Speeding Laws For Golf Carts In St. Marys Georgia?

Posted on March 26, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

Golf cart traffic in St. Marys, in Camden County Georgia has become an issue as this article* points out the necessity for laws to regulate the operation of these vehicles and ensure pedestrian safety.

New Golf Cart Ordinance Will Follow State Laws

St. Marys public safety committee members are working on amending the municipality’s golf cart ordinance so it can follow state regulations and increase safety.

Councilor Greg Bird, who owns a golf cart store and is the chairman of the committee, said the current golf cart ordinance has two problems.He said the first issue with the city’s ordinance is that it does not reflect the state law. He said the city ordinance identifies golf carts [or motorized carts] and a low speed moving vehicle as being the same. But they are two different vehicles, Bird said. In its new ordinance, the city will distinguish between the two kinds of vehicles, Bird said. The state has the two different sections under its law so it can distinguish between the vehicles. Bird said the police department gave several tickets to golf cart drivers for not having licenses even though the state does not require golf cart drivers to have licenses.
The low speed moving vehicles are larger than golf carts and can go up to 25 mph, unlike a golf cart that only goes up to 20 mph, Bird said. He said the new ordinance will make the distinction between both vehicles, so everyone will be able to follow the state rules.

The state of Georgia separates the two vehicles by requiring that a low speed moving vehicle driver have insurance. But the Georgia does not require a golf cart to have insurance, and it allows for low speed motor vehicles to travel on roads.

However, St. Marys’ current ordinance does require insurance for golf carts because both vehicles are viewed as the same under the law, which can be confusing for police officers and residents.

Bird said the second issue has to do with how the city can get golf carts from one side of the city to the other without breaking any rules. He said the committee members and other city officials, such as City Manager Bill Shanahan, are looking at multi-use paths because golf carts are not legal on sidewalks.

He also said the public safety committee is looking at the possibility of developing the multiuse paths that are used for bikes on Point Peter Road because they could possibly accommodate golf carts. Bird notes these paths are larger than regular sidewalks, which makes them suitable for golf carts. Multiuse paths would allow residents in the Douglas Drive area to drive golf carts to downtown, he added.

“This is not a perfect solution yet, but golf carts are too slow to put on a road where the speed limit is 45 miles an hour or faster,” Bird said. “We don’t want to put golf carts where they would have a big conflict with automobiles. We want to figure out how to move them safely.”

Bird said the next committee meeting will be at 5 p.m., April 10 at City Hall, and residents are invited to come. He said the public safety committee will be looking at the golf cart ordinance, multiuse paths and other issues associated with golf carts during the meeting.

Councilor Gull Weaver also said she had a few problems with the ordinance such as the $250 fee for golf cart drivers who are caught driving the vehicles on sidewalks. She said the fee does not seem fair for a first offense.

“There are a lot of things we are going to change, and [we will] figure out the best way to do it,” she said. “We want to treat them [golf carts and low speed moving vehicle] as vehicles, and you have to have licensed drivers, and kids can’t drive them all over the place because it’s not responsible.”

City Manager Bill Shanahan said it is important to amend the ordinance so everyone can understand the law and protect the residents. But he said he does not want the ordinance to make it difficult for residents to use golf carts. Shanahan also said drivers have to be responsible when driving in the city and watch for golf carts.

“The other day I was driving in a golf cart and I had a car run a stop sign and come in front of me, and I hit my brakes,” he said. “If I didn’t hit my brakes the car would have hit me. It works both ways. We want our citizens to be safe when driving golf carts.”

Councilor Deborah Hase said the golf carts are a part of the community. She said St. Marys needs to remain a walking and golf cart community because it helps maintain the integrity of the city.

She said it is good to be able travel in the city by “foot, bike or golf cart.” She said she supports expanding sidewalks to accommodate golf carts and to get them off the streets if possible.

“If we can make [sidewalks] bike-path/golf cart-path [friendly] that would help because it would save people’s gas, and it would help in a lot of ways,” she said.

*By Greg Jones, The Camden County Tribune & Georgian Newspaper

Speeding Ticket in St. Marys, Georgia?

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Georgia Senate Restricts, Maine Rejects Red Light Cameras

Posted on March 23, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

The Georgia state Senate yesterday voted in favor of a measure that adds significant restrictions to the use of red light cameras while a legislative panel in Maine ensured automated ticketing machines remained banned from that state’s roads.

