By Eric Peters, Automotive Columnist
It’s amazing they haven’t outlawed the Wrangler.
“They” being the dumbing-everything-down busybodies in DC who operate on the principle that most people are too stupid to deal with any situation on their own and therefore must be protected (for their own good, naturally) against the possible repercussions of any low-IQ move by anyone. Read the rest of this article »
Each Wednesday, we’ll publish quick summaries of the articles from the last week on TheNewspaper.com. We’re doing this because these articles are often strongly connected to the issues that National Motorists Association members are interested in.
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
US Traffic Fatalities Continue to Decline
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced last week that road fatalities in the United States are continuing their decline at a record-shattering pace. According to preliminary figures, the number killed on the nation’s highways in 2011 per 100 million miles driven has dropped to an all-time low of 1.09, which is a full 25 percent drop from just six years ago. The total number of people who died on US roads last year dropped by the same percentage to 32,310.
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
US Senate Transportation Bill Mandates Black Box, More Rules
US House and Senate negotiators are currently working out differences in the opposing transportation reauthorization bills passed by the respective chambers. In an alert sent to members yesterday, the National Motorists Association (NMA) raised an alarm over a Senate-endorsed provision mandating the installation of black box recording devices in all automobiles beginning with the 2015 model year. Read the rest of this article »
By Gary Biller, NMA President
He sounds like a man with a strong urge to leave a lasting legacy on his way out of the door.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who is planning to step down from that post at the end of the Obama Administration’s first term, recently called for a federal ban on all cell phone use while driving. He has been quoted as saying that the police should have “the opportunity to write tickets when people are foolishly thinking they can drive safely or use a cell phone and text and drive.” Read the rest of this article »
By Eric Peters, Automotive Columnist
Americans’ love affair with the car may be headed for divorce court. The Pew Research Center did a study recently that says the number of people who still enjoy going for a drive has dropped from eight out of ten back in 1990 to just under seven out of ten today. Inescapable traffic — and over-the-top enforcement of “technical foul” traffic laws — are probably among the reasons why.
Traffic kills the joy of driving. What good is a 400 horsepower car when it’s difficult if not altogether impossible impossible to drive it much faster than 80 MPH? Read the rest of this article »
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.
Connecticut: Red-light cameras are a no go for now
Red-light cameras at busy intersections will likely not become a reality this year. The bill’s chief sponsor said the issue is dead.
Iowa: Traffic camera ban does not get senate approval
Another attempt at banning traffic cameras in Iowa has been scuttled in the Senate. A bill to ban the cameras has passed the House. The Senate on Tuesday declined to take it up.
U.S. Transportation Secretary disavows cell phone story
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is distancing himself from reports that he called for a federal law banning all cell phone use behind the wheel. The former Illinois congressman was in San Antonio, Texas speaking at a distracted driving summit.
Ohio: “Black box” in your car raising questions
Drivers might want to think twice before telling a police officer they were going the speed limit right before a crash. Their cars might know better.
Google approaching automakers to help build self-driving cars
Google Inc. wants self driving cars on the road sooner rather than later. It knows its autonomous vehicles work. Now, executives are approaching car makers about building the self-driving vehicles, according to The Detroit News.
Ontario: Traffic officers upset with quotas
A leaked memo references a quota imposed on Toronto Police traffic officers and also states their careers may be on the line should they not meet them.
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.
National News Stories From The NMA Forum
