Rampant revenue raising? Click to Enlarge
The National Motorists Association (NMA) today released a list of 25 cities with the highest number of reported speed traps during the past two years. The speed trap sites were posted by the public on the NMA’s National Speed Trap Exchange (www.speedtrap.org).
A speed trap exists in NMA’s view wherever traffic enforcement is “focused on extracting revenue from drivers instead of improving safety.” NMA opposes the use of enforcement tactics that are intended to generate revenue from technical violations of “under-posted” speed limits.
In a release, NMA said with the Labor Day holiday approaching, and the school year about to begin, the drivers’ rights organization hopes that motorists safely anticipate, rather than suddenly react to, ticketing operations known as speed traps.
The so called Speed Trap Exchange identifies the specific locations of thousands of chronic speed traps in the United States and Canada. Information about each listing is supplemented by commentary from motorists who have encountered the police operations.
Enlarge chart at the beginning for cities had the most reported speed traps since September 1, 2009. They are ranked by speed traps per 100,000 residents, according to the 2010 census.
During the same two-year period, Vermont, New Hampshire, Michigan, Wyoming, and Colorado “led” all states with 11.4, 11.3, 9.4, 9.2, and 9.1 new speed trap listings per 100,000 residents respectively.
Nova Scotia and Ontario topped the provinces, each with a rate of 8.7.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
