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, October 10, 2012
South Carolina: Traffic Camera Company Busted for Failing to Pay Ticket
The owner of a speed camera company faces $1400 in delinquent fines for violating ethics laws in South Carolina. William B. Danzell, the chairman of iTraffic Safety, has spent his career forcing motorists he calls “scofflaws” to pay up. Now the State Ethics Commission says Danzell has himself been a scofflaw for the past 10 months. In April, the commission sent iTraffic Safety a cease and desist order in April prohibiting Danzell from undertaking any efforts to promote speed cameras or other citation delivery programs to lawmakers in Columbia. The commission confirmed that Danzell’s debt remains outstanding.
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Florida: Audit Fails to Document Safety Improvement from Traffic Cameras
There is no evidence that the red light camera program in Tallahassee, Florida has done anything to reduce the number of collisions in the city, according to Tallahassee City Auditor Sam M. McCall. McCall’s office released a report on the program late last month based upon a review of the available evidence for the program that became operational August 1, 2010. The for-profit vendor Affiliated Computer Services (now Xerox) currently issues tickets at seven automated ticketing locations.
Monday, October 08, 2012
Australia: State Caught Exploiting Short Yellow Signal Times
A court challenge forced officials in Victoria, Australia to admit last week that red light cameras at eight intersections have been extremely productive because the yellow warning times were illegally short. The yellows fell short anywhere between 0.5 and 1.5 seconds with the incorrect timing in place, in one instance, for seven-and-a-half years.
Sunday, October 07, 2012
England, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Scotland: Speed Cameras Defeated, Destroyed
Vigilantes in Scotland decapitated a pair of speed cameras last week. The automated ticketing machines were located on the A68 in Birkenside and were cut down with a saw, the Border Telegraph reported.
Friday, October 05, 2012
Analysis: Red Light Cameras Increased Accidents in Murrieta, California
As Election Day nears, opponents of red light cameras in Murrieta, California are making the case that photo enforcement has not made the city safer. Measure N on the November 6 ballot gives residents the opportunity to decide whether American Traffic Solutions (ATS) should continue to issue $500 tickets in the city, or the firm should be send packing. A new analysis of traffic accidents at photo enforced intersections in the city provides powerful ammunition to camera opponents who dispute the safety claims of proponents.
Thursday, October 04, 2012
Maryland Governor Pushes Photo Ticketing Agenda
While New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) dropped his endorsement of photo enforcement last week, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D) took to the airwaves Tuesday to defend it. In an interview on WTOP Radio’s “Ask the Governor” show, O’Malley sung the praises of a program run by a corporations that provided thousands in donations to his campaign.