Although Georgia Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-Cassville) would rather see the devices banned outright, his measure represents the next best thing in a state that has authorized their operation for several years. If adopted by the House and signed by the governor, cities with existing camera programs would have two years to show “demonstrable evidence that there is a genuine safety need” at each of the intersections where the devices are installed. Traffic engineering studies would also be performed at each location to determine whether alternatives to the cameras might improve safety. The state Department of Transportation serves as the final judge by issuing operational permits.

All new requests for camera installations in the state would face the same justifications in order to obtain a permit from the state. Loudermilk’s bill gives the department has the right to inspect and audit any photo enforcement program and can enforce compliance by revoking the permit to operate cameras if a city refuses to cooperate.

The bill also requires a second red light camera ticket notice to be sent by certified mail to ensure that the vehicle owner actually receives the notice before being judged guilty. Current law only requires one notice sent by regular mail.

In Maine, the state legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Transportation yesterday voted to kill a proposal by state Representative Donald Pilon (D-Saco) that would have allowed cameras to operate throughout the state. No committee member voted in favor of the proposal.

Article from TheNewspaper.com

Georgia Traffic Laws

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Twiggs County GA Deputies Bust Imparied Drivers

Posted on March 20, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

A local sheriff’s department worked to make central Georgia’s highways safer this holiday weekend, but they used some tricky tactics.

The Twiggs County Sheriff’s Department spent Friday and Saturday busting impaired drivers on Interstate 16. Sheriff Darren Mitchum says he sees more drivers drunk or on drugs on holiday weekends.

“We’re just trying to do all that we can to save lives and to make the highways safe for everybody to travel,” he said.

The sheriff’s department put up a sign around mile marker 26, to warn people of a D.U.I. checkpoint ahead. But they know that people who are drunk or on drugs will get off on the next exit, to try to avoid the checkpoint. That’s why they actually put the checkpoint off of exit 27.

Exit 27 has no restaurants or gas stations, so if someone can’t explain why they got off there, deputies get suspicious. They may give a field sobriety test or have a drug dog sniff around the car.

Deputy Josh Hasty is on the K-9 unit with Twiggs County.

“It makes the job a lot more easy. These dogs can get us inside a vehicle a lot of the time and find stuff that we may not be able to find that’s hidden in a car,” he said about his dog Creo.

On Friday, deputies made 32 arrests, 11 of them involving drugs. They found five wanted people and busted others for D.U.I. and open containers. Deputy Hasty says he doesn’t feel bad for people who were trying to avoid a checkpoint.

“If we can take more drunk drivers off the highway and impaired drivers and get narcotics off of the streets that’s the less things we have to worry about,” he said.

People who weren’t driving under the influence got to drive away. Those who got citations or even arrested learned if they hadn’t pulled off the highway, they’d have one less thing on their record.

The Twiggs County Sheriff’s Department worked with the Middle Georgia Traffic Enforcement Network at this checkpoint. They ran the checkpoint all afternoon and evening Friday and Saturday. Sheriff Mitchum says they run that same checkpoint annually on St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Carly Flynn Morgan – 13wmaz.com

Georgia DUI Information

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Don’t Depend On Dumb Luck This St. Patrick’s Day…Designate A Sober Driver

Posted on March 17, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

ATLANTA (March 2008) – Let’s face it. If you drink and drive, not even your lucky four leaf clover can save you from a DUI this St. Patrick’s Day, but a (.08) could definitely cost you a pot of gold.. or your life. Yet many Americans will test their luck this weekend if they ride with an impaired driver or climb behind the wheel under the influence of too many green beers.

Lurking behind this all-American tradition when everyone merrily claims to be Irish for a day is a startling statistic that no one wants to share for even a moment: Last year on St. Patrick’s Day nearly half of all drivers involved in fatal crashes nationwide had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of (:08) or above. In Georgia, on average, a dozen people will die as a result of alcohol related crashes during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

“Unfortunately, St. Patrick’s Day is no longer just about shamrocks and bagpipe bands,” says Director Bob Dallas of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “Just like on Cinco de Mayo and Halloween, about half the fatal crashes on our nation’s highways are now alcohol-related this holiday. Impaired adults behaving badly have turned the St. Patrick’s Day celebration into another deadly drinking and driving weekend on the Atlanta social calendar.”

It’s tragic. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) can already predict who will be the most likely DUI crash fatalities because the history of this holiday tells the tale. NHTSA reports show that young males, ages 21-to-34, are most likely to be involved in DUI car crashes. Why? Because they’re the one demographic most likely to drive while impaired AND among the least likely to wear safety belts. Incidentally, research also shows this same age group is the core crowd participating in major party events like St. Patrick’s Day.

