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, June 04, 2014
Maryland: AAA Celebrates Speed Camera Coverup
A series of changes to Maryland’s speed camera statute took effect Sunday, and AAA Mid-Atlantic is celebrating the new law as “real reformation.” Not so fast, say motorist advocacy groups who say it will be business as usual.
Tuesday, June 03, 2014
Judge Shames California City, City Dumps Red-Light Cameras
The photo enforcement industry is in free fall in California. Once there were more than one hundred municipalities allowing private companies to issue red-light camera tickets in the state, but now there are just 43 operational programs left after the city of Laguna Woods decided last week to allow the photo ticketing contract with the troubled Australian vendor Redflex Traffic Systems to expire on June 30, bringing the red-light camera casualty list to 62 cities.
Monday, June 02, 2014
Pennsylvania Court Upholds Right of City To Dump Camera Contractor
With municipalities around the country deciding to drop red-light camera programs at a record rate, the photo enforcement industry has turned to suing their own municipal clients to prevent a loss of business. This conduct will not be allowed in Philadelphia, a three-judge panel of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled on Friday.
Sunday, June 01, 2014
France, Germany, Italy: Speed Cameras Degraded
In Gifhorn, Germany, a speed camera was damaged after failing to prevent an accident caused by a drunk driver last week. Just before midnight on May 23, a 29-year-old Latvian woman drove her Mitsubishi on Bromer Strasse, slamming into the back right side of a Volkswagen, spinning it off the side of the road where a mobile speed camera tripod had been set up. According to police, a blood test revealed the Latvian woman had a 0.15 blood alcohol content. About 11,000 Euros (US $15,000) in damage was done to the cars involved, but officials did not release information on the amount of damage to the speed camera.
Friday, May 30, 2014
UK Report: $500 Million Profit From Parking Ticket Cameras
Local government authorities throughout the United Kingdom are increasingly turning to cameras to issue automated parking tickets. Through a combination of fixed camera setups and mobile closed-circuit television (CCTV) cars, 71 localities issued 6,661,359 citations that generated £312,014,707 (US $521,688,590) in revenue from 2008 to 2013, according to a report released last month by Big Brother Watch.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Ohio Senator Moves To Rescue Speed Cameras
Fearing the popularity of House-passed legislation and a pending state Supreme Court ruling that could curtail the use of speed cameras, Ohio state Senator Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) introduced legislation that would rescue the photo ticketing industry from its troubles. The state Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee began consideration of his bill on Wednesday.
