Driving News Roundup: July 27, 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.
Ohio: Officer runs light, crashes, doesn’t get ticket
A Dayton police officer who caused a crash this week after running a red light without his lights and sirens on could face disciplinary action, but no ticket, according to city officials. Red-light video shows the officer slowing to a stop at the intersection, then driving through sans sirens and lights.
California: Traffic camera executive attempts to manipulate vote
A photo enforcement company executive that supposedly was fired last year for being caught attempting to manipulate an election in Washington state has been caught trying to do the same in California.
California: Bay area residents could soon be taxed per mile driven
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments are currently examining a plan to tax drivers by the number of miles driven instead of number of gallons burned. To do that, cars registered in the area would be fitted with a GPS device to track the number of miles traveled.
New Jersey: Red-light cameras certified
New Jersey is giving the green light to red-light cameras. Gov. Chris Christie says all of the cameras have been certified. The state suspended the pilot program last month in all but four municipalities after saying yellow lights might not be timed according to standards.
U.K.: Olympic VIP lanes baffle, anger London drivers
Confusion, frustration and delays reigned on London’s congested roads Wednesday, as lanes reserved for Olympic VIPs came into force two days before the start of the games. Traffic jams blocked some of the main routes into the city as the wildly unpopular “Games Lanes” took effect. The 30 miles (48 kilometers) of lanes are to operate from 6 a.m. to midnight throughout the games, and cars or taxi cabs that stray into them face a 130-pound ($200) fine.
Ohio: City’s distracted driving law could restrict eating, drinking behind the wheel
Next month, Ohio is set to become the latest state to ban texting behind the wheel, but if you’re passing through the city of Bowling Green, you could get a ticket for doing a lot more than that. The city council is mulling a measure that would make it illegal to drive “without giving full time and attention to the operation of the vehicle.” Critics say the proposal is so broad police could pull over a driver for doing just about anything, including taking a sip of pop.
California: 19-year-old traffic ticket from hell
A 50-year-old Avila Beach resident is staring down the barrel of losing everything she has due to a 19-year-old traffic ticket she received in Arizona. On Sept. 17, 1993, she was given a traffic ticket for lacking proof of insurance and an Arizona driver’s license. Nineteen years later, the traffic court in Phoenix wants more than $1,200 in fines to clear up the matter.
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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