TheNewspaper.com Roundup: September 18, 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, September 18, 2013
Canada: Group Protests Missing Signs In Speed Camera Zones
An activist group in Winnipeg, Canada is upset that officials are issuing photo radar tickets in school zones without letting motorists know they are in a school zone. Wise Up Winnipeg members stood at the corner of Stafford Street and Warsaw on Friday warning drivers with bright yellow signs that read, “Unsigned school zone ahead.” The group wants to bring attention to the city’s refusal to act on a list of 203 locations where they say the signs do not comply with legal standards.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Vermont: Federal Lawsuit Challenges Bogus Traffic Stop
A man slapped with a bogus traffic ticket in Shelburne, Vermont is fighting back against the police officer who issued it. With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, Rod MacIver filed a suit in the US District Court for the District of Vermont on Thursday over the December 9, 2012 traffic stop. Officer Jason P. Lawton pulled over MacIver’s truck and accused him of running a red light, even though a dashcam video of the incident confirms that did not happen. When MacIver began arguing with Officer Lawton, he was slapped with a $214 ticket and two points against his driver’s license.

Monday, September 16, 2013
Florida Police Jail Man For Protesting Red-Light Cameras
Police in Apopka, Florida arrested a man on Saturday morning for distributing a petition that would put the issue of ending red-light camera use to a public vote. Mark E. Schmidter, a 66-year-old commercial roofing contractor, stood on the side of the road waiting for the light to turn red at the corner of East Main Street and South Park Avenue. Once traffic came to a stop, he would walk in between cars and distribute a double-sided sheet of paper. One side had a petition form that residents could fill out and a message urging participation in Wednesday’s city council meeting. The other side provided information on why cameras should not be used.

Sunday, September 15, 2013
Maryland: Speed Camera Set On Fire, Spraypainted, Sabotaged
Vigilantes in Howard County, Maryland burned a portable speed camera at 5am on Saturday. The automated ticketing machine was operating on Burntwoods Road in Glenelg. According to the Baltimore Sun, the private speed camera vendor will pay for replacing the device.

Friday, September 13, 2013
Virginia: City Hides Data Showing Increased Red-Light Camera Injuries
After holding out for more than three years, officials in Virginia Beach, Virginia finally released accident data that raise serious questions about whether the use of red-light cameras has improved traffic safety in the city. Comparing three years before and three years after camera installation, the number of injury accidents went down 12 percent throughout the city. At the twelve intersections where red-light camera tickets are issued, however, injury accidents went up 5 percent over the same period.

Thursday, September 12, 2013
Investors Go Negative On Toll Roads
Driving on toll roads will continue to be a growing expense for motorists, according to a special report released Tuesday by Moody’s Investors Service. The credit ratings agency keeps tabs on 42 American toll roads that collectively hold $80.2 billion in debt. Since toll road traffic remains depressed, motorists using these pay routes will have to pay higher tolls to meet the debt burden. While state and federal transportation officials remain bullish on tolling, Moody’s is cautioning potential investors.

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