“If our law enforcement and trauma centers really had three wishes in keeping with this holiday, we’d use them all keeping impaired drivers off the roads, protecting innocent motorists from drunk drivers, and taking back all the harm caused by DUI’s in the past,” said GOHS Director Dallas.

But making time to plan ahead before you party is guaranteed to accomplish far more than a pot of empty wishes afterward. Don’t push your luck. Here are three proven tips to help anyone keep the luck of the Irish working for them this St. Patrick’s Day.

1. Plan for a Designated Driver.

2. Don’t drink and drive.

3. Always buckle your safety belt. (It’s still your best protection against an unexpected encounter with an impaired driver.)

If you have a St. Patrick’s Day party, make these safety tips part of your guide to being a great host! (Remember, hosts can be held liable and prosecuted too if someone they over-serve ends up in an impaired driving crash.)

Make sure your guests have Designated sober Drivers.
Never serve alcohol to guests under 21-years-of-age.
Serve plenty of food.. And include soft drinks, juice, and water.
Stop serving alcohol before the party ends. Start serving coffee and dessert instead.
Take car keys from anyone who even thinks about driving impaired.

If you attend a St. Patrick’s Day party at your favorite pub or restaurant, have an exit strategy before you leave for home:

Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give them your car keys.
Volunteer to be the Designated Driver or offer to be one next time out.
Before you party, program local cab company numbers in your cell phone so a safe ride is just a call away.
Pace yourself. Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Eat enough food, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
Never let a friend out of sight if you think they’re about to drive impaired.

OVER THE LIMIT. UNDER ARREST

St. Patrick’s Day has become one of America’s biggest adult celebrations as friends gather to socialize at parties and pubs. But remember, Georgia enforces DUI laws for those who drive drunk. The message is simple. You drive impaired, you WILL go to jail. It’s Operation Zero-Tolerance.

According to GOHS Director Bob Dallas, one-of-every-three crash fatalities in Georgia all year long is alcohol-related.. and every one of those alcohol-related deaths could have been prevented.

FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS DRIVE DRUNK
“Be responsible about your own limits,” says GOHS Director Dallas. “If you plan to party this St. Patrick’s Day celebration, remember impaired driving is no accident – nor is it a victimless crime. Don’t let your St. Patrick’s Day weekend end in an arrest, a tragic crash or death. Georgia supports Mothers Against Drunk Driving in their reminder that the perfect end to a perfect St. Patrick’s Day parade is a safe and sober ride home.”

From TheWeekyOnline

Georgia DUI Legal Help & Information

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Cordele Police Cracking Down on Work Zone Speeders

Posted on March 15, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

Cordele, Georgia — Many drivers cresting over this hill along Interstate 75 South in Cordele find themselves in the cross hairs of a radar gun, and that can equal bad news for those caught speeding inside this work zone.“We have a good 3 miles of construction zone here where workers are actually present and heavy equipment is present. My guys have written about 50 citations today,” said Captain Tommy Jackson with the Cordele Police Department.

Jackson heads up a team of patrolmen set up along a 3 miles stretch of I-75 where they clock potential speeders before they reach the crowded work zones.

“We focus on the high end speeders – 79 (mph) and above. They’re doing 19 miles an hour over the speed limit. The highest we’ve had today has been a couple at 85 (mph). When these guys are working two or three feet away from a vehicle doing 85 miles an hour, it is very dangerous,” says Jackson.

Since 1973, 56 Georgia DOT workers have been killed in work zone accidents. Brad Ketner, safety engineer with Archer Western Contractors, has witnessed one of them.

“It was instantaneous, but we did everything we could. All of the safety measures were there. It’s just one of those accidents that happened,” said Ketner, speaking on the recent fatality of 10 year Archer Western employee killed by a drunk driver near Macon.

But the number of workers killed pales in comparisons to the number of motorists who die, dozens of them each year, in work zone related accidents. With 32 accidents in this zone since construction began in 2006, CPD is trying to make the road a safer place for all.

“We’re trying to save lives. That’s our goal. Archer Western has already had one worker killed in Bibb County. We don’t want one in Crisp County,” said Jackson.

Ticket fines can reach upwards of $200.00 for those cited for speeding in a work zone.

Officers say they recently clocked and arrested a motorist driving over 100 miles-per-hour in the work zone.

The contractor doing the interstate work says it should be completed by the beginning of 2010.

