Driving News Roundup: August 24, 2012
This is a weekly feature on the NMA Blog, running each Friday, where we highlight seven of the most interesting driving news stories of the week.
Why cell phone bans don’t work
Findings from a new study may explain why laws banning cell phone use in motor vehicles have had little impact on accident rates.
The proper setting of speed limits
Lt. Garry Megge with the Michigan State Police and John Bowman with the National Motorists Association discuss how speed limits should be set for maximum safety and traffic flow with Radio Health Journal.
California: How your $35 speeding ticket becomes a $235 fine
California’s fine for speeding starts at $35. But San Diego County drivers can expect to pay at least $235, thanks to court fees, a state surcharge and increasingly hefty penalty assessments —— extra dollars tacked on to fund local and state programs. California is a pioneer in adding fees to traffic fines, with some of the most expensive traffic tickets in the nation, critics say.
New York: Cuomo signs traffic bureau, speed-limit laws
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed new law Friday that allows Suffolk County to establish a “traffic violations bureau” that will let it — rather than state government — keep most of the proceeds from locally issued traffic tickets. The governor also approved measures to enact speed limits as low as 15 mph in certain neighborhoods.
Michigan: Connected cars take to Michigan to reshape the driving world
A citizen army of everyday drivers are taking to talking cars, buses and trucks to assemble a torrent of information about how drivers behave and what situations they encounter when behind the wheel. It’s the government-backed study of the connected car, and it’s happening on the tree-lined streets of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Washington D.C.: A speed camera could be lurking behind that bush
Speed cameras are getting smaller, smarter and more mobile as local governments increasingly turn to them to nab speeding drivers. Government traffic officials say the mobile cameras—which are less visible from the road and are housed in mailbox-like cabinets — keep drivers guessing, so they are more effective in slowing traffic. Opponents say the mobile cameras are a ploy to generate more revenue from unsuspecting drivers.
California: Corona officials to pull plug on red-light cameras
Corona is next in line to pull the plug on red-light cameras after a study session this week failed to gain enough support from city leaders to renew the program. The issue has stoked the anger of many Inland residents who say the cameras which use pictures and video to nab drivers running red lights cost too much and increase rear-end collisions.
To see more stories like the ones above, check out our NMA Driving News site. Each weekday we update the site with news stories that are interesting and/or informative for drivers like you.
You deserve every speeding ticket you get. You can complain all you want after the fact, but it's true. Find out why.
It's one of the "great" American past times: complaining about unfair speeding tickets. There are two types of people when it comes to complaining about this particular type of traffic ticket. Which group are you in?
3 dirty tricks that the ticket camera industry uses to steal money from safe drivers. Discover what you don't know.
Despite years of evidence showing that ticket camera companies don't care about safety and will do anything for a buck, there are few tricks that the average driver often fails to notice. You can help expose them.
