Driving News Roundup: July 13, 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.
DEA installs license-plate recognition devices near Southwest border
Clusters of what at first appear to be surveillance cameras have begun turning up in recent months on the Southwest border, and while some of the machines are merely surveillance cameras, others are specialized recognition devices that automatically capture license-plate numbers and the geographic location of everyone who passes by, plus the date and time.
Smart headlight system will allow drivers to see through the rain
Drivers can struggle to see when driving at night in a rainstorm or snowstorm, but a smart headlight system invented by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute can improve visibility by constantly redirecting light to shine between particles of precipitation.
Texas: Houston woman jailed for ‘Speed Trap’ sign receives support
A Houston woman who was arrested after she attempted to warn drivers about a speed trap is receiving support across the nation after her story went viral.
Will robot cars kill off car insurance?
A new report predicts that futuristic robot cars and widespread advances in safety technology could eventually drive auto accident rates down to zero or close to it and cause insurance premiums to plummet in the near future, or even end auto insurance as we know it.
Bike sharing sparks ‘street war’ between motorists, cyclists
The battle between car drivers and bicyclists is becoming more pronounced as bike-sharing programs spread across the country. The programs, in which people rent bicycles for short periods of time from self-service kiosks – including many tourists and first-time riders unaccustomed to local traffic patterns – can lead to safety problems that are hard to blame on just bicyclists, pedestrians or motorists.
New Jersey: Six more N.J. cities being sued over red-light cameras
Class-action litigation over New Jersey’s red-light cameras has expanded to six more cities and towns and could grow in the weeks ahead. Motorists may have been illegally fined for running red lights after municipal traffic officials failed to complete required inspections of the cameras and intersections.
Missouri: New law improves chances of avoiding red light ticket
You might notice yellow lights getting a bit longer at intersections throughout Missouri. Governor Jay Nixon has signed a law regulating the minimum length before yellow lights change over to red.
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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