Autoblog

MI court ruling gives you permission to yell at parking meter enforcement

George Kennedy — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:14:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Police/Emergency

Have you ever left your car at a metered parking spot, for just a few minutes too long, only to come back to a parking ticket? Have you ever wanted to yell at the parking enforcement officer? Well, as Jared Rapp found out, the practice is protected by the Constitution.

Rapp, 29, was a student at Michigan State University in 2008 when a parking officer ticked his vehicle. Rapp proceeded to vent his frustrations by yelling at the officer who administered his ticket. He must've been quite intimidating - according to a Detroit Free Press report, the officer "retreated to his vehicle, called for help, then sat in his vehicle until police arrived."

Apparently, the tirade that followed resulted in charges against Rapp, which triggered a court case that went all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court. The state court has ruled that Rapp cannot be charged with a crime for such an act. Rapp was to be prosecuted under an MSU ordinance regarding "anyone who disrupts in any way anyone carrying out any activity for or with MSU."

That sounded a bit vague to Rapp's attorneys, and it apparently did to the court, as well. In a divided decision, they have ruled that prosecuting Rapp would infringe upon his right to free speech.

MI court ruling gives you permission to yell at parking meter enforcement originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo hit with $1.5M NHTSA fine for delayed recalls

Zach Bowman — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Volvo, Luxury

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has fined Volvo $1.5 million for delaying safety recalls, according to The New York Times. The Swedish automaker settled with NHTSA after the government agency alleged delays with a total of seven recalls for a range of different models. Those actions included incorrect tire pressure labels, faulty air bags and stalling vehicles. Volvo has agreed to pay the fine but refused to admit any wrongdoing, saying instead it has since improved its internal review process for quality and safety issues.

NHTSA gives automakers five days from the time they discover a safety issue to inform the government agency of a recall plan. If a manufacturer misses that window, it can face civil penalties like the one Volvo has agreed to pay. The fine covers all seven recalls. The most NHTSA can charge an automaker is $17.35 million, a figure some have criticized as being laughably low.

Volvo hit with $1.5M NHTSA fine for delayed recalls originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massachusetts Supreme Court upholds policy of charging $70 fee to innocent motorists

Chris Shunk — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

Getting a ticket can ruin even the best of days, but at least American motorists have the ability to fight moving violations in court. Challenging a ticket at least gives drivers a shot at avoiding or reducing fines and/or points charged to their records.

In Massachusetts, however, a new state Supreme Court ruling means drivers have to pay, win or lose. The Newspaper details the case of Ralph Sullivan, who was charged $70 in non-refundable fees even after he successfully fought a lane violation ticket ($20 for appealing the summons to a clerk, then another $50 to get the case in front of a district court judge). Sullivan argued to the Massachusetts Supreme Court that the policy violates the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution, as motorists are saddled with fees that offenders in more serious cases are not required to pay. The court disagreed and ruled against Sullivan.

In the ruling, Justice Ralph D. Gants writes, "Where the legislature provides greater process that imposes greater demands on the resources of the District Court, it is rational for the legislature to impose filing fees, waivable where a litigant is indigent, to offset part of the additional cost of these judicial proceedings."

Yeah, we get it. The courts are busy and they're expensive to run, so the $3,678,620 Massachusetts courts received as a result of fines in 2010 is needed to keep the doors open. We're of the opinion that anyone found not guilty should never have been pulled over in the first place, so the fine is levied as punishment for no crime committed. Isn't wasting half a day in court punishment enough?

Massachusetts Supreme Court upholds policy of charging $70 fee to innocent motorists originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PA town fines drivers trying to save shoveled-out parking spots

Jeff Glucker — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

The sun's just coming up and the coffee isn't quite done brewing, but you know what you have to do: grab the snow shovel and free your car from its soft, white prison. When finished, your automobile once again tastes freedom and you've built a nice little parking space. Rather than let someone else take advantage of your labor and lay claim it after you've driven away, you decide to set down a cone or lawn chair. This may seem like a simple token of ownership but it's actually a shining beacon of "back-off" that's communicated to other motorists. Try pulling this in the Darby Township section of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and it might cost you.

According to a city ordinance, offending space-savers may be fined up to $300. Another portion of the ordinance says that shovelers putting snow back onto plowed roads can be fined as well. So, shovel away, but remember: no calling dibs after the fact.

[Source: The Morning Call | Image: Andrew Burton/Getty]

PA town fines drivers trying to save shoveled-out parking spots originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHTSA mulling Toyota fines for delayed recall?

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:27:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Toyota

$16.4 million. That's the maximum amount the Department of Transportation (DOT) can fine an automaker for failing to recall a defective vehicle in a timely manner. And according to a recent report, the Feds could be pursuing a multimillion-dollar fine - the sum, yet to be disclosed - due to the Toyota recall.

