War on Cars Watch for November 6, 2019
The War on Cars Watch is a weekly feature of the NMA blog. The War on Cars Watch focuses on road diets, traffic calming and programs such as Vision Zero and Complete Streets as well as studies, court cases, and other news that affect motorists. Special commentary from NMA California Member Michael Jabbra is […]
“These Cameras Are Not a Safety Tool . . .”: NMA E-Newsletter #556
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety took a page out of its own book, and that of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), by issuing a recent report on red-light running with a title designed to send the media into a frenzy. “Red Light Running Deaths Hit 10 Year High” did exactly that. While […]
The Problem of Traffic Cameras in the UK
The traffic cameras in the UK were supposedly installed to increase roadway safety. Whether motorists consider them to be a positive influence or a negative one, they’re now a fixture on many roadways. Whether you spot them at traffic lights or see them while on the motorway, drivers today have to contend with the fact […]
The Road User Charge by Any Other Name: NMA E-Newsletter #555
We recently completed a series of newsletters (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) about the renewed calls for levying a set of surcharges–or thinly disguised taxes–on motorists to help rescue the Federal Highway Trust Fund. National calls are picking up in momentum for the implementation of a system of travel fees layered on top […]
Political Interference in Setting Speed Limits Shouldn’t Happen
From guest writer Ian Tootill, who is co-founder of the grassroots British Columbia motorists advocacy group SENSE BC (or Safety by Education and Not Speed Enforcement). SENSE BC and the NMA are kindred spirits, with SENSE advocating for sensible driving standards for more than 23 years and the NMA for over 36. The issues facing drivers in […]
Are We Slinking Ever Closer to a Universal Road User Charge? Part 2—Congress: NMA E-Newsletter #550
Last week, in Part one of Are We Slinking Ever Closer to a Universal Road User Charge?, we examined the efforts of various groups that are currently pushing road user fees onto the American public. (A road user charge or RUC is also commonly referred to as the Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax or VMT Tax […]
Predatory Towing Not Just an Inconvenience
This piece originally posted on the NMA website as an NMA E-Newsletter #539 on May 12, 2019. Cities tow cars for many reasons. They are often towed when doubled parked or left in front of a fire hydrant. If there are too many parking tickets, cities will often boot first, and if the driver does […]
Officer Frank
This post originally appeared as NMA E-Newsletter #538 on May 5, 2019. Editor’s Note: Over the years, the NMA has received occasional contact from law enforcement officers who have complained about department policies, sometimes crafted to avoid direct violation of state anti-ticket-quota laws, which force officers to write a predetermined number of citations during each […]
NMA Wrap Up of Legislative Activity, 2nd Quarter 2019: NMA E-Newsletter #547
April, May, and June were busy months in state legislatures where many of the bills affecting motorists that were introduced in the first quarter, or carried forward from last year, were resolved. The results were a mixed bag, but the biggest victory was a special one: Governor Greg Abbott of Texas signed into law House […]
Level of Service: Measuring Traffic Congestion
This article first appeared in the NMA Foundation’s Driving Freedoms Magazine Spring 2019 edition. According to the latest census, 85 percent of all Americans travel to work by single passenger car or by carpool. Since World War II, land use and American culture have been built around driving cars from locations A to B. By […]