Driving the Vermont Back Roads. Photo by Nicholas Erwin (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
1. National Focus
2. Top Regional and Local Headlines
3. Motorist Corner
4. Best from Auto Press
5. Opinion
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National Focus
National Transportation Safety Board spoke up for putting speed limiters in all new vehicles at some point in the future. Trucks are already on the way for speed limiters, but we are talking about every passenger vehicle too. Here are some of the headlines, and please read the NMA take on speed limiters in this week’s newsletter (see below in the NMA section).
- NTSB pushes to enforce speed limits across the country with new technology (KCRA)
- NTSB in favor of new speed limiting system (Landline)
- A new vehicle system could stop you from driving above the speed limit (CNN)
- Cars that can’t speed? New technology being tested would prevent you from driving over the speed limit (MassLive)
- Speed limiter trucking proposal eyes June 2023 unveiling (Landline)
Gas and Diesel Prices are going up again. Here are the headlines from the past two weeks:
- OPEC makes bigger-than-expected production cut that could raise gas prices again (Autoblog)
- What OPEC’s 2 million-barrel cut could mean for U.S. gas prices (Axios)
- Biden is rethinking the US relationship with Saudi Arabia after OPEC cuts (NPR)
- Biden ‘disappointed’ by OPEC+ decision to cut oil production (The Hill)
- President Biden Calls OPEC+ Cut ‘Unnecessary,’ Signals New US Releases (Transport Topics)
- Biden administration weighs whether to shrink offshore drilling lease sales (The Hill)
- Opinion: Putin, OPEC, Big Oil: Biden’s against whoever’s responsible for gas prices (The Hill)
- US oil industry mocks Biden after OPEC+ announces production cuts (Fox Business)
- Rather than the White House whining about OPEC, America needs to drill, baby, drill — but Biden refuses (NY Post)
- House Democrats propose end to US troop protection in Gulf after OPEC cut (The Hill)
- Congress eyeing ‘NOPEC’ bill to take on Saudi Arabia (The Hill)
- Diesel sees largest increase in months (Landline)
- Georgia, Florida Get Gas Tax Holidays (Transport Topics)
Traffic Safety is always a concern for all road users. Recent headlines indicate we still all need to keep working on it!
- Study: Many US drivers treat partially automated cars as self-driving (Reuters)
- Drivers shouldn’t use driver-assistance tech like autopilot, group warns (CBS News)
- Advanced Driver Assistance Features Account for 13 percent of New Car Problems (The Detroit Bureau)
- Survey Finds Consumers Are Confused by Self-Driving Tech (IOT World Today)
- Rural roads are among America’s most deadly (State Smart Transportation Initiative)
- American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) Study Outlines Link Between Traffic Violations, Unsafe Driving (Transport Topics)
- Motorcycle Fatalities On U.S. Highways Have Doubled In The Last 25 Years. Why? (Forbes)
- This National Teen Driver Safety Week, Talk to Your Teens About Safe Driving (ABC CA)
The Federal Government has been busy working on motorist issues–whether we agree with what they are doing or not!