For up to date road construction information throughout the state you can call 511.

Cade Fowler, WALB.com news

Speeding Ticket in Cordele Georgia?

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Red Light Cameras Stay At Eight Atlanta GA Intersections

Posted on March 8, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

The Atlanta City Council gave the green light Monday to keeping red-light cameras at eight intersections.

The city, however, may find it more difficult getting additional cameras approved.

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would require cities and counties to obtain a permit from the Georgia Department of Transportation before installing any cameras. Under the proposed law, any local agency that did not obtain a permit would forfeit its right to fines from traffic tickets at those intersections and the state could collect the money. The Georgia Senate is reviewing the bill. Some state lawmakers unsuccessfully drafted legislation last year attempting to outlaw the cameras.

The city issued 26,944 tickets for red light violations between November 2005 and December 2007. During that time, the city collected nearly $2.1 million from fines, but spent $1.35 million on various fees. City leaders insist the cameras are in place to improve traffic safety, not get money.

Eric Sturgis-AJC.com

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta GA Traffic Ticket Attorney

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Proposed Move of Patrol Post in Columbia County Could Mean More Speeding Tickets

Posted on March 6, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

The planned move of a Georgia State Patrol post from Thomson to Grovetown could increase speeding tickets in Columbia County GA, but officials say it also could mean more money for the county and a greater sense of safety. Last year, Columbia County Probate Court made nearly $140,000 from citations issued by the state patrol, funds that go into the county’s general fund for county services. County Commissioner Ron Thigpen said that revenue could more than double with a state patrol post on Chamblin Road.

The commission has approved spending as much as $2 million to construct the post, projected to open as early as 2009.

“Based on what the state patrol has provided us, we would expect that (state patrol citation revenues) to be $300,000 to $400,000 a year,” Mr. Thigpen said. “In my mind, if you’re getting $400,000 a year and spending $2 million, in five years it repays itself.”

Because the Georgia State Patrol is not a revenue-generating agency, patrol Lt. Donnie Smith was unsure how much more money Columbia County might make from traffic citations.

“Typically, the county where the post is located generates a little more activity due to troopers driving to the post every day,” he said. “It’s not that we have a bigger presence by design. It’s just because of location.”

Troopers from the Thomson post patrol Richmond, Columbia, McDuffie, Glascock and Warren counties in Georgia. The agency concentrates much of its efforts in the three less-populated counties.

“The majority of our staffing will be done in the rural counties,” Lt. Smith said. “Those are the counties that we are required to aid the most. The sheriff’s department in Richmond and Columbia (counties) are capable of handling their own stuff.”

Mr. Thigpen said his estimate came from information provided by state patrol officials to Columbia County Administrator Steve Szablewski.

Mr. Szablewski told commissioners they can expect a 40 percent increase in citations issued by the state patrol within county borders.

Phone messages left for Mr. Szablewski were not immediately returned Thursday and Friday.

CITATIONS ISSUED

Georgia State Patrol citations issued in 2007:
County Citations
McDuffie 3,207
Richmond 2,157
Warren 1,778
Columbia 1,363
Glascock 194

Source: Georgia State Patrol

Donnie Fetter
AugustaChronicle.com

 

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Georgia’s Drivers Ed Program Stalled

Posted on March 3, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

Jasper, Georgia – Seeking to cut the toll of teenage car crashes, Georgia lawmakers passed a law three years ago promising public money to jump-start driver’s education courses across the state.

But so far the law’s promise of widespread driver’s education courses has rung hollow. Now the measure’s sponsor is having second thoughts and some of the bill’s most vocal supporters say they feel betrayed.

“It’s extremely frustrating. It didn’t turn out the way we wanted it,” said Alan Brown, who helped write the law after his 17-year-old son Joshua was killed in a 2003 car wreck. “We thought we were getting driver’s education in local school systems. We ended up getting a lot of talk and no action.

“You can imagine – I want to just scream.”

Adopted in 2005 on the urging of state Sen. Preston Smith, Joshua’s Law requires 16-year-olds to pass a driver’s education course offered by their schools or a private instructor to get a license. It also added a 5 percent surcharge on traffic tickets and other violations to pay for the courses, with the revenue to be distributed by the Georgia Driver’s Education Commission.

But driver’s ed classes are still mainly confined to places where local officials put up the majority of funding themselves. The commission hasn’t paid for them, partly because it hasn’t requested funds to do so.

The group requested only $2.7 million of the $11.9 million raised from the surcharge last year. Roughly $9 million that the group could have had was sent back into the general fund, where it was used for other programs.

