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, December 12, 2012
UK Government Considers Exempting Taxman from Speed Limits
Speeding can sometimes save lives, the UK Department for Transport (DfT) admitted late last month. The department is currently considering whether to give customs and revenue agents license to break the country’s speed limits. This would free the agency from the strict monitoring to which ordinary motorists are subjected through one of the world’s largest speed camera networks.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Poland: Naked Speed Camera Protester Fined $315
A court in Szczecinek, Poland on Monday imposed a 1000 zloty (US $315) fine against a man who made an unusual protest against the use of speed cameras. In October, Mariusz Sztuba hopped on his bicycle wearing nothing but sneakers on his feet and undergarments on his head. He raced past a speed camera in Bialy Bor at 53 km/h (33 MPH) in the 40 km/h (25 MPH) zone, so it snapped a photograph. Officials were not amused by what they saw.
Monday, December 10, 2012
New Mexico: Report Documents Benefit to Longer Yellows
The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico began scaling back its red-light camera program in response to public pressure two years ago. Instead of operating cameras, city officials decided to apply a modest increase to the yellow signal duration at eighteen of the twenty intersections where cameras had previously been used. A report released in September found the change had produced a measurable benefit.
Sunday, December 09, 2012
Belgium, Italy, UK: Speed Cameras Attacked
Five speed cameras were installed on Monday in Cassano d’Adda, Italy, a town near Milan. By Tuesday, vigilantes had destroyed two of the “VeloOk” devices placed along Via Europa. The automated ticketing machines were both unscrewed from the ground and knocked over, and one of them was pummelled with a club, according to Milano Today. “It is perhaps worth pointing out, so that people know clearly, these [speed cameras] do not cost public money, but they have been provided free of charge by the manufacturer,” Police Commander Varno Maccari said in a statement.
Friday, December 07, 2012
New York: Federal Appeals Court Upholds Motorcycle Roadblock
The Second Circuit US Court of Appeals last week upheld the use of roadblocks designed to detain motorcyclists so they can be issued $85 tickets when wearing unapproved helmets. Some motorcyclists object to being forced by law to wear helmets they believe reduce their awareness of surroundings, with objectors turning to the use of “novelty” helmets as a form of protest. New York is one of only 19 states that currently require all riders to wear a DOT-approved helmet.
Thursday, December 06, 2012
Washington City Charges Public $670 to Exercise Constitutional Right
Red-light camera ticket recipients in Tacoma, Washington are being told they need to buy $30 meals and $114 hotel rooms for employees of an Australian company if they want to exercise their rights under the Sixth Amendment. Motorist Kevin Schmadeka had gone to the courthouse to gather information to use to defend himself, then found out he was supposed to pay a total of $670 in travel expenses for an employee of Redflex Traffic Systems if he wanted to confront the witnesses against him.