- White House Announces $60 Billion for Roads, Bridges (Transport Topics)
- $60B for Roads, Bridges Released – See How Much Your State Gets (Equipment World)
- White House Aims to Speed Up Pace of Building Infrastructure (Transport Topics)
- White House Publishes AI Guidance, Voluntary ‘Bill of Rights’ (GovTech)
- Rising prices, labor shortages threaten infrastructure law implementation: DOT report (Construction Dive)
- NHTSA Estimates Reveal an Increase in Fatal Car Accidents in First Half of 2022 (MotorBiscuit)
- NHTSA Confirms Fire Marshal’s Worst Fears About EV Fires After Hurricane Ian (Western Journal)
- US DOT updates safety strategy (Transportation Today News)
- EV Tax Credit Rules Put on Fast Track at Treasury (Transport Topics)
- US House Lawmakers Introduce EV Tech Bill (Transport Topics)
- NHTSA Launches New School Bus Safety Campaign (NHTSA)
- “There’s a bit of a cultural issue”: Pete Buttigieg gets real about the EV revolution (VOX/Recode)
- Feds Bust Major Car Theft Ring They Say Stole Dozens of Hellcats (The Drive)
- Senators push back on emissions mandates for states (Transportation Today News)
Here are some national police action headlines:
- Despite ‘defunding’ claims, police funding has increased in many US cities (ABC Los Angeles)
- Research: Reducing Deaths in Law Enforcement Custody (RAND Corporation)
- US Supreme Court rebuffs challenge to police qualified immunity defense (Yahoo News)
Surveillance continues to be in the news:
- The World’s Most Surveilled Cities, Visualized (Digg)
- License Plate Readers: Is Your Privacy Really at Risk? (Motor Biscuit)
- Speed monitoring programs change driver behavior and save lives (Police1)
- Opinion: Facial Recognition Has a Race Problem. Can Federal Law Help? (GovTech)
- Facial Recognition Technology Victimizes People of Color. It Must Be Regulated (Governing)
- Inventions that are fighting the rise of facial recognition technology (Free Think)
- What is Fog Reveal? A legal scholar explains the app some police forces are using to track people without a warrant (Yahoo News)
Automakers were again in the news for various reasons:
- GM Hit With $102.6-Million Verdict in Class Action Piston Ring Lawsuit (Road and Track)
- Tesla Unable to Secure Dismissal of Autopilot Rollover Prevention Patent Infringement Suit (Law Street Media)
- Auto industry falls short of EU sustainability targets (Auto News Europe)
- Stellantis CEO calls for talks to soften EU’s 2035 fossil-fuel car ban (Auto News Europe)
- Are Green Resource Wars Looming? (CounterPunch)
Here are the Auto Tech News Headlines from the past two weeks:
- As EVs Gain Popularity, What Will Happen to Gas Stations? (Governing)
- As EV sales grow, battle over US road weight limits heats up (Reuters)
- Even After $100 Billion, Self-Driving Cars Are Going Nowhere (Bloomberg)
- The percentage of electric-vehicle owners in the US who switch back to gas is shrinking (Autoblog)
- Statistics Show Americans Aren’t Ready For Self-Driving Cars (CarBuzz)
- New federal vehicle charging requirements aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution for many states (State Smart Transportation Initiative)
- There’s a billion-dollar bidding war for EV plants across the US (Autoblog)
- Recycled Battery Materials Can Work as Well as New Ones (Wired)
- Five-Minute EV Charging Could Become a Reality Thanks to Hot NASA Tech (MotorTrend)
The Trucking Industry continues to be part of the Driving News Headlines:
- The threat of a freight railroad strike is back (CNN)
- Supply Chain Rallies in Wake of Hurricane Ian (Transport Topics)
- Truck parking at home: When local governments say no (OverDrive Online)
- Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Launches Procedures for Inspections of Autonomous Trucks (Transport Topics)
- American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) report reinforces strong link between driver behavior, truck crashes (Fleet Owner)
- 5G Transition Opens New Opportunities for Autonomous Trucks (Transport Topics)
Here are the National Driving News Headlines:
- As Electric Vehicles Shrink Gas Tax Revenue, More States May Tax Mileage (PewTrusts)
- Remote work could increase driving and transportation emissions (State Smart Transportation Initiative)
- This Is What the Gas Station of the Future Will Look Like (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)
- Why ‘Carbon Emissions’ Are Now ‘Climate Pollution’ (Wired)
- Drivers must know their rights when stopped by police (The Voice US)
- These 10 US States Will Let You Add Your Driver’s License to Your iPhone (MacRumors)
- ‘Car Talk’ host: Independent auto shops deserve the right to repair your car (Washington Post)
International Driving News Headlines might be of interest:
- Europe seeks level playing field for its electric cars in US market (Autoblog)
- Free public transport in Europe: Is the social experiment working, or is it just a gimmick? (EuroNews)
- China Sets the Rules of the Road (Washington Post)
- Bogotá, Columbia Tries to Make Congestion Pricing Flexible and Equitable (Streetsblog USA)
- Chinese ‘flying car’ makes first public flight in Dubai (Reuters)
- How Finland Put Traffic Crashes on Ice (Bloomberg CityLab)
- French private speed camera cars caught over 500,000 drivers in 2021 (Connexion France)
- Record 5,600-speed cameras to be operating in France by 2023 (Connexion France)
- France’s oil strikes push on as petrol station queues worsen (The Guardian)
- VIDEO: First manned ‘air-taxi’ eVTOL flight completed in Italy by Volocopter (Traffic Technology Today)
- Japan: Toilet Maker Plans to Recycle Plastic Waste Into Sidewalks (Bloomberg)
- What happens if you get caught speeding in Norway? (World Akkam)
- Seoul Robotics Is Using 3D Scanners To Detect Wrong-Way Driving (GeoWeek News)
- New UK Report Shows The 2030 – 2040 Fossil Fuel Vehicles Ban Is A Huge Cost Benefit Fail (Alliance of British Drivers)
- London’s Secret Fix for Air Pollution: Making Drivers Pay Up (Bloomberg CityLab)
- New cameras that can see drivers not wearing seat belts to be trialed in the UK (Devon Live)
For a daily dose of motorist rights news, check out the NMA Driving News Feed today!
