Wildcat Mountain along the Kickapoo River in eastern WI, Photo by Yinan Chen, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
1. National Focus
2. Top Regional and Local Headlines
3. Motorist Corner
4. Best from Auto Press
5. Opinion
~
National Focus
The Department of Justice reported that the Feds busted a $545 million catalytic converter theft ring. The question remains: Will this put a dent in the overwhelming catalytic converter thefts occurring all over the country?
Auto and Traffic Safety topped the Driving News Headlines This Week:
- US Traffic Safety Is Getting Worse, While Other Countries Improve (Bloomberg CityLab)
- Finally, Someone Came Up with a Decent Female Crash Test Dummy (Car and Driver)
- How to make vehicles safer against hot car deaths (Auto News Europe)
- Rules of the road: Increasing congestion makes driving basics crucial to safety (Greenville Journal)
- People die from drowsy driving: Here’s how many and who may be wreaking the most havoc (Yahoo News)
- Drivers are 16 percent more likely to hit a deer next week — the time change may be why (The Hill)
- Leading Pedestrian Interval Puts People Walking First (CalBike)
- The Car Safety Feature That Kills the Other Guy (Slate)
Street Surveillance Headlines were Varied This Week:
- The Facial Recognition Act: A Promising Path to Put Guardrails on a Dangerously Unregulated Surveillance Technology (Lawfare Blog)
- We need to start recognizing privacy as a basic human right (Fast Company)
- Clearview Stole My Face and the EU Can’t Do Anything About It (Wired)
- America’s Ring doorbell camera obsession highlights the scourge of mass surveillance (NBC News)
- A better way to slow speeders and protect workers in construction zones (Police 1)
- Only 2 States Let You Add Your Driver’s License to Your iPhone — for Now (MotorBiscuit)
- How Electronic ‘Eyes’ Will Patrol the Curb of the Future (Streetsblog NYC)
Here are some Auto Industry Headlines that Might Peak Your Interest:
- Used-Car Prices Collapse the Most Since Lehman Meltdown (Zero Hedge)
- Why the Argo Shut Down is a Bad Sign for America’s AV Future (Streetsblog USA)
- Bosch to pay $25 million to settle California diesel emissions probe (Auto News Europe)
- Ford: US should ease ‘foreign entity’ rules so that more EVs get tax credits (Reuters)
- Harley-Davidson hit with antitrust suit over warranty policy (Courthouse News)
- Nissan Gets Into the Robotaxi Craze, Chooses China Instead of the US (Auto Evolution)
- Takata airbag deaths prompt Stellantis to warn owners to park 275,000 cars (Autoblog)
- Tesla driver’s manslaughter trial hinges on ‘man vs. machine’ (Autoblog)
In Auto Tech Watch Headlines this Week:
- Senator Asks FTC and DOJ for ‘Rigorous Oversight’ Into Apple, Google, and Amazon’s Expansion into Automobiles (MacRumors)
- Domestic search is on for critical minerals as EV demand surges (Pluribus News)
- Hurricane Ian exposed potential fire risk posed by electric vehicles (WINK News)
- Self-driving cars were supposed to take over the road. What happened? (ABC 12)
- No, You Cannot Buy a Self-Driving Car Today (Consumer Reports)
- Real-World Testing of Autonomous Trucks Ramps Up (Transport Topics)
- New Initiative Designed to Protect Connected Cars from Hackers (IOT World Today)
- Connected Cars Are About More than Buying Coffee from your Dashboard (Newsweek)
- The unintended consequence of electric vehicles: More demand for manual transmissions (ABC News)
- How Cold Weather Affects Electric Cars (Review Geek)
Infrastructure Watch Headlines This Week Were all Over the Place:
- States Steer More Money toward Rural Roads (Route-Fifty)
- The infrastructure lobbying frenzy is just getting started (Politico)
- Biden won on infrastructure. Democrats are struggling to get voters to care (Politico)
- Advocates Warn ‘Reconnecting Communities’ Program Could Actually Expand Highways (Streetsblog USA)
- Eliminating driver error doesn’t work. What does? Part I (Transportation for America)
