Driving News Roundup: October 12, 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.
Spain: Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication allows for automated traffic fines
If you’re the type of driver that leans more toward offensive rather than defensive driving, you might want to take it easy on the speeding and pay attention to those stoplights — systems to automate traffic fines are in the making. The whole system is based on vehicle-to-vehicle communication via sensors, where cars can trade information in the flow of traffic and allow for crimes to be reported.
New York: Red-light cameras take advantage of short yellow lights to increase ticket revenue
City intersections with red-light “gotcha’’ cameras routinely cut short the time that motorists have to make it through yellow lights, running up the number of tickets issued and milking drivers already getting clobbered by record gas prices and skyrocketing tolls, The Post has learned.
noPhoto claims to offer high-tech impunity from speed cameras
This inventor’s idea began when he first noticed that some cameras can pickup the infrared light from a television remote. Three years later, he has completed the noPhoto license plate carrier prototype, an ingenious device that thwarts most traffic cameras with a Xenon flash in The Man’s ever-seeing eye.
National database goes after drivers with unpaid speeding tickets
States are using a national database designed to track down problem drivers, including drivers with unpaid speeding tickets. If your name appears on the database you could find yourself unable to renew your driver’s license.
Florida: Audit fails to document safety improvement from traffic cameras
There is no evidence that the red-light camera program in Tallahassee, Florida has done anything to reduce the number of collisions in the city, according to the Tallahassee City Auditor. The office released a report on the program late last month based upon a review of the available evidence for the program that became operational August 1, 2010.
Iowa: ACLU joins effort to ban traffic cameras
The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa is supporting two residents who are trying to ban traffic cameras in Iowa City. The two residents have filed an affidavit to start an initiative that ultimately could let voters decide. The ACLU has submitted to the City Council a legal argument in support of the pair’s effort.
Washington D.C.: Traffic whistleblower’s efforts stall
A veteran Metropolitan Police sergeant says higher-ups at the department and the city council chairman are protecting a manager accused of misusing department funds, failing to rescind defective speed-camera citations and improperly voiding legitimate tickets. He also said that despite being dubbed a whistleblower, he has been removed from his post.
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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