The Truth About Cars » Crime and Punishment

Editorial: Speeding Wants to Be Free

Jack Baruth — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:18:38 +0000

"When I first started in this job thirty years ago, police work was never about revenue enhancement," Utica Police Chief Michael Reaves told the Detroit News. "But if you're a chief now, you have to look at whether your department produces revenues. That's just the reality nowadays." Nothing produces bizarre behavior quite as reliably as an inappropriate economic incentive, whether we’re talking about the infamous “Sec 179” SUV tax deduction or every Aerosmith album after, and including, “Permanent Vacation.” Is it any surprise, therefore, that most police departments have, over time, shifted their focus away from crimes that don’t pay them in favor of those that do? Murder, rape, theft, vandalism, assault---all offenses that require considerably more effort than apprehending a 44-in-a-35, and none of them containing the kind of guaranteed municipal vigorish that can be garnished from a hapless motorist.

Hammer Time: How to Cheat on the Cash-for Clunkers Program, Part One

Steven Lang — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:57:19 +0000

I remember when I was 16 years old, one of my friend's dads had a near-new Toyota Celica All-Trac. It was gorgeous. The black paint was svelte and flawless. The leather pristine. It was a true work of art. Except it had one tiny little flaw on the vehicle. The VIN was not 'authentic'. It had been taken off another vehicle from 'far far away'. This was in the bad old days where odometer rollbacks (which still happen) and washed titles (ditto) were still common. Today? Well, I'll put it to you this way. Even a finance company with as many computers as NASA was screwed seven ways from Sunday by a bunch of Nigerians using an old lady's information. The clunker auditors are going to have to keep their eyes REAL open in this 'information age' to catch these snakes . . . and it won't be easy. Here's just a small slither of stealth that can happen just on the trade-in side of the equation.

Editorial: Unsafe at Any Speed?

Robert Farago — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:58:03 +0000

I'll never forget my first ride in a BMW. I remember the excitement, anticipating a high speed run in an [echt] autobahn-tuned automobile. The driver never broke Nixon's double nickel. In fact, he stayed in the right lane for the entire trip. Flash forward to two hours ago, G-forcing through the S-curves into Providence. In the middle of the second bend, a Nissan GT-R zipped by my minivan like it was standing still. Hakuna matata. What a wonderful phrase. Hakuna matata. Ain't no passing craze. The GT-R driver was there. In the moment. In control. Safe?

Editorial: Maximum Street Speed Explained

Jack Baruth — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:53:03 +0000

Let us begin with this: it is possible to go much faster on North American public roads than the law allows. Much faster. If you are interested in exploring the upper limits of this possibility, read on. If you find this idea morally, legally, ethically or spiritually repugnant; please return to your regularly scheduled bailout coverage. If you're a member of law enforcement, please consider this a work of fiction. In theory, I've been driving “too fast” on public roads for more than twenty years. In that time, I may have learned a lot about what works and what does not. I will share this hypothetical knowledge---bought and paid for in terror, twisted steel and sleepless nights---with you. Or not.

Editorial: How to Stop Illegal Street Racing Without Really Trying

Yair Barojas — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:38:14 +0000

According to a recent Fox News "Special Investigation," the amount of illegal street racing is rising dramatically in Los Angeles. During the report, the segment highlighted a variety of small Japanese cars, ranging from ’98 Acura Integras to ’02 Honda Accords. (Small range, but there you go.) Some of these cars wore slicks, most had a turbo charger and all of their exhausts were in (or out of) tune. During the commercial break, viewers were treated to a trailer for "The Fast & Furious" (known internationally as "The Fast & Furious 4"). One moment Fox is lamenting the senseless loss of life caused by street racers' pursuit of automotive adrenalin, the next it promotes a senseless movie about street racers' pursuit of automotive adrenalin. Wait; it gets worse.

Editorial: Georgia Cities Ignoring Extended Yellow Law

The Newspaper — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:09:03 +0000

Some cities are refusing to comply with a new Georgia law mandating a one-second increase in the duration of the yellow warning period at intersections equipped with red light cameras. At least seven cities that made the required timing increase in January experienced an immediate 80 percent decrease in the number of violations. Of these, Duluth, Lilburn, Norcross, Snellville and Suwanee put the brakes on their red light camera programs after the data made it clear that the programs would no longer make money. Rome is now leaning toward dropping its program as well.