- Eliminating driver error doesn’t work. What does? Part II: Designing solutions (Transportation for America)
Ridesharing Headlines this Week:
- Lyft takes $135.7 million hit on Argo AI shutdown (TechCrunch)
- Lyft to lay off 683 employees in cost-cutting push (Auto News)
- People are still taking lots of Ubers and ordering tons of delivery, despite the economy (Fast Company)
- Uber hopes to hail new era of stability after a wild 10-year ride (The Guardian)
- Uber whistleblower says current business model ‘absolutely’ unsustainable (Reuters)
In National Driving News Headlines This Week:
- No, the US is not going to run out of diesel fuel in 25 days (CBS News)
- Truckers ask agency to end ELD mandate (Landline)
- California Highway Patrol wants to slap ELDs on intrastate truckers (Landline)
- Here’s How the US Can Stop Wasting Billions of Dollars on Each Transit Project (Vice)
- Cities Turn to Transit Improvements to Shape Their Future (Governing)
- California Class action alleges Geico was too stingy with pandemic relief (Autoblog)
- Research: Scooters Cut Car Travel and Emissions More Than Previously Thought (Streetsblog USA)
- The Weight of Gasoline (Streetsblog NYC)
- The Biggest Fails in License Plate History (Smithsonian Magazine)
In International Driving News Headlines This Week:
- Mineral-rich countries want to form an OPEC for battery minerals (Quartz)
- World Economic Forum publishes post on digital “Battery Passport,” described as “a digital ID for batteries” (Reclaim the Net)
- Carmakers get a pollution break after fierce lobbying in Brussels (Politico)
- EU’s Breton urges automakers to keep producing combustion engines (Auto News Europe)
- Australian Opinion: The Challenge (and Necessity) of Getting Drivers to See the Light (Streetsblog USA)
- China issues draft guideline to carry out intelligent connected vehicle pilot work nationwide (GasGoo)
- We’ll resist a cut in motorway speed limit, say French car activists (Connexion France)
- New poll: 68 percent say they support French motorway speed limit reduction (Connexion France)
- Israel to test driverless buses (Jewish News Service)
- Japan to Greenlight Self-Driving Vehicles in 2023 (IOT World Today)
- Japan Government Sounds Alarm Over US EV Tax Credits (NADA/Reuters)
- Flex speed cameras: new type of speed camera with flex spot in the Netherlands (Ruetir)
- In face of rising air pollution, Rwanda turns to electric vehicles (Modern Diplomacy)
- South Africa’s economic hub to scrap unpopular freeway tolls (American Journal of Transportation)
- South Korea seeks 3-year grace period on US EV tax incentive law (Reuters)
- Eliminating the grey areas of CAV insurance in the UK (Urgent Communications)
For a daily dose of motorist rights news, check out the NMA Driving News Feed today!
~
Top Regional and Local Headlines
Arizona
- Arizona to Invest in EV Charging Stations Over Next 5 Years (GovTech)
- Waymo’s robotaxis are now making passenger trips to the Phoenix airport (The Verge)
- Volta to Roll Out Ad-Supported EV Chargers in Tucson, AZ (GovTech)
California
- Californians will vote whether to tax high-earners to fund EV rebates, climate change initiatives (Autoblog)
- California Cops Accused These Entrepreneur Sisters of Drug Trafficking and Seized Their Cash (Reason)
- Tesla Gives Demo to California DMV Probing Self-Driving Claims (Transport Topics)
- California has the worst drivers, new ranking says. Bakersfield and Sacramento top the list (Sacramento Bee)
- Tesla Didn’t Want to Give Full Self-Driving Demo to California DMV Authorities (Futurism)
- Elon Musk’s first Hyperloop tunnel in California is gone (The Verge)
- California Considers a Move Forward With Zero-Emission Fleet Rules (GovTech)
- Upscale Neighborhoods Sue to Stop San Diego Plan for More Equitable Spending (Streetsblog California)
- Berkeley moves toward banning all right turns on red lights (San Francisco Gate)
- Evaluation Shows ‘MOVE Culver City’ Transit/Walk/Bike Pilot A Big Success (Streetsblog Los Angeles)
- Speed limits may soon be lower on some Orcutt area streets (Santa Maria Times)