And that’s just from last year’s budget. By Smith’s count, the surcharge has raised more than $20 million since it went into effect.

State lawmakers – accustomed to fending off inflated requests from state agencies – sound stunned that the group hasn’t even asked for the money.

“It has raised millions of dollars – millions of dollars – that hasn’t been spent,” state Rep. Alan Powell complained in a floor speech last week.

The commission’s leaders say they are trying to be good stewards and need time to develop a system to dole out the dollars. They point to the rising number of driver’s education students since the law was adopted: Some 47,000 students are taking the course, up from 10,000 in January 2007, according to the Department of Driver Services.

The funds helped purchase computers in 110 public libraries last year to assist students with the written part of the test. The money also funded grants in 35 high schools to buy equipment and materials for the courses.

“I know there’s demand out there amongst different high schools,” said Bob Dallas, the commission’s vice chairman and the director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “And if the money comes to us, I’d say let us go out and make sure every high school is aware of it and give them time to come up with a proposal.”

Pickens County High School in north Georgia is one place that benefited from a driver’s education grant. The county already pays most of the $200,000 bill to provide more than 130 students each semester with driver’s education courses, saving parents the expense of ponying up the roughly $450 fee that private instructors charge.

The school used a $90,000 state grant to buy five simulators that teach a student driver to handle situations that would give even the most experienced drivers fits.

One such student is Brandon Cantrell, who deftly avoided a car that almost sideswiped him, aggressive pedestrians and sudden darkness and fog. But when the lesson came to an end, he was disqualified because he crept over the 35 mph speed limit once too often.

“I’m not happy,” he sighed. “Gotta do it again.”

Assistant Principal Harold Culbreth smiled with approval.

“We understand the importance of practice,” he said. “And the more you practice, the better you’ll be.”

The commission’s leaders hope to expand the number of grants by submitting more than $9 million in requests to lawmakers.

“We created this foundation for how funding can be spent, we’ve shown there is a need based on $9.5 million requested by the schools and we’re committed to moving forward,” said Greg Dozier, chairman of the commission and the head of the Georgia Department of Driver Services.

Yet some of the bill’s most ardent supporters question the commission’s commitment.

Smith was irritated enough at the slow-moving bureaucracy to launch an aborted attempt to abolish the commission. He said he hasn’t yet seen the commission’s budget requests, and speculated that they are “intentionally failing to meet deadlines.”

“There’s still widespread consensus that we can have an effective system that’s affordable, accessible and available all over the state,” he said. “It’s just a much tougher battle than we anticipated.”

The commission hasn’t held a monthly meeting since November. Brown said when members do convene they ignore his pleas to be more aggressive.

“I go to those meetings,” said Brown, who is not a member. “And I sit there and tell them, ‘If you don’t ask for the money, you’re not going to get it, if you don’t submit a business plan, you’re never going to get the money.’ And they don’t.”

Commission member Beth Bridges said she has become disillusioned and frustrated with the group’s slow pace – particularly when she compares its progress to two other state panels she’s sat on.

“I just don’t understand why we haven’t done more,” said Bridges, a driving instructor from Douglas. “I feel like we haven’t lived up to our expectations.”

Macon.com –  Greg Bluestein, AP

License Suspension  Rules in Georgia.

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Traffic Stops Cite 22 in Floyd County Georgia

Posted on February 29, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

Officers ticketed 22 drivers tonight after conducting two safety traffic checkpoints in Floyd County Georgia.

The Mountain Area Traffic Enforcement Network, made up of officers from 10 counties in Northwest Georgia, met today at Ryan’s Family Steakhouse in Rome for about an hour to discuss legal updates, reports for the governor’s office and other police business.

Sgt. John Blalock with Floyd County Police Department said 45 officers from 17 different agencies attended the meeting but since many of them had to return to their jurisdictions only two safety checkpoints were set up after the meeting.

Patrol officers conducted traffic stops on Burnett Ferry Road at Betty Kay Avenue in Rome GA and Wilkerson Road near Mount Alto Road in the county, checking driver sobriety and occupant safety, like child safety seats and seat belts.

According to Blalock’s numbers: Officers cited nine drivers for seat belt violation; eight for driving without a license; two for driving on a suspended or revoked license; one driver for being improperly licensed; one for a child restraint violation and one on an aggravated assault charge as a result from a pursuit.

The network meets monthly at one of 10 different locations. They met last in Floyd County about a year ago, Blalock said.

