Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[DC cop battles city to return $1.8M in unlawful tickets]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/07/dc-cop-battles-city-to-return-1-8m-in-unlawful-tickets/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/07/dc-cop-battles-city-to-return-1-8m-in-unlawful-tickets/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/07/dc-cop-battles-city-to-return-1-8m-in-unlawful-tickets/#commentsFiled under: ,

Washington DC

Like many thousands before him, Sergeant Mark Robinson of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department was cited for speeding while driving through the District's Third Street Tunnel last fall. But unlike most of the other motorists, Sgt. Robinson contested the ticket and won a refund.

Robinson, a 22-year veteran of the police force, probably considered his citation insignificant compared to the thousands of other speed camera-related tickets he was in the process of fighting. As it turns out, the officer was already embroiled in a campaign to dismiss questionable violations that the District had been handing out illegally. As the law is written, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulations require a secondary accuracy ensuring measurement when cameras are used to enforce speed limits (e.g., painted lines on the road to measure distance traveled) - there were, inexplicably, none in the Third Street Tunnel.

According to some investigative work by The Washington Times, 14,167 tickets were issued on that stretch of road bringing in a whopping $1,814,150 worth of revenue. As the money was collected outside the guideline of the law, Sgt. Robinson maintains that the city is obligated to refund the fines.

Yet, as expected, police administrators and the city have thus far ignored Robinson's pleas and have done nothing. Instead, he's been labeled a whistleblower and some officials have suggested that "corrective and/or disciplinary action" be brought up against him. Sergeant Mark Robinson may have triumphed in one small battle, but his uphill conflict with the District is ongoing and far from over.

DC cop battles city to return $1.8M in unlawful tickets originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Jan 2013 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cameraillegal ticketsmark robinsonsergeant mark robinsonspeeding ticketswashingtonwashington dcMon, 07 Jan 2013 09:15:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20417192/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/01/07/dc-cop-battles-city-to-return-1-8m-in-unlawful-tickets/20417192/article-detail.xml 20417192 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2012/08/washington-capitol_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2012/08/washington-capitol.jpg <![CDATA[Report: Cops pull over 100 cars en route to Monticello]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/20/report-cops-pull-over-100-cars-en-route-to-monticello/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/20/report-cops-pull-over-100-cars-en-route-to-monticello/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/20/report-cops-pull-over-100-cars-en-route-to-monticello/#commentsFiled under: , ,



There are plenty of important rules when it comes to attending a track day, but one of the most easily overlooked and simultaneously important is, "Thou shalt not speed to or from the facility." Aside from all of that moralistic stuff about putting the public in danger, exceeding the posted limit also does a number on the reputation of whatever track you're headed to. After all, it's a rare community that actually the embraces the sound of engines revving and tires squealing at 7:00 a.m. on the weekend; most tracks don't need any "help" in the bad PR department.

Apparently the members of ExoticsRally.com missed the memo. A slew of drivers from that site recently participated in a charity event where they could pay $100 for a lead-follow lap at the famous (and exclusive) Monticello Motor Club. An extra Benji would allow for a quicker lap, and those who'd been on track before could buy additional track time.

Unfortunately, around 100 of the participants were busted doing well over 100 mph on their way to the track. Local law enforcement was not amused, handing out tickets by the fistful for everything from speeding to improper equipment in a bid to get drivers piloting everything from Dodge Vipers and Chevrolet Corvettes to Nissan GT-Rs to cool their heels.

Do us all a favor. If you like your local track, keep it legal on the surrounding streets, or the place might not be open for business next year. Thanks for the tip, Monroe!

[Source: The Times-Herald Record]

Report: Cops pull over 100 cars en route to Monticello originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>exoticsrally.comlaw enforcementmonticello motor clubspeeding ticketspeeding ticketsticketsSat, 20 Nov 2010 13:33:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19721855/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/11/20/report-cops-pull-over-100-cars-en-route-to-monticello/19721855/article-detail.xml 19721855 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/monticello_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/monticello.jpg <![CDATA[Jay Leno's best speeding story is better than yours]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/28/jay-lenos-best-speeding-story-is-better-than-yours/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/28/jay-lenos-best-speeding-story-is-better-than-yours/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/28/jay-lenos-best-speeding-story-is-better-than-yours/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Just like any self-respecting car guy, Jay Leno has had his fair share of run-ins with local law enforcement. And, much like the rest of us, some of those run-ins result in great story material for those Monday morning watercooler conversations. But as you'd expect, Leno's are more entertaining.

