Open roads and speed traps
This week’s ignorance of the law award goes to the Massachusetts State Police, who said “Open roads are not a license to speed.” In fact open roads are a license to speed. Massachusetts has what is known as a prima facie speed law. Exceeding the speed limit is not against the law. Under ordinary conditions […]
A Refresher Course on Ticket-Fighting Part 1: Driving in America
Editor’s Note: A Refresher Course on Ticket-Fighting Part 1 first appeared as a NMA Newsletter #336. If you would like to receive our weekly Email Newsletter, please join the NMA today! Helping NMA members fight traffic tickets is foundational to the NMA mission. Over the years we’ve collected lots of tips and suggestions for getting […]
Ticket Quotas are Alive and All Too Well
Editor’s Note: After news this week that Washington State lawmakers are pushing Senate Bill 6316 to stop the police practice of traffic ticket orders, we thought this would be a great companion blog. One of the national issues of the NMA is to advocate against traffic ticket quotas which if implemented by a police department, […]
Driving in America: An Out-of-State Speeding Ticket –Has this Happened to You?
The NMA Office receives numerous calls throughout the year from members asking how to defeat a speeding ticket they happened to receive driving in another state. Unfortunately, these are rather difficult to fight because many small towns and counties target out-of-state drivers. After all, authorities know they won’t come back to fight the ticket. Ticketing […]
Driving in America—Are We There Yet?
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director Motorist advocates have many choices to make when it comes to fighting for rights. Trends change and either becomes complicated or simplified just because an elected official says “Enough!” Case in point: Texas Governor Greg Abbott vowed when he was running for governor in 2018 that he would like […]
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 […]
A Policing-for-Profit Cautionary Tale–New Miami, Ohio: NMA E-Newsletter #561
An hour away from Cincinnati, the known speed trap village of New Miami sits just north of Hamilton, the Butler County seat. Over six years ago, drivers in a class action sued this sleepy village of nearly 2,400 residents over its questionable speed camera practices. Even though the village’s program was found unconstitutional in 2014, […]
A Reflection on 5.5 Million Miles of Driving
By NMA Alaska Member Merrill Gehman When we were young, we learned many things about driving from those that we saw driving. We learned from an early age, who can drive and who can’t. We started driving farm equipment as kids and graduated to cars and trucks later. Driving was something we could excel at […]
NMA Principle Number 2: Traffic Laws Fairly Written and Reasonably Enforced
The Driving in America Blog was started a year ago to bring more information to those who are beginning their journey as motorists’ rights advocates. Over the next several months, I will be working with each of the seven NMA principles to give readers of this weekly blog some idea of what we all are working towards […]
1987 Again . . . Briefly: Thoughts on a Traffic Stop Encounter
Yesterday, I had an encounter with an armed government worker on a motorcycle, running a speed trap. And running laser, which is kryptonite to even the best radar detector because you get no warning. If the detector detects laser, you are already detected. Which is just what happened to me. Bingo! You “win.” I was […]