- Your Guide To Driving Safely In The Rain In Los Angeles (And Really Anywhere) (LAist)
- Stalemate persists as work on major San Francisco PD policy change concludes (Mission Local)
- Map Quest: Astonishing new map shows how driverless cars have taken over San Francisco despite being plagued by problems (The Sun US)
- Streets of San Francisco test mettle of Cruise robotaxis (CBS News)
- Short-staffed San Jose police not keeping up with traffic enforcement amid rise in fatalities (CBS Bay Area)
District of Columbia
- Algorithms quietly run the city of DC—and maybe your hometown (Ars Technica)
- Can Electric Vehicle Owners Rely on DC Fast Charging? (Consumer Reports)
- Proposals To Tweak DC’s Free Residential Parking Face Questions In DC Council (DCist)
Florida
- Gas prices are higher than they were before the gas tax holiday in Florida (Orlando Weekly)
- Motorists Vote 2022 Florida: Court says Hillsborough transportation tax referendum can continue (Tampa Bay Times)
- Photo Enforcement Expands in Belle Isle, Florida (Ein News)
- Decision to halt red-light traffic program in Manatee criticized (Your Observer)
- How Contractors Rapidly Reopened Florida’s Sanibel Causeway After Hurricane Ian (Video) (Equipment World)
Georgia
- Georgia fuel tax holiday extended, again (Landline)
- Georgia may charge motorists by the mile to pay for road work (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
- Savannah School Zone Warning Period Sees Decrease in Speeding, Citations Begin Nov. 4 (Savannah PD)
Michigan
- Michigan Test Drives Country’s First Mobility Officer (Route-Fifty)
- Michigan Police Debut Special Needs Registry for Residents (GovTech)
- As Ann Arbor pushes speed reduction, ‘slow down’ signs go missing (Michigan Live)
- Saginaw: Bay City Bridge Agreements to Undergo Further Negotiation Over Tolling (WSGW)
New York
- 16 children killed in collisions on NYC streets this year, a record of Vision Zero era: report (AM NY)
- City sees sharp uptick in pedestrians, cyclists struck by cars at dusk, NYPD says (NY Daily News)
- Rising NYC fire deaths, response times blamed on traffic measures (NY Post)
- Congestion Pricing Study Finds Law Enforcement Officers Are Manhattan’s Most Numerous Car Commuters (Streetsblog NYC)
- Traffic Disruption NY Op-Ed: Disrespect in Fort Greene, Brooklyn (Brooklyn Reader)
- Vision Zero Watch: NYC rolls out traffic safety initiative for darker fall, winter months (Gothamist)
- This Little Autonomous Vehicle Getting Use At New York’s JFK International Airport (Clean Technica)
- Fredonia Eyes Lower Speed Limits On Route 20 (The Post-Journal)
Texas
- After 22 years, TxDOT aims to stop the cycle of daily deaths on Texas roadways (Community Impact)
- Why Is Texas Requiring a Guy Who Stole a Car To Register as a Sex Offender? (Reason)
- Lucid sues Texas in attempt to overturn franchise laws (Auto News)
- $1B Texas Harbor Bridge work resumes, completion delayed to 2025 (Construction Dive)
- Austin: Transportation officials ponder whether prohibiting right turns on red will save lives (Austin Monitor)
- Some Lubbock streets slowing down: new speed limits posted across town (Fox Lubbock)
Washington State
- Washington Drivers Oppose Gas-Car Ban, But EV Demand Remains High (Governing)
- Tolling revenue on some Washington State roads returning to pre-COVID levels (My Northwest)
- What’s with all the expired car tabs on the road in Washington State (My Northwest)
- How Bellevue Uses Smart Camera Tech to Make Its Roads Safer (GovTech)
- Seattle Opinion: Add Dedicated Bus Lanes for Every Route (The Urbanist)
- Ticket Cam Alert Washington State: Yes, you have to pay speed zone camera tickets in Spokane (KREM)
Other Regional and Local Driving News Headlines
- At least 50 cars crash on Denver overpass, the season’s first big pileup (Autoblog)
- Commentary: Building a hydrogen economy in Illinois would help us meet 21st century needs (Chicago Tribune)
- Three Chicago Men Charged with Odometer and Title Fraud (Justice.Gov)