Editorial: The Truth About Speeding Tickets and the Recession

Casey W. Raskob — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:45:28 +0000

For the last 20 years or so, I've been fighting traffic tickets in the New York area. My business is not "normal." No matter how easy I make the process, no matter what the outcome, half of my final client conversations contain the words "I hope I never see you again." (It's OK, I understand. You came in with a "gun to your head.") While the client kiss-off never changes, my ticket defense work fluctuates with the level of traffic enforcement. Weather, gas prices and terrorism alerts (post 9/11) all impact the number of tickets issued. I've survived a few up and down cycles. And with a steady client base and wide professional contacts I can draw a few conclusions. The recession is here. Government budgets are under threat. The word has gone out: write tickets!

Busted! Redflex’s Redlight Camera Semi-Snuff Film

Nicholas Cincinat — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:18:12 +0000

Redflex is the Australian company that runs many if not most of America's redlight camera programs. Although I'm not a city resident, I attended two Redflex Q&A sessions in Canton, OH over the past two nights. About 20 people attended the first meeting. Around sixty showed-up at the second-- once people caught wind of what was at stake. Both meetings included city council members, city safety director Thomas Nesbitt and Hizzoner the Mayor, William Healy. Redflex Executive Vice President Aaron Rosenberg began the meeting with the video above. The clip was shown without warning. Hello and boom: a graphic and violent accident of the type Reflex's cameras are supposed to prevent. No emotional blackmail there, then.

Houston Prof. Manipulated Study to Make Red Light Cameras Appear Safer

The Newspaper — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:34:52 +0000

Houston Mayor Bill White selected Urban Politics Professor Robert Stein of Rice University to create a report on the engineering safety performance of the city's first fifty automated ticketing machines. (Professor Stein's wife, Marty, is employed by the city of Houston as a top aide to the mayor.) In a November 2007 email, White emphasized his personal interest in the subject at the beginning of the project. "Let's just make sure that we study things that really matter for decision-making," Mayor White wrote to Professor Stein. "Our funds for public policy research are scarce.... I am not suggesting that somebody alter one's conclusions and I am not trying to influence the conclusions. What I am trying to do is give some helpful advice from a decision-maker concerning how to avoid analytical overkill." The point was not lost on Stein whose employer received $50k for the red light camera study, who depended (depends?) on the city for funding of several other projects.

The Truth About the Nissan GT-R and the Nürburgring Lap Record

James Ansell — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:13:45 +0000

I agree with TTAC reviewer Stephan Wilkinson : the new Nissan GT-R is the old Honda NSX. Once people actually start driving Nissan’s “everyday supercar”-- as opposed to simply jumping on the hype bandwagon and bench racing numbers supplied by Nissan-- they’ll appreciate the parallel. Although I'm still looking forward to my first hands-on experience with the GT-R, the reality of the car’s true nature and importance in automotive history is right under the fan-boys’ noses.

400 Miles in a 1981 Corvette, Part 2

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:00:34 +0000

When we last left our hero, I was dodging post-wine tasting Buicks and Caddys in a hair-brained sprint to Los Angeles before the sun went down. My steed was a sparkle-blue 1981 Corvette with non-functioning headlights. Until this point, I’d been lollygagging along in the right lane. I assumed that the ‘Vette’s engine would crap-out on me if I gave it the boot. But the fear of getting caught with no lights-- and then watching the DEA strip the car to the frame-- forced my foot to the firewall.

400 Miles in a 1981 Corvette, Part 1

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:45:31 +0000

By most accounts, I’m a good citizen. I work, I pay taxes, I keep my crimes to myself and I call my mother at least once a week. But I have a wild side. Like a vintage race, this part of my personality just begs to be taken out and let loose from time to time. I’m not going to tell you what I spent my first Bush tax rebate on. But I will tell you that when the $600 arrives in June, I will be at a $10/$20 No Limit table. So, when I was contacted by a guy in Prague to transport a 1981 Corvette from Oakland to a container ship in Los Angeles, I jumped at the chance. How could I lose?

