Driving News Roundup: February 3, 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.

Mississippi: Sheriff proposes new radar gun legislation
Just about all county Sheriff departments in Mississippi are banned from using radar guns to catch speeders. The law was enacted decades ago, after counties were suspected of setting up speed traps and cashing in on the fines. One local sheriff is pushing hard to change this law.

Texas: Estelline billboard warns of speed trap
The folks in Estelline don’t need a billboard on the north end of the tiny town in Hall County to remind them. They know what everyone else in this part of the world also knows.

Iowa: House panel OK’s red-light camera ban
A House panel has voted to ban the use of automated cameras to enforce traffic laws. The House Transportation Committee approved the ban Thursday on a 15-6 vote, sending it to the full House for debate.

Illinois: Governor’s office seeing strong opposition to Chicago speed-camera bill
Based on constituent feedback received by the Governor’s office, there is strong public opposition to the Chicago speed-camera bill with public sentiment against the legislation heavily outweighing support by a 9-1 margin.

California: Officer absences in traffic court giving violators a break
If you get a traffic ticket in Oakland, an Alameda County judge says odds are good you can beat it if you fight the violation in court. As long as the enforcing officer does not show up for your court date.

South Dakota: Bill on points for speeding tickets fails
South Dakota drivers won’t get points for speeding tickets after a bill on traffic violations failed to pass the House on Monday.

California: Woman wins Civic Hybrid lawsuit against Honda
Heather Peters sued Honda in small-claims court in Torrance, California over the gas mileage she was getting in her Honda Civic Hybrid, which was around 20 miles per gallon less than Honda had advertised.

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.

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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?

7 Stories of Speed Trap Revenge: These drivers didn't let the authorities get away with their corrupt traffic enforcement practices. See how the little guys fought back.

This collection of stories will definitely entertain you, but make sure you don't buy into the underlying message. Find out the dangerous myth that these stories perpetuate.

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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.