The largest civil penalty ever imposed was handed down to General Motors when a windshield wiper on 581,344 SUVs wasn't dealt with in accordance to the DOT's regulations. Although no automaker has ever incurred the maximum penalty, judging by Secretary Ray LaHood's recent comments about Toyota's handling of the matter ("While Toyota is taking responsible action now, it unfortunately took an enormous effort to get to this point."), it's not so much a matter of when as it is how much.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req. | Image Source: Alex Wong/Getty]

NHTSA mulling Toyota fines for delayed recall? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo found guilty of manslaughter, fined

Dan Roth — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:54:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Volvo

Two children tragically lost their lives when French driver Catherine Kohtz lost control of her Volvo 850. The 1999 incident, which Kohtz blamed on a loss of braking ability in her Volvo, has led to French courts handing down a finding of manslaughter. The guilty verdict against Volvo also carries an €200,000 fine, though Volvo holds that there wasn't anything wrong with the car's braking system and will likely appeal. Driver Kohtz was fined €300 and also sentenced to a six-month jail term, which was suspended.

Kohtz's accident was initially attributed to reckless operation, and tensions in the town of Wasselonne have been stirred by the circumstances of crash. Rumblings of Kohtz, relatively wealthy, having bought her way out of a more serious outcome for the death of two ten year olds from lesser means have been dividing the town in eastern France. An investigation determined that the brakes in the Volvo 850 suffered from a problem known to Volvo. Rather than recall 180,000 850s, Volvo is alleged to have quietly asked its dealers to fix a rubber pipe prone to rupture or detachment, causing a loss of braking ability. An investigating magistrate contended that service documents instructing dealers how to repair the problem were overly vague, leading to an improper and ineffective repair on Kohtz's car. For a company with such an emphasis on safety, its surprising that it would try to cover up a major flaw in such a crucial system. Volvo argued that the service documents that were seized outline an innocuous fault, and that something else like a loose water bottle behind the pedal was to blame.

[Source: BBC via Winding Road; The Independent]

Volvo found guilty of manslaughter, fined originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OMG! Washington first state to ban text messaging while driving

John Neff — Mon, 14 May 2007 15:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

If you're travelling down I-90 in Washington State and texting your BFF on a CrackBerry, then you might want to put it down. Washington has become the first U.S. state in the union to ban text messaging while driving. The legislation against driving while texting (henceforth to be known as the dreaded DWT) was rolled into a similar measure against talking on one's cell phone without using a hands-free device, a regulation many cities and states have already adopted.

Washington Gov. Christine Gegoire signed the measures into Washington state law last Friday (she was reportedly flanked by children injured from car accidents involving cell phone distractions). Like many laws of this sort, the po-po can't pull you over if they spot you Twittering away in the driver's seat. You need to be caught doing something worse, like swerving across the center line, to get pulled over. If Officer Roscoe P. Coltrain spots a warm Qwerty riding shotgun though, you'll likely be nailed with a $124 fine. If that happens, you won't be LOL.

[Source: Seattle Times]

OMG! Washington first state to ban text messaging while driving originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 May 2007 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Surprise! Turkey gets away without paying full fine

Noah Joseph — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 10:06:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

It seems that the FIA wanted it to go un-noticed, but the motorsport governing authority has let Turkey get away without even paying the slap on the wrist they imposed in the first place.

For those who may not recall, at last year's Turkish Grand Prix, the leader of Turkish-occupied Cyprus was introduced to give the trophy to race winner Felipe Massa in a deliberate politicization of the motorsport competition. Turkey's dominion over Cyprus is not internationally recognized, and the FIA warned of fire and brimstone. Threatening to take away not only the Turkish Grand Prix but also possibly to revoke Turkey's WRC rally stage and blacklisting the entire country from holding any FIA-sanctioned races, the sanctioning body declared that motor racing was not to be manipulated towards political ends. Following a tribunal that considered the issue, the FIA instead imposed a relatively minor $5 million fine and let Turkey keep its races.

Half the fine was paid by the race promoters, who were subsequently dismissed from responsibility for organizing the grand prix, which passed into the hands of Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management. The remaining $2.5 million was to be paid by the Turkish motor sports federation TOSFED, but after pleading with the FIA and explaining that the fine would send them into bankruptcy, the governing body let them off without paying.

Mercy is a laudable attribute, but by failing to hold TOSFED to any punishment whatsoever, the FIA is leaving the door open to further manipulation of motor racing by others in the future.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Surprise! Turkey gets away without paying full fine originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Apr 2007 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Townsfolk react to red light rigger on video

John Neff — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 16:06:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Etc.

The story of the Colorado man who got fined $50 for using a device to change traffic lights on his way to work from red to green has made its way around the internet already. As much fun as it is to read about the man's eventual capture after two years of playing god in traffic, it's more fun to watch this CNN video of townspeople pissed off that the guy got off virtually scott free. Hilarity also ensues watching the authorities explain how after fielding two years of complaints about an unexplicably long red light at this particular intersection they finally went to the tapes and noticed a reoccurring Ford Ranger pickup that never got caught... by the light, that is.

[Source: CNN via AutoSpies]

Townsfolk react to red light rigger on video originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Apr 2006 16:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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