The Insider’s Guide to Electronic Speed Enforcement Pt. 7: D-Day

Casey W. Raskob — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:40:02 +0000

You’re fighting your speeding ticket in court. Take a lawyer. Yes, I know: a good local attorney will cost more than the fine. But the whole point of fighting is winning. As I explained in the last installment, the average citizen doesn’t have a hope in Hell of winning in traffic court without a lawyer. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present my case…

The Insider’s Guide to Electronic Speed Enforcement Pt. 6: Do NOT Defend Yourself In Court

Casey W. Raskob — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:48:46 +0000

OK, you got a speeding ticket. You didn’t ignore it (right answer). You didn’t pay it and take the hit to you insurance premium (also the right answer). You decided to go to court. If you were offered lowered points and fine by the court, you turned it down (potentially the wrong answer). In the penultimate part of our guide, I’m going to show you how a speeder who defends himself has a fool for a client.

The Insider’s Guide to Speed Enforcement Pt. 5: Court

Casey W. Raskob — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:28:47 +0000

So, you got a speeding ticket. After the police officer leaves, there you are, with an official document in hand. You are unhappy. Your basic fight or flight or freeze response has you in its grip. You feel guilty, angry, shocked, insulted, humiliated, outraged or some combination thereof. Your heart rate is elevated; you’re stressing about money or points or the wife or the boss or just about everything. What happens next is up to you...

The Insider’s Guide to Speed Enforcement Pt. 4: The Traffic Stop Stops Here

Casey W. Raskob — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:46:23 +0000

If there’s anything that makes you swear faster than passing a cop aiming a radar/laser gun at your car, it’s seeing a cop car looming in your rear view mirror. Either way, you’re busted. You’re about to play your part in a carefully scripted interchange with tax-funded law enforcement. How you play your role will have a big impact on what happens next.

OnStar: Big Brother’s Eye in the Sky

Jonathan I. Locker — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:59:24 +0000

Ever since the Model T hit the silver screen, evading the long arm of the law has been a cinematic theme. From the General Lee outrunning Boss Hogg, to Smokey being outwitted by Burt Reynolds' mustache, the public imagination has always associated fast cars with police pursuit. While the majority of motorists would never dream of trying to outrun the long arm of the law, soon, they won't have to. It'll be resting on their shoulder. Consider OnStar...

The Insider’s Guide to Electronic Speed Enforcement Pt. 3: Let There Be Light

Casey W. Raskob — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:10:52 +0000

Back when Seagulls were flocking, a small electronics company called LTI was in grave danger of going broke. They had but one product: a speed detection device (a.k.a. gun) that used laser light instead of radio waves. LTI’s laser gun was a $3500 item. Police agencies could outfit three patrol cars with state-of-the-art radar detection devices for that kind of money. Laser guns were DOA. And then the lizard people stepped in.

The Insider’s Guide to Speed Enforcement Pt. 2: Radar Detectors

Casey W. Raskob — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:47:29 +0000

On January 2, 1974, President Richard M. Nixon signed the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act. A provision of the Act imposed a new, national, 55 mph maximum speed limit. Overnight, the United States had a massive speeding “problem.” Within weeks, the feds gave huge amounts of money to police forces around the country to purchase radar guns. The speeding ticket, always a reliable cash cow for local governments, became a cash herd.

The Insider’s Guide to Speed Enforcement Pt. 1: A Gunslinger is Born

Casey W. Raskob — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:52:13 +0000

Is there anything the average motorist hates more than police radar? While some citizens see radar “guns” and those who wield them as a necessary evil-- police surveillance that saves lives-- most drivers view the technology as a “sin tax,” an ineffective safety device, a waste of police resources, an invasion of privacy and/or a major violation of the Constitutional prohibition against “indiscriminate search.” While the battle for and against police radar (and now laser) rages on, TTAC has invited me to discuss the technology and your legal rights. We begin with some deep background.