Take, for example, a recent exchange Leno had with Visor Down in the U.K. Says the late-night comedian:
I have the record for the oldest vehicle to be done for speeding. It was a 1912 Stanley Steamer, and I had it cranked up to 75mph on a freeway.
Nice. Needless to say, we're suitably impressed by the speed Leno was able to attain in such a rarefied piece of automotive history. Sadly, the police officer didn't seem to share our respect:
I'm kind of proud of that, especially considering the engine is steam-powered and makes less than 10 bhp. The cop who issued the citation was remarkably straight-faced and unimpressed with my feat, which I thought was a little unimaginative of him. How could you seriously issue a speeding ticket to something with the same engine as a small steam locomotive?
Jay, if it makes you feel any better (and we're sure it doesn't), we completely agree. Read the rest of the interview at Visor Down here.

[Source: Visor Down]

Jay Leno's best speeding story is better than yours originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>jay lenojay leno garagejay lenos garageJayLenoJayLenoGarageJayLenosGaragelenospeeding ticketspeeding ticketsSpeedingTicketSpeedingTicketsstanley steamerStanleySteamersteam carsteam car speedsteam car top speedSteamCarSteamCarSpeedSteamCarTopSpeedWed, 28 Jul 2010 18:32:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19572373/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/07/28/jay-lenos-best-speeding-story-is-better-than-yours/19572373/article-detail.xml 19572373 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/stanley-steamer_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/stanley-steamer.jpg <![CDATA[Useless Study of the Day: California leads the nation in Tweets about speeding tickets]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/16/useless-study-of-the-day-california-leads-the-nation-in-tweets/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/16/useless-study-of-the-day-california-leads-the-nation-in-tweets/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/16/useless-study-of-the-day-california-leads-the-nation-in-tweets/#commentsFiled under: ,

Top speeding ticket Tweets: Top States - click above for the complete infographic

Getting a speeding ticket is like slamming your hand in the car door, breaking your hand and then paying the hospital bill - only worse. Mostly because after the pain of paying the ticket goes away, your insurance may be raised by hundreds of dollars per year. And if you follow friends (and Autoblog) on Twitter, you've likely read about someone you know getting a bloody speeding ticket.

The folks at Freeinsurancequotes.com probably know a thing or two about how a few points on your record can raise insurance rates, and they've decided to analyze how many Twitter users complain about tickets. The results? As you can see from the above graphic, California leads the nation in ticket Tweets by quite a percentage, followed by New York, Texas, Florida and Ohio. What's more, a full 44 percent of those Tweets come from Los Angeles, which comes as a shock to nobody.

The top five states are perhaps a bit predictable, mainly because they represent five of the top seven most populous states in the Union. Taking a closer look at the results does show that 20 percent more Ohio residents Tweet about tickets than Illinois residents. This, in spite of the fact that the home state of the Windy City has 1.4 million more people. Ditto for New York, which takes the number two spot despite the Lone Star State having another five million residents. Check out the complete infographic after the jump.

[Source: Free Insurance Quotes]

Continue reading Useless Study of the Day: California leads the nation in Tweets about speeding tickets

Useless Study of the Day: California leads the nation in Tweets about speeding tickets originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>citationfree insurance quotes ticket tweetsFreeInsuranceQuotesTicketTweetsinfographicmoving violationMovingViolationsocial mediasocial networkingSocialMediaSocialNetworkingspeeding citationspeeding ticketspeeding ticket tweetsspeeding ticketsSpeedingCitationSpeedingTicketSpeedingTicketsSpeedingTicketTweetstweetstwittertwitter speeding ticketstwitteringTwitterSpeedingTicketsFri, 16 Jul 2010 11:31:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19556635/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/07/16/useless-study-of-the-day-california-leads-the-nation-in-tweets/19556635/article-detail.xml 19556635 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/fiq-speeding-tickets-630-crop_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/fiq-speeding-tickets-630-crop.jpg <![CDATA[Speeding Tickets: 65 issued per minute and other fun facts]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/12/speeding-tickets-65-issued-per-minute-and-other-fun-facts/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/12/speeding-tickets-65-issued-per-minute-and-other-fun-facts/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/12/speeding-tickets-65-issued-per-minute-and-other-fun-facts/#commentsFiled under:



