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, August 26, 2015
Report: Southern California Red-Light Cameras Fail To Reduce Accidents
Red-light cameras are disappearing from California. Once the state had more than a hundred cities using automated ticketing machines, but by now a greater number of jurisdictions have canceled their programs than have functional cameras. On Monday, the Los Alamitos city council decided to keep its cameras despite a new report showing the devices have not improved safety.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Tennessee Court Highlights Ability Of Private Citizen To Conduct Traffic Stops
To keep a convicted drunk driver from going free, the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday decided to emphasize the private citizen’s right to pull over other motorists, even for minor traffic infractions. A three-judge panel reviewed the September 2, 2012 incident in which Pigeon Forge Police Officer Jeremy Croce stopped Steven Roy Wilburn outside of his jurisdiction. Though he did not realize it, the officer was not in Pigeon Forge — best known as the home of Dollywood — when he saw a lane violation. He had crossed into the neighboring town of Sevierville. The offense he witnessed was a Class C misdemeanor that is usually punished with a maximum fine of $50.
Monday, August 24, 2015
France, Italy: Speed Cameras Burned, Painted, Toppled
In Dolo, Italy, vigilantes took out a pair of speed cameras last week. La Nuova di Venezia e Mestre reported that the “Velo OK” automated ticketing machines that photographed each side of the road on the regional 15 were knocked over, thrown in a ditch and set on fire.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Redflex Stock Collapses In Wake Of Turmoil
It has been a bad week for the photo enforcement industry. On Monday, the Missouri Supreme Court issued three separate rulings declaring the red-light camera and speed camera ordinances unconstitutional. This was followed Thursday with Karen Finley’s plea of guilty to photo enforcement corruption in Chicago. Finley is the long-time leader of Redflex Traffic Systems of Australia, once one of the world’s leading vendors of automated ticketing machines. Now the company is fighting for its survival.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Federal Appeals Court Defends Use Of License Plate Frames
Frames that cover a small portion of the lettering of a license plate are not illegal in Illinois under a ruling handed down Wednesday by the Seventh Circuit US Court of Appeals. A unanimous three-judge panel overturned the conviction of Rodolpho Hernandez Flores that stemmed from his being pulled over on April 4, 2014 on Interstate 55 in Madison County for having a frame around the license plate on his silver 1999 Dodge Durango.
