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, January 23, 2013
Maryland Considers Photo Ticket Reform
Lawmakers in Maryland are considering legislation to rein in the use of photo enforcement. In the past few months, a series of embarrassing revelations have cast doubt on the legality and accuracy of speed camera citations, including the admission that more than 5 percent of photo ticket recipients in Baltimore were likely innocent. Supporters of the technology in Annapolis are now scrambling to save a program that has lost credibility in the public eye.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Virginia Rejects Red Light Camera, Speed Limit Reform
Photo enforcement reform has been on the minds of Mid-Atlantic lawmakers, but the Virginia House of Delegates has rushed to declare nothing wrong with automated ticketing. By a lopsided 18 to 4 vote last Wednesday, the state House Committee on Science and Technology rejected an effort to place limits on cities using red-light cameras to ticket motorists making rolling right-hand turns on red.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Louisiana: Red Light Camera Adjudicator Guilty of Taking Bribes
An assistant district attorney in Lafayette, Louisiana who served as an adjudicator for red-light camera cases pleaded guilty to bribery charges on Thursday. Greg Williams, 44, admitted before a federal judge that he allowed individuals accused of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) to escape misdemeanor and felony convictions on behalf of a co-conspirator who has not yet been charged. The unnamed individual, in turn, provided gifts and cash to Williams and Williams’ secretary, Denease Curry, along with others in the district attorney’s office.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
France, Poland, UK: Speed Camera Sawed, Smashed, Scorched
A speed camera in the Borders region of Scotland caught fire last week Saturday just before midnight. According to The Scotsman, the device issued tickets on the A1 near Dunglass Roundabout. About twenty cameras have been attacked in the region since 2004.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Virginia Orders Longer Yellow Times at Intersections
The consensus is growing that drivers are being shortchanged by the duration of yellow lights at intersections. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) acknowledged this last week with a directive updating the way yellow times are calculated. On average, motorists will have about 0.5 seconds of additional time to come to a full stop. With the change, Virginia is following the lead of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) which released a study in October recommending state jurisdictions update their practices to be more consistent with proper engineering principles.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Illinois: Chicagoans Fight Back Against Red Light, Speed Cameras
By The Expired Meter Stephen Hinton does not like Chicago’s red-light cameras. Over the years, like the hundreds of thousands of other drivers who are issued red-light camera tickets every year, the 49-year-old Chatham, Illinois resident has received his share of $100 tickets being photographed entering an intersection when the traffic light had turned red. Hinton says it was the third, and most recent red-light camera ticket he received at 95th and Stony Island about a month ago that was at least part of the inspiration for starting an online petition to rid Chicago of the cameras.
