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, July 23, 2014
Texas Motorist Wins $77,500 After Traffic Cops Steal Cash
Police in Estelline, Texas are sorry they ever pulled over Laura Dutton. The 64-year-old woman was stopped on November 28, 2012 as she was returning from a trip to Amarillo on US Highway 287. Police Officer Jayson Fry, the city’s lone officer, was manning a speed trap a few feet away from the sign marking the speed limit drop when she passed through Estelline.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Bermuda To Seize Cars Over Window Tint
Police in Bermuda have wide discretion to impound automobiles when a driver is believed to have a suspended driver’s license or lacks insurance. The parliament this month broadened seizure powers to allow officers to take any automobile driven by anyone suspected of drunk driving. He may also seize a car that smells bad or has dark window tinting.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Illinois Man Sues Over Chicago Redflex Fraud
Crime should not pay, says an Illinois motorist, regarding red-light camera vendor Redflex Traffic Systems. Matthew G. Falkner, an investment banker, argues that the Australia firm unjustly enriched itself to the tune of $100 million from vehicle owners in Chicago through bribery and corruption. He does not want them to get away with it.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
France, Germany: Traffic Cameras Disabled
In Linas, France, vigilantes disabled a speed camera on Tuesday. Le Parisien reports that white spraypaint was used to block the lens of the recently installed automated ticketing machine on the N20 toward Paris. White paint was also used to take out the photo radar device in Vic-sous-Thil on Wednesday, according to Bien Public. Police have no idea who might be responsible.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Study: California Cell Phone Ban Fails To Reduce Accidents
Six years ago, California began enforcing a ban on the use of cell phones behind the wheel. In the latest edition of the journal Transportation Research, a study found that issuing tens of thousands of $170 tickets each year for this new offense failed to yield measurable safety benefits.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Massachusetts: Smell Of Marijuana No Longer Justifies Car Search
Police in Massachusetts may no longer perform a warrantless search of an automobile merely because an officer says that he smells burned or unburned marijuana. The state Supreme Judicial Court last week decided a pair of cases setting down these rules in light of the commonwealth’s move toward marijuana decriminalization in a 2008 ballot initiative.