Source: RomeNews-Tribune.com

 

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Red Light Cameras In Rome Georgia – Its About The Money

Posted on February 24, 2008 by georgiatrafficlawyer

It looks like Red Light Cameras will become the norm in Rome Georgia, the article below from the Rome News Tribune details why these cameras won’t be going away any time soon.

Rome, Georgia – ROME’S city government is apparently capable of changing its tune just as fast as it can make its traffic lights go from green to red.

When Rome installed its first automated, ticket-writing, red-light camera at the intersection of Turner McCall Boulevard and Hicks Drive back in 2004, the rationale was all about traffic safety, averting injury, perhaps even saving lives.

Now, with a second one on the way for the Martha Berry Boulevard/Veterans Memorial Highway intersection, the rationale seems to have become that such devices make Rome a lot of money via the $70 fines generated.

Kirk Milam, the city’s public-services manager, appeared to admit as much in saying “(the cameras) have been effective and met our expectations. It doesn’t eliminate the violations … we still have violations that occur on a regular basis and that’s the purpose of the camera, to try and catch the violations.”

The safety rationale is out the window since accidents at the McCall-Hicks crossroads have actually gone up since the cameras went in (58 in 2005, the first full year of operation, to 72 in 2007).

TO BE SURE, the wrecks may (or may not) be “less bad” than previously, the assumption being there would be more rear-end collisions (because of the guy ahead of you slamming on his brakes to avoid a ticket) and fewer T-bone wrecks (where the other driver blows through the red light and puts his radiator into your driver’s seat). Some national studies don’t bear this out.

Still, the entire “safety” defense is now dubious. That’s not the case with the bottom-line motive. Revenues in Rome went up from $172,094 in 2005 to $205,431 in 2007.

Even more disturbing is that Rome appears to be looking at this as some sort of new city franchise operation. It’s already mentioned future installation of several more such red-light traps … pardon, cameras.

Rome paid cash for the first installation (using grant money). Now the plan has turned into a sort of rent-a-camera operation.

The city plans to contract with Redflex Traffic Systems of South Melbourne, Australia and then pay a monthly fee for the cameras, installation and maintenance with any “profit” after that going to Rome. By the way, you might want to consider investing in Redflex, which now has more than 1,000 of these cameras running. It has 86 million shares of stock outstanding and its profits are increasing an average of 100 percent a year.

ROME APPARENTLY has discarded safety as an argument because it has found something that it can sell: The bad driving habits of its residents and visitors.

While we are admirers of capitalism and free enterprise, isn’t this a bit like profiting from the wages of sin, much as operating a house of ill repute?

This newspaper has opposed these red-light cameras from the git-go, though for the more traditional reasons of their being a violation of due process in several ways. First of all, it is the owner of the car that gets the ticket, not the driver whom the cameras can’t identify. Second, the defendant can hardly call a camera to the stand and cross-examine it if willing to challenge the ticket.

State Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, who represents a portion of Floyd County, has been trying to get a bill through the General Assembly outlawing these robotic cops. House Speaker Glenn Richardson would like for the state to grab off most of the proceeds, figuring that will chill municipal enthusiasm for making a fast-ticket franchise out of poor driving. West Virginia has already banned the devices, as have a number of cities.

IN FACT, opposition to these devices for any number of reasons — rights violations, don’t stop accidents and so forth — has grown so large and organized that there’s actually an Internet site devoted to keeping up with developments in this citizen uprising against Robocops.

Go to http://www.thenewspaper.com, which subtitles itself as “a journal of the politics of driving,” to keep current on developments. Recently it featured an article about insurance companies fighting a proposal in Alabama to deny them “the ability to use photo tickets to increase profit.” Alabama wants to legalize traffic cameras (they can be used to generate speeding tickets, too) but bar the tickets from being used to raise motorists’ insurance rates.

Most states, like Georgia, don’t add “points” against a driver’s license because of such robot-issued tickets for the very reason that motorists can’t cross-examine an electronic circuit on the witness stand. However, several of them (California, Illinois, Arizona) permit insurance companies to use the same tickets as black marks against a driver’s record for purposes of raising their rates.

THOSE UNOBTRUSIVE, near-invisible cameras on posts at the Turner McCall/Hicks intersection are actually tentacles of a monster that appears intent of grabbing control of the highways and streets. Or maybe, the way Rome is going at it, perhaps they could be called drive-thru windows to your wallet.

Article from the Rome News Tribune, RomeNewsTribune.com

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