- Indianapolis: IndyGo Blue Line segment on west side canceled (WRTV)
- Vehicle Surveillance Prompts Privacy Concerns in Wichita, KA (GovTech)
- Couple Sues Alexandria, Louisiana Over Unconstitutional Traffic Stop and Roadside Interrogation (Institute for Justice)
- Cumberland, MD police to acquire license plate readers (Times-News)
- Minneapolis: Testing underway as opening day for Metro Transit’s D-Line approaches (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
- Cape Girardeau, MO City Council approves contracts to help Cape police (ShotSpotter and ALPRs) (SE Missourian)
- Greenville, NC City Council votes to end red light camera program (WNCT)
- Albuquerque speed camera shut down for incorrectly citing drivers (KRQE)
- Ohio makes $100M available for EV infrastructure (Transportation Today News)
- Traffic Disruption OH: Bicycle advocates want protection as Columbus embarks on new bike lanes plan (The Columbus Dispatch)
- Norman, OK Civil Asset Forfeiture: Agenda item pulled amid concerns about armored vehicle purchase (Norman Transcript)
- Portland BOT will remove bike lanes, return auto parking to NW Overton (Bike Portland)
- Oregon/Washington State: Interstate 5 bridge replacement undergoing environmental review (The Reflector)
- York County, PA: School districts now using new bus camera program to identify drivers who violate rules (Local 21 News)
- Rhode Island files appeal of federal court ruling against truck-only tolls (Landline)
- Sioux Falls, SD Police push back on speeding, street racing on edge of city (Argus Leader)
- South Dakota (and everywhere else there’s snow): Potential Snow Storm Brings Reminders To Be Mindful Of Snow Plows On State Roads (KCCR Radio)
- Threat of Tennessee driver’s license suspension doesn’t help debt collection, report finds (The Tennessean)
- Crossville, TN: New police cameras ‘never worked 10 minutes’ (Crossville Chronicle)
- Utah Receives $800,000 Grant to Assess 40 Bridges on I-84 (Transport Topics)
- Virginia Exploring Speed Camera Enforcement for I-81 Work Zones (Roads and Bridges)
- Hampton/Norfolk, VA Tolled Lanes: What we know about the HRBT expansion project and the HREL (WAVY)
- Milwaukee preparing to follow Madison’s lead by lowering residential speed limits to 20 mph (WTMJ)
Motorist-Related Legislative News Headlines
- In California, jaywalking will soon be legal, usually (Autoblog)
- NYC Bill to Allow Residents to Ticket Dangerous Drivers Gaining Steam (Streetsblog NYC)
- PA Governor Tom Wolf signs legislation (HB2398) permitting driverless vehicles on public roads into law (Pittsburgh Business Journal)
- PA Governor Tom Wolf signs law to yank toll scofflaws’ vehicle registrations (Fox PA)
Check out the NMA State Pages today!
Motorist Corner
On the Driving in America Blog this week we revisit a July 2022 newsletter called Should the Public Score Police Encounters? NMA Blogger Eric Peters also delves into the semantics between 4WD and AWD.
Eric also gives his take on 2023 BMW K1600 GTL motorcycle.
The Car Coach, Lauren Fix, talks about on her weekly vlog why Banning Fossil Fuels Makes No Sense.
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!
~
Best from Auto Press
- Weird cars are becoming the new normal (The Verge)
- Why car companies should fear the golf cart (Fast Company)
- You can prevent traffic jams by changing one driving habit (Autoblog)
- My unexpected job as Oprah’s car expert (VINWiki)
- Honda CEO: ‘I’m Not Sure If We Can Replace the Manual Transmission’ (Car and Driver)
- Mini to open stick-shift driving school in California (Autoblog)
~
Opinion
If “Safety” Really Mattered
In several objective ways, new cars are less “safe” than cars built decades ago.
A strong statement. One that probably seems ridiculous, too, given all the “safety” features new cars have that old cars did not, and the fact that new vehicles must pass a battery of crash tests before dealers may legally sell them to the public.
But “safety” is a slippery thing. . .
(click on title for full op-ed)