TheNewspaper.com Roundup: April 17, 2013


Each Wednesday, we’ll publish quick summaries of the articles from the last week on TheNewspaper.com. We’re doing this because these articles are often strongly connected to the issues that National Motorists Association members are interested in.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Indiana Appeals Court Upholds Stop For Dim License Bulb
The burned out license plate light has long been a favorite charge used by law enforcement to pull over drivers when the officer has a hunch about some other form of wrongdoing. Drivers rarely inspect these bulbs, so it is easy for them to burn out, unnoticed. Earlier this month, the Indiana Court of Appeals decided to expand the precedent to include stopping cars with functional, but dim, license plate lighting.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013
California: Firm Rigs Data In Bid To Keep Red-Light Cameras
Ever since November when voters in Murrieta, California rejected red-light cameras at the ballot box, American Traffic Solutions (ATS) has been on a campaign to turn them back on. The strategy has been two-fold: use the courts to overturn the public’s decision, then convince the city council to reactivate the devices in the name of public safety. Anti-camera activists say they have caught the photo ticketing company manipulating data to achieve these ends.

Monday, April 15, 2013
Ohio City Pays Thousands Over Illegal Parking Ticket
Cities often pressure meter maids and police officers to issue a given number of tickets before their shift ends as part of their performance evaluation. These individuals respond by identifying locations where the law is unclear and motorists become confused, thus maximizing ticketing volumes. Last week, Port Clinton, Ohio expressed the deepest form of regret for creating such a circumstance, as the city was forced to pay out thousands in compensation for an illegally issued citation.

Sunday, April 14, 2013
Italy, France, UK: Speed Cameras Burned, Smashed, Bagged
Vigilantes set fire to a speed camera outside of London around 1am last week Sunday, the Wimbledon Guardian reported. The device had been issuing tickets on the A297 St. Heiler Avenue near Morden Hall Park.

Friday, April 12, 2013
California: Toll Roads Generate $1.7 Billion In Red Ink
The debt load accumulated by the toll roads in Orange County, California is unsustainable, according to a study released Tuesday by the Pacific Research Institute. Researchers Donna Arduin, former budget director for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and Wayne Winegarden, a senior fellow at PRI, examined the financial status of the publicly owned Foothill-Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency’s 241 toll road and the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency’s 73 toll road.

Thursday, April 11, 2013
Maryland Gives Up On Traffic Camera Reform
Maryland’s General Assembly adjourned for the year on Monday with balloons and confetti showering delegates. Governor Martin O’Malley (D) made the rounds, congratulating lawmakers on for a job he considered well done. Photo enforcement firms also ended the day with a celebration after their investment paid off with the defeat of all legislation that might have imposed limits or quality checks on their ticketing operations.

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