It's every driver's nightmare: flashing blue and red lights in your rearview mirror. Speeding tickets can strike a blow to anyone's day. While you pull away from the officer with your ticket in hand, you wonder, "Is going 10 or 15 miles per hour over the speed limit that big a deal?" or "How is much is my insurance going to go up now?" Thanks to our friends at autoinsurance.org, we have answers to those questions and many more in the infographic after the jump.

[Source: Auto Insurance for Autoblog.com]

Continue reading Speeding Tickets: 65 issued per minute and other fun facts

Speeding Tickets: 65 issued per minute and other fun facts originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>infographicspeeding ticket inforgraphicspeeding ticketsspeeding tickets infographicSpeedingTicketInforgraphicSpeedingTicketsSpeedingTicketsInfographicMon, 12 Apr 2010 15:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19436031/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/04/12/speeding-tickets-65-issued-per-minute-and-other-fun-facts/19436031/article-detail.xml 19436031 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/speeding-tickets-2optg_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/speeding-tickets-2optg.jpg <![CDATA[Pittsburgh police refunding speeding fines given by mistake]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/pittsburgh-police-refunding-speeding-fines-given-by-mistake/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/pittsburgh-police-refunding-speeding-fines-given-by-mistake/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/pittsburgh-police-refunding-speeding-fines-given-by-mistake/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A pair of Pittsburgh Revenue Officers misunderstood the rules surrounding the use of some LIDAR gear loaned to the department for testing and issued a raft of tickets that the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police now has to retract. Apparently LIDAR is only approved for use when teamed with other systems like VASCAR and ENRADD, which measure speed in different ways, and these boys in blue were using it solo. Their mistake instantly invalidates about 650 speeding fines that were issued on account of the loaned LIDAR equipment.

Pittsburgh police chief Nate Harper has apologized for the erroneous tickets, and motorists with LIDAR-only tickets were encouraged to request a court hearing. If the citation has already been paid, the unlawfully caught speeders will be reimbursed. A full refund for a speeding ticket is novel, but our sarcastic side wants to make a crack about the payouts being funded by shortening yellow lights at intersections with camera-bots. Thanks for the tip, Eddy!

[Source: WTAE, Photo: nist.gov]

Pittsburgh police refunding speeding fines given by mistake originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lidarlidar ticketsLidarTicketspittsburgh policepittsburgh speeding ticketPittsburghPolicePittsburghSpeedingTicketspeed cameraSpeedCameraspeedingspeeding ticketspeeding ticket refundspeeding ticketsSpeedingTicketSpeedingTicketRefundSpeedingTicketsticket refundticket refundsTicketRefundTicketRefundsWed, 16 Apr 2008 11:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1168984/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/04/16/pittsburgh-police-refunding-speeding-fines-given-by-mistake/1168984/article-detail.xml 1168984 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/lidar_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/lidar.jpg <![CDATA[Uncle Sam wants YOU...to pull over]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/03/uncle-sam-wants-you-to-pull-over/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/03/uncle-sam-wants-you-to-pull-over/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/03/uncle-sam-wants-you-to-pull-over/#commentsFiled under: ,

Uncle SamThe Orange County (FL) sheriff's department has cranked up its traffic enforcement efforts for the 4th of July week, and it's having a little fun along the way. A deputy dressed in full Uncle Sam regalia stood at an undisclosed location Monday (local6.com wouldn't reveal the specific whereabouts) zapping speeders with his radar gun as a team of motorcycle cops pulled the unlucky motorists over and handed out tickets. According to Local6.com, 275 citations were handed out Monday, with fines set at $80 and up. The costume follies are nothing new for the sheriff's department, which has sent out radar-wielding deputies dressed as Santa's elves, the Grinch, and Leprechauns on holidays past.

[Source: Local6.com]

Uncle Sam wants YOU...to pull over originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Jul 2007 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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