Speed Trap Karma Part 1: NMA E-Newsletter #697
Reason.com recently published a list of eleven U.S. towns where their police forces were either disbanded or their autonomy as a governmental entity was dissolved because of an addiction to, and dependence on, ticket revenue. We thought it would be informative to present excerpts from Reason’s article for those cities along with select driver-sourced comments […]
Citywide Speed Limit Reductions: Creating Violators in the Name of Safety: NMA E-Newsletter #691
By John Carr, NMA Massachusetts Activist An email claimed that a speed limit reduction in Portland, Oregon “resulted in lower observed vehicle speeds and fewer vehicles traveling at higher speeds.” I was suspicious because it is well known that speed limits and speed limit signs do not have a strong effect on traffic speed. My […]
“Assistance” Technology
Idiot proofing is now out in the open. It’s just called something else to make the idiots feel better about it. The car manufacturers style this idiot-proofing “assistance” technology–usually “advanced.” Sometimes, “intelligent” because they regard you as not. There is nothing wrong with seeking assistance when you need it. Disabled people, for instance, often need assistance getting up […]
Beating the Photo Ticket Runaround
This article first appeared in the Fall 2021 edition of the National Motorists Association’s Driving Freedoms magazine. As a member of the NMA, you receive an automatic subscription four times per year. Become a member today and help the NMA advocate against automated traffic enforcement and other issues affecting motorists. Editor’s Note: Many accounts have […]
Driving Four-Wheelers on Alaskan Streets is now Legal with a Catch: NMA E-Newsletter #679
At the start of the new year, the state of Alaska inaugurated new regulations that allow four-wheelers on roads with a speed limit of 45 mph or less. In the past, rules allowed these motorized vehicles to cross state roads only. Alaska defines all-purpose vehicles as any self-propelled device on wheels or tracks that make […]
How to Fight Speed Bumps, Humps and Cushions Part 1
By California NMA Member Stacey Charlton Speed bumps, humps, and cushions are the common names for traffic calming/control devices that lie in the street in both a vertical and horizontal plane to make drivers slow down. The many disadvantages to these road hazards are not always clearly disclosed through a city’s public works, traffic engineering, […]
A Shot Across the Bow: NMA E-Newsletter #645
A number of recent NMA e-newsletters and national email alerts to members have focused on the seismic event brewing with the national standard for traffic control devices: The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) proposed federal rule to massively overhaul the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Among the myriad recommendations are changes to speed zoning […]
More Hands on Deck: NMA E-Newsletter #641
Member response to the NMA’s April 13th email alert and last week’s newsletter, All Hands on Deck, #640, has been tremendous. This grassroots campaign is focused on convincing the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that key components of its planned update to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) will make the roads less, not […]
The Consequences of Ignoring the Law
By Gary Biller, NMA President Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared as NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #628, emailed in January 2021. If you would like to receive the weekly newsletter, register today at the NMA! At the urging of the late motorists’ advocate extraordinaire, Jim Walker, the NMA provided grant support for the defense of a […]
All Hands on Deck: NMA E-Newsletter #640
In Equity and Sustainability, NMA E-Newsletter #637, we noted the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) introduction of a proposed federal rule that would constitute the first major revision of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) since 2009. Major is putting it lightly, and lightly is not how we can afford to treat it. The […]