDOT says Seattle tunnel working well on one year anniversary –My Northwest.com
Wyoming
Thank you for reading the National Motorists Association’s Driving in America Blog. If you find an online article of interest concerning motorists’ rights, please drop us the link via email to nma@motorists.org. Interested in discussing this blog, please write your comments below or join the discussion on Facebook.
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