Should the Public Score Police Encounters?
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director This post originally appeared as NMA E-Newsletter #704 from July 2022. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, a weekly one-topic look at a motorist issue, click here. “To Protect and To Serve” is the motto we frequently see on the side of police vehicles. Most of us […]
Should the Public Score Police Encounters? NMA E-Newsletter #704
“To Protect and To Serve” is the motto we frequently see on the side of police vehicles. Most of us understand the “To Protect” part of the equation. We ask the men and women in blue to handle life-and-death situations on a regular basis. But what about the ‘To Serve” portion of the job? The […]
Civil Asset Forfeiture in Indiana Goes Beyond Policing for Profit: NMA E-Newsletter #701
Initially created to take down drug lords, civil asset forfeiture has morphed into an excuse by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to confiscate cash and other property regardless of whether a person is charged with a crime. The Indiana Supreme Court recently ruled that the government must prove it is ‘entitled’ to keep […]
A Driver’s License as a Convenience for Whom?
Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared in January 2022 as an NMA Weekly Newsletter #677. If you would like to receive the one-topic newsletter from the National Motorists Association, subscribe today. If you drive, you likely have a physical license indicating you passed a test and can legally drive on the nation’s roadways. After the […]
Equity and the MUTCD: NMA E-Newsletter #644
As we have noted prominently in recent newsletters and email action alerts, the Federal Highway Administration has recommended sweeping changes to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). In Equity and Sustainability (NMA E-Newsletter #637), we criticized the appropriation of those terms, particularly ‘equity,’ to demand broad restrictions on drivers and driving. NMA Director […]
US Supreme Court Takes Up Tribal Traffic Stops
By guest writer Richard Diamond, editor of TheNewspaper Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on TheNewspaper website January 7, 2021. High court justices to limit or expand the authority of Indian tribes to conduct speed traps and traffic stops. The power of Indian tribes to exercise authority over non-Indian drivers on public roads will be […]
“Driving While Black” Billboard Shines Light on City Ticket Records
By a Michigan NMA Member Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared as NMA E-Newsletter #602 from July 2020. If you would like to receive the weekly NMA E-Newsletter, join today! On July 6, an electronic billboard appeared along I-96 in Redford Township, Michigan, just east of the city limits of Livonia. It warned drivers leaving […]
We Don’t Need No Street Surveillance
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director and Joe Cadillic, MassPrivatel Blog The Street Surveillance Watch Blog comes to you biweekly on the National Motorists Association Blog. If you have comments or suggestions, write a comment after this blog or contact us at nma@motorists.org. We Don’t Want No Street Surveillance Joe and I have been wrestling […]
Understanding Traffic Stop Data and Police Racial Profiling
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director A fascinating study released recently by Stanford University took issue with the ‘veil of darkness’ in traffic stops. Researchers found that black drivers, who are pulled over by police more frequently during the day, are not necessarily stopped as much after sunset. This largest-ever study found that this was […]
Roadblocks and Checkpoints during the COVID-19 Crisis: Driving in America Blog for April 3, 2020
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director In my position as the NMA Communications Director, I skim or read hundreds of motoring news stories every day to bring you the news and to share trends and perspectives. Up until this week, I rarely ran across articles about checkpoints and roadblocks. The COVID-19 crisis is scary enough, […]