National
Motorists
Association

Making Functional Laws Dysfunctional

By Jim Baxter, NMA President There are many traffic laws that function reasonably well---as long as they are not strictly enforced. Enforcing “the letter of the law” can make a reasonable regulation unreasonable. Prior to the passage of the National Maximum Speed ...

Michigan Cities Break The Law To Generate More Speeding Tickets

The Detroit News recently studied ten randomly selected intersections and found that the speed limit was set incorrectly on all ten. In response, State Representative Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, will be proposing a bill to require cities to follow the ...

Speed Limits: It’s 1974 All Over Again!

By Eric Peters, Automotive Columnist In the Department of Good News: VA is in the process of legalizing the de facto average/typical speed on highways such as I-81 and I-95. Governor McDonnell is expected to sign a new law raising the max ...

Utah Speed Limit Increase Has No Effect On Speed Or Safety

By John Carr, NMA Activist A year ago Utah became the second state in the modern era to post an 80 mile per hour speed limit. Since 1995 state law has specified a 75 mile per hour maximum speed limit. ...

Realistic Speed Limits Reduce Road Rage

In a recent article in The Detroit News, there was an interesting real-life example of how speed limits that are set too low can lead to an increase in dangerous, aggressive driving: [Michigan State Police First Lt. Thad] Peterson said ...

Speed Limits: Slower Does Not Mean Safer

As we've noted many times in the past, speed limits are the most safe when they are set using the 85th percentile speed. Numerous studies have shown that the 85th percentile is the safest possible level at which to set a ...

What Should Cities Do If 90% Of Drivers Exceed The Speed Limit?

According to an article on Chattanoogan.com, a recent traffic study performed on Signal Mountain, Tennessee's roads showed that more than 90% of drivers exceeded the posted speed limit. Can you guess what the city's response was to this fact? If you guessed ...

Nearly 80% Of Drivers Oppose 55 MPH National Speed Limit

According a recent US News & World Report poll, there is strong opposition to any law that would mandate a 55 MPH national speed limit. Fuel savings is the main argument used by the supporters of a return to a national ...

Ohio Cashes In On Freeway With Artificially Low Speed Limit

Unfortunately, there are plenty of stories like this one every week: All this week, packs of Columbus-based officers on white motorcycles have been prowling Akron's freeways, handing out tickets faster than a political candidate distributing fliers at a football game. During the ...

A New Way To Set Speed Limits?

Many drivers assume that speed limits are set scientifically using reason and logic, but the reality is that speed limits are highly political. Particularly in smaller towns. According to WDXE News, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee has decided to change some of their speed ...