ACLU throws its weight around in... battle for Colorado vanity plates? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 11:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Starting in 2011, automakesr will be required to inform consumers if their new vehicle includes an event data recorder, or "black box". Such devices have recently come under fire from privacy advocates, as manufacturers have been somewhat less than forthcoming about information on the devices.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) will also require that any data recorder be capable of gathering at least 15 pieces of information, but stopped short of requiring that the devices be installed on every new vehicle. Currently, over 60% of new vehicles include black boxes that are triggered by the deployment of a vehicle's supplemental restrain systems.

As expected, no one seems satisfied with NHTSA's ruling. Public Citizen's Joan Claybrook was quite unhappy after hearing that the recorders will not be required across the board, while representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union did not like the fact that certain issues regarding the use of crash data were not addressed.

[Source: AP/Yahoo!]

NHTSA requires disclosing "black box" details originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford's shareholders are to reportedly consider changing the company's equal employment policy language to exclude any mention of sexual orientation. The move is expected after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rejected the automaker's bid to keep the matter from its proxy statement. As of right now, the Blue Oval's policy includes clauses that specifically outline the company's pledge not to discriminate based upon sexual orientation, but a request by shareholder Robert Hurley has submitted the proposal for consideration.

Ford has apparently been petitioning the government agency to exclude the issue, arguing that its inclusion will hurt the automaker's chances of wooing potential employees at certain universities (that require sexual orientation to be included in recruiting companies' policies), also fearing that backlash stemming from such a changeover could hurt sales to GLBT supporters.

The proxy statement goes out this Friday, at which point shareholders will vote on the issue. The result is expected to be made public on May 11 at Ford's annual meeting.

[Source: Associated Press via Detroit News]

Ford considering amending employment policy's sexual orientation clauses originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Apr 2006 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A Minneapolis, Minnesota area judge has given red-light cameras a taste of their own medicine. Hennepin County District Judge Mark Wernick has put the red light on the county's automated traffic signal cameras installed this past July.

The judge found legal fault with the county's 'Stop On Red' program, which (like virtually all red-light camera programs) tickets the owners of the offending vehicles, not the drivers themselves. As Minnesota state laws put the responsibility for light violations on the driver, Wernick threw out the challenging ticket, saying that Minneapolis lacks the authority to make law an ordinance that would hold vehicle owners responsible.

The motorist who brought the case to court was represented by an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) volunteer attorney, Howard Bass, who argued that the ordinance was unconstitutional, though Judge Wernick didn't comment on that facet of their case.

The city is mulling whether to appeal the decision, but the case could set an important legal precident nationwide, as it is estimated that as many as 160 other cities employ red light cameras.

[Source: Associated Press via KMSP Fox 9 News]

(Top tip, Jenni!)

Minneapolis judge orders 'lights out' for traffic signal cameras originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Mar 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.