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Top Regional and Local Headlines
California
- New racial profiling research adds to growing push to reduce California cops’ role in traffic stops (San Francisco Chronicle)
- CA Governor Gavin Newsom wants to tax oil companies for soaring gas prices. It’ll be a bumpy road for motorists no matter what (Los Angeles Times)
- Will the rise of EVs mean the death of the gas station in California? (Detroit News/San Jose Mercury News)
- Majority of California voters favor gasoline-car phaseout. But all-electric goal faces tough opposition (Los Angeles Times)
- Toyota President Rains on Newsom’s Parade, Delivers Bad News on 2035 Deadline for Gas Car Ban (Western Journal)
- Motorists Vote 2022: A California measure would tax the rich to fund electric vehicles. Why is the governor against it? (The Guardian)
- Motorists Vote 2024: Oil Industry Moves to Overturn Historic California Drilling Protection Law (Inside Climate News)
- Motorists Vote 2022: Voters in six California counties to decide on road revenue (Landline)
- California makes digital license plates legal for everyone (Autoblog)
- California Finds Truck Parking Shortage Complicated by EV Mandates (Transport Topics)
- First Court in California Suppresses Evidence from Overbroad Geofence Warrant (Electronic Frontier Foundation)
- US awards $75 million loan to Santa Barbara county to extend high occupancy vehicle lanes on US 101 (Reuters)
- Hwy. 46 soon to be four-lane from San Joaquin Valley to Coast (Hansford Sentinel)
- Most people who work for San Francisco don’t live in the city. Here’s why (San Francisco Chronicle)
- State Funds $150M in San Diego, Imperial County Highway, Bridge Projects (Times of San Diego)
- Alameda Mayor Kills Protected Bike Lanes on Grand (Streetsblog San Francisco)
- Berkeley bike lane plan hits speed bump (CBS San Francisco)
- Los Angeles Invented Jaywalking Tickets to Serve Cars. It’s Time to Give Streets Back to Walkers (Governing)
- San Francisco’s expansion of police access to private cameras stirs debate (Yahoo News)
- San Francisco supervisors explore offering bounties for reporting of drivers blocking bike lanes (ABC San Francisco)
Florida
- Floridians seeing fewer gas tax holiday benefits than promised, data shows (WFTV)
- ‘A Ticking Time Bomb’: Florida Home That Survived Hurricane Burns to the Ground From EV (Townhall)
- Flooded Teslas are catching fire in Hurricane Ian’s wake (Autoblog)
- Florida judge nullifies Hillsborough County transportation tax question (Landline)
Hawaii
- Traffic Disruption Honolulu: Kuhio Avenue likely to see bus-only lanes installed (KHON)
- Hawaii DOT tests ‘plastic roads’ (Traffic Technology Today)
- Honolulu Fire Department Regularly Up Against ‘Rogue Drones’ (GovTech)
Illinois
- Study: IL has some of the worst roads in the US (WGN TV)
- Chicago ranks high when it comes to car accidents at intersections, report finds (WBBM 780)
- Plans to turn parts of all Chicago expressways into tollways (WGN TV)
- Chicago to Reduce Cars Through Transit-Oriented Development (GovTech)
- Chicago’s Red Light Cameras Keep Fueling Corruption Scandals (Reason)
- Chicago Parking tickets surge by 25.7% (Chicago Sun-Times)
- Chicago issues over 1M parking tickets in 6 months (Illinois Policy)
- Some Chicago traffic lights still broken months, even a year, after reporting to 311 (ABC Chicago)
- Eyes all over in North Riverside, IL (Riverside-Brookfield Landmark)
Massachusetts
- Motorists Vote 2022: What to know about the Massachusetts driver’s license ballot question (Axios)
- Massachusetts Reacts: NTSB Proposes Speeding Prevention Tech In Car Manufacturing (WBZ News Radio)
- Cambridge Advances Plans for Bus Stop Upgrades, Bike Lanes Around Harvard Square (Streetsblog Massachusetts)
Maryland
- Opponents sue over Maryland plan to add toll lanes to Beltway, I-270 (Washington Post)
- New Potomac River Bridge Finished 3 Months Ahead of Schedule (Equipment World)
- Baltimore City traffic camera revenue to flow into pedestrian safety projects under new law (WYPR)
- Fines begin in New Market as speed camera warning period ends (Yahoo News)
Michigan
- Michigan Lures $1.6 Billion Battery Factory in Fight for EV Jobs (Bloomberg CityLab)
- Michigan suspends Carvana’s dealer’s license for repeat violations (Autoblog)
- Michigan’s Future Mobility Relies on EV Charging Expansion (Governing)
- Ann Arbor’s new curbless-design State Street opens to traffic (Michigan Live)
- Detroit City Council Approves $7M ShotSpotter Expansion (GovTech)
New Jersey and New York Ongoing Issues
- NY, NJ lawmakers propose hefty fees for drivers over NYC red-light camera debate (ABC NYC)
- New York ‘dimwitted’ proposal targets New Jersey drivers (Landline)
- NJ Governor Phil Murphy takes request for congestion pricing study to Biden (NJ Online)
- NYC Congestion Pricing ‘Comes at the Expense’ of New Jersey (Bloomberg CityLab)
- Opinion: New York acting like the infamous NYC mafia crime families over New Jersey legislation (NJ1015)
New York
- New York cracking down on catalytic converter thefts (NY Daily News)
- Do peeling license plates challenge NY Thruway cameras when reading or billing? (FingerLakes1)
- Now 24/7, NYC speed camera tickets explode with $16M spike in fines during first weeks (Staten Island Live)
- Dix Hills couple fights NYC tickets after their license plate is stolen (Newsday)
- New York MTA Approves Expansion of Bus-Mounted Camera Tech (GovTech)
- Staten Island speed cameras net over $2M in August, data shows. Here are the top ticketing locations (Staten Island Live)
- NYC Politician proposes noise cameras amid surge in complaints (NY Post)
- NYC Sheriff Reboots Car Fine Collections After Costly Pandemic Pause (The City)
- Staten Island Expressway drivers continue to abuse HOV lane amid renewed calls for extension (Staten Island Live)
- NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission chair has ‘big concerns’ about MTA congestion pricing (NY Post)
- Mayor Adams’s ‘City of Yes’ Zoning Proposal Will Take on Parking Minimums (But How Seriously?) (Streetsblog NYC)
- Proliferation of ‘Micromobility Vehicles’ Vie for NYC Bus Drivers’ Attention as Collisions Up (The City)
- The eighth subway murder this year shows NYC’s public safety in deep decline (NY Post)
Ohio
- $1.96 billion sent to Ohio for roads, bridges, and more (Times Leader Online)
- Putting the brakes on car thieves targeting Kia and Hyundai vehicles in Central Ohio (ABC6 on Your Side)
- Cleveland Looks to Implement ‘Smart’ Parking Meters (GovTech)
Oregon
- 82 Percent of Oregon Voters Want More Police, Poll Says (Officer.com)
- Medford, OR changes yellow light timings following appealed ticket (KTVL)
- Portland, OR Vision Zero speed study shows limited results (Bike Portland)
Pennsylvania
- PennDOT following ‘roundabout’ way to improve road safety (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Patronage, politics, and parking tickets: Why the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) is the way it is (Billy Penn)
- Philadelphia: What Will Happen to Center City if There’s Nowhere to Park? (PhillyMag)
- More bike lanes open in Philadelphia as part of Vision Zero initiative (WHYY)
- PennDot is considering safety improvements (traffic calming) on Philadelphia’s perilous Lincoln Drive (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Electric Vehicle Charging Is a Challenge in Philadelphia (Governing)
- Philadelphia agrees to install or fix 10,000 curb ramps in class-action lawsuit settlement (Smart Cities Dive)
- Philadelphia to launch ‘Smart Loading Zones’ pilot program (WHYY)
Texas
- Early 2022 Estimates Reveal Texas Leads In Traffic Fatalities (Dallas Legal Examiner)
- Lyft Offers Argo AI Robotaxis in Austin (IOT World Today)
- The Great Central Expressway Speed Trap in Fairview (DMagazine)
Virginia
- Black, Hispanic drivers more likely to be stopped by police in Virginia (WUSA)
- Alexandria City Council considers installing five-speed cameras (WUSA)
- Vision Zero Watch: Arlington’s speed camera program slowly moves forward (Arlington Now)
- Fairfax may try out speed-monitoring cameras (automated speed cameras) as a pilot program (Inside NOVA)
- Secret parking minimums in Richmond are driving up development costs (Axios)
- Virginia Beach Police Chief offers update on technology initiatives (News13 Now)
Other Regional and Local Driving News Headlines
- Alabama Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth: I-65 widening from Tennessee line to Mobile ‘should have been done decades ago’ (1819 News)
- Beltline peril: Decatur, AL Councilman says traffic cameras may be needed on road with 404 wrecks this year (Yahoo News/The Decatur Daily
- Department of Transportation sending $771M to Arkansas for infrastructure (KNWA)
- Phoenix has approved Vision Zero for pedestrian safety. Here’s how it’s working in other cities (KJZZ)
- Another Colorado city to start using automated license plate readers (CBS Denver)
- A Major City (Washington DC) Moves to Ban Right Turns on Red (Route-Fifty)
- Georgia DOT seeks input on regional Transit Development Plan (Yahoo News/The Albany Herald)
- Thomasville enters into Six Month Trial contract with Flock Camera Systems (Times Enterprise)
- Sioux City, IA speed cameras prove to be effective (KTIV)
- Waterloo, IA council could see proposal to change downtown parking (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
- Baton Rouge traffic study shows locals create interstate congestion (Louisiana Illuminator)
- MnDOT stops installing system designed to reduce rural intersection crashes (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
- Public shows little concern about Mankato, MN police drone (Mankato Free Press)
- Kansas City Adopts Vision Zero (Planetizen)
- Billings looks at reconfiguring bus routes and expanding operating hours (Billings Gazette)
- Parking ticket problems put to rest in Bozeman, Montana (Autoblog)
- North Carolina to receive $1.54 Billion from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Yahoo News/WSOC)
- New Hampshire DOT Uses GPS Data to Rethink Speed Limits (GovTech)
- Flock crime cameras coming to Newark, Heath, and Hebron, NJ (Newark Advocate)
- Cape May County, NJ OKs 25 MPH on Cape Island (Cape May County Herald)
- Albuquerque to install security cameras to monitor new speed cameras (KRQU)
- Complete Streets Watch: New project expected to transform, improve downtown Las Vegas area (8 News)
- Rhode Island to appeal truck tolling decision (ABC6)
- Controversial Providence, RI bike lane trial coming to an end (WPRI)
- Widening I-26 in SC Between Charleston, Columbia Kicked Off (Equipment World)
- SD Highway Patrol early tips on how to prepare for winter driving conditions (Black Hills Fox)
- Metropolis Parking responds after complaints about Nashville private lots (Yahoo News)
- Davis County, UT: Adams Avenue Parkway toll rising from $1 to $2 to keep pace with expenses (Standard)
- Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT, Toll Would be $25-$30 Per Vehicle (SnowBrains)
- Vermont Will Pay You $3000 to Scrap Your Gas Car (Road and Track)
- WA State: Traffic Deaths Spike Highlights Pierce County’s Need to Change (Governing)
- Milwaukee’s mayor ‘STANDS’ for safer streets, says he needs the state’s help to combat reckless drivers (WMTJ)
- Waukesha, WI Police Department Issues Body Cameras For Officers (Patch Wisconsin)
- Motorists Vote 2022: WV Chamber calls Amendment 2 best way to axe vehicle tax (West Virginia Record)
Motorist-Related Legislative Headlines
- CA Governor Gavin Newsom calls special session on gas rebate (CalMatters)
- California governor vetoes tax credit for certain vehicle owners (Landline)
- California law abolishes parking minimums for new developments close to public transit (CapRadio)
- Biodiesel Fuel Gets Latest Push in Missouri (HB3) (Transport Topics)
- New York Could Be the Next State With a Gas-Vehicle Sales Ban (GovTech)
- Proposal would waive fees for commercial drivers licenses in New York (Spectrum New York)
Check out the NMA State Pages today!
Motorist Corner
In the past two weeks, the NMA E-Newsletter has focused on two issues that affect motorists directly:
- War on Parking Just Got Real: NMA E-Newsletter #717
- Speed Limiters Coming to a Highway Near You!: NMA E-Newsletter #718
Here are the posts that appeared on the NMA’s Driving in America blog:
- Countering the Safe Streets/Vision Zero Mindset
- The Complication of Auto Insurance—When You Need it Most
- A Measure of the Obsolescing
- Driving Safely They Aren’t
Lauren Fix, The Car Coach came out with three vlogs:
- California Looks to Cripple Supply Chains and Economy by Banning Diesel
- Soaring electricity bills are Crushing Budgets
- Beware Flood Damaged Cars: The Dangers You Should Know
Eric Peters posted two vehicle reviews:
We had a post for the Traffic Law Blog—this is a perk for NMA advertising attorneys:
And NMA in the News:
- PA Advocate Letter-to-the-Editor: Repeal Act 38 of 2020: Modified Stop-Arm Camera Law Is Unjust (Lower Buck Source)
If you have written and had posted a motorist rights advocacy letter-to-the-editor or find a news story where the NMA is mentioned, please send us the link via email nma@motorists.org. Here are some links of interest: the NMA website, NMA Issues Pages, and the NMA Blog. Check them out today!
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Best from Auto Press
- These Vehicles Are Dead for 2023 (Car and Driver)
- I Was an Engineer at a Major Automaker. Here’s the Dark Side of the Job (The Drive)
- A Lot of You Are Paying More Than $1,000 a Month for Your Car and It’s a Little Worrying (Jalopnik)
- The EV Revolution Promised Wagons. So Where Are They? (The Drive)
- Do Solar-Powered EVs Make Any Sense? I Drove a Prototype To See How It Could Work (The Drive)
- Everyone Has the Wrong Idea About EV-Converted Classic Cars (Road and Track)
- Cold Start: The Rise and Fall of Car Companies Building Refrigerators (The Drive)
- How MPGe Works For Electric Cars (Road and Track)
- The Hyundai/Kia Theft Fix Is a Lot Worse Than You Think (Jalopnik)
- Documentary: ‘The Fastest Woman On Earth’ is the inspiring, heart-wrenching story of Jessi Combs (Autoblog)
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Opinion
Speed Limiters Coming to a Highway Near You!
During driver’s ed class, many of us drove lesson cars with speed governors. Newbies needed them so they wouldn’t endanger themselves or their trainer by accidentally hitting the gas instead of the brakes.
But no one ever imagined speed governors (now called limiters) would become standard equipment on a car, especially when driving requires situational awareness and the ability to speed, brake, avoid, honk, etc.
(click on title for full op-ed)