By John Bowman, NMA Communications Director

An interesting magazine came across my desk the other day. It’s called Thinking Highways, and it covers the fascinating field of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). On its surface, ITS is essentially the endeavor to increase the safety and efficiency of the transportation system by integrating communications, information and logistics technologies.

However, as I started to thumb through it, I got the sense there was more going on. The cover declared this to be “The Hearts and Minds Issue,” followed by, “Is winning over the public the key to mainstream ITS success?” Curious choice of words. Perhaps an acknowledgement that the public may be fearful, or at least skeptical, if it knew what ITS really was?

I opened the front cover. Next to the table of contents I saw a full-page ad for Redflex Traffic Systems, one of the leading purveyors of red-light camera mayhem. Is this what ITS is all about? Surely there’s more to it.

A few more pages in I read a column about Google’s driverless car and the company’s lobbying efforts to pass enabling legislation to get the cars on the road. Pretty compelling stuff.

Next up, a piece from the CEO of a tolling consulting firm, extolling how toll roads can boost economic recovery. Not much to note, but the writer concluded with “… many governments are expanding the opportunity for toll road development whether by the public or private sector.” Thanks for the warning.

I then flipped to a lengthy opinion piece promoting wider deployment of Automated Traffic Management (ATM) systems. These comprise things like metered ramps, variable message signage, dynamic route diversion and variable speed limits. To facilitate more ATM, the writer advocated greater use of data “aggregated from individual vehicles by sampling their locations and speeds either by sampling their GPS equipment, cell phones, or Bluetooth signals.”

The writer also lamented the limited acceptance of ATM in the United States and advocated a tighter focus on marketing and branding to win over the public. Might this explain the earlier hearts and minds reference? Would motorists warmly embrace ATM if they understood the privacy implications of collecting all that information?

A series of three articles within the magazine’s “Innovation” section revealed even more. The titles tipped me off: “Recognition Handbook,” “Altered Images,” “The Science of Seeing.”

All three touted new developments in machine vision, the blanket term for the key components of modern traffic management: cameras, connections, computers and illumination.

To be fair, the authors described the use of machine vision technology in several useful applications including traffic monitoring and control, incident response, and vehicle assistance.

However, the most pervasive theme was the key role machine vision plays in today’s Big Brother style of traffic enforcement:

“For automatic vehicle identification, lane-use and occupancy monitoring, license plate capture, red-light running and speed violation enforcement, video tolling and weigh-in-motion … high resolution cameras consistently return the quality of images needed upon which those applications rely.”

“When a previously recorded (license) plate is seen by any other interconnected camera, the vehicle’s average speed is calculated over the known baseline distance.”

“… high performance machine vision cameras can offer accuracy improvements, especially in high speed ALPR (Automatic License Plate Recognition) applications, while also reducing overall system costs.”

Finally, a few more pages on I found a “case study” titled “Taking Safety as Red,” by Charles Territo, vice president of communications for ticket camera vendor American Traffic Solutions. Standard camera company propaganda but significant by its inclusion in the editorial mix.

Perhaps my perceptions of ITS will evolve as I learn more. For now, ITS appears to be a highly sophisticated, highly technical practice that offers the potential for many beneficial innovations. What’s missing is an acknowledgement that those innovations come at a cost: a loss of control over how we choose to drive and the loss of privacy while we do so.

The impact of ITS on motorists (for better or worse) will only increase. That’s why it’s critical for all of us to become more involved. The NMA’s grassroots lobbying efforts will continue as our primary means of affecting public policy on ITS. That means our email alert system will become more important than ever in mobilizing members to take action at the local and state level.

A state lawmaker has introduced important legislation to ban red-light cameras throughout the state of New Jersey.

According to news accounts, Senate Bill 1952, introduced by Sen. Michael Doherty, would repeal the use of red-light cameras in the state and prevent future use of such systems.

Photo enforcement schemes put revenue generation before public safety, to the detriment of motorists. (Learn more about the NMA’s objections to red-light cameras) If passed, New Jersey would join fifteen other states that have banned photo enforcement.

Show your support for S1952 by signing this petitionand passing it on to others. You’ll need to provide some information for the petition, but you will not be asked to sign in or establish an account. The system will send you an email with a link to verify you are using a valid email address. Click that link and you’ll get confirmation that your signature has been counted.

S1952 has been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee. We encourage you to contact committee members along with your local Senator and Assembly members to let them know you want red-light cameras off the streets.

In a January E-newsletter (Issue #157: An Insider's Guide to the NMA Virtual World) we discussed the resources available through the NMA website to help you fight traffic tickets.

But did you know you can also get helpful information directly from the very agencies that make up the traffic enforcement system?

Let’s say I get a speeding ticket in Madison, Wisconsin, where I live. I want to fight it, but I also want to see what I’m up against.

First I need to know what I’m accused of and what the penalties are. The officer wrote down 346.57 (4) on my ticket and also noted 39 mph in a 25 mph zone. No way! A quick Google search takes me to theWisconsin Statutes where I find I’m accused of exceeding the statutory speed limit of 25 mph. 

Since I was allegedly going 15 miles over the posted speed, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation website shows I’ll take a four-point ding on my driving record, if found guilty. The ticket also shows a fine of $175.30. From the Dane County Circuit Court website, I learn that this amount includes various additional fees and surcharges beyond the base forfeiture.

(In some areas, your ticket won’t show the amount of the fine. This is because the court determines the total after receiving notice of the alleged violation from the police. Your ticket may have instructions for retrieving your case information online, including the fine amount. However, it can take up to two weeks before your information is available.)

Next I need to find out what four more points will mean for me. My driving record isn’t perfect, but I’m not sure how many points I already have. I don’t want to risk losing my license with another ticket. For $5.50 I access my full driving record through the WISDOT website.

Wow! I’ve already got eight points on my record; four more and I’m done. I have to win this one. I also discover that I may be able take three points off my record if I agree to attend a traffic safety course. I’ll keep that in mind.

The website also lets me instantly find out the status of my license. Mine is valid, but you’d be surprised at how many people are driving with suspended licenses and don’t even know—until they get pulled over. Find out before that happens.

I need to plead not guilty. The City of Madison Municipal Court website (the jurisdiction for my ticket) tells me to appear in court on the date marked on my ticket to enter my plea, or I can mail my not-guilty plea using the handy form on the website. I’ll send in the form to save a trip to the court house (as well a possible parking ticket). I send my plea using registered or certified mail, so I have a record of delivery. (Whenever you deal with a court online or through the mail, make sure you get confirmation that the court has received your plea, request, motion, payment, etc.)

Now I need to file for a continuance to get more time to prepare my defense. Again, the Madison Municipal Court website comes through with instructions. I think I have to make the request in writing, and I need to receive confirmation from the court—otherwise I still need to appear on the original date. I’m a little confused, so I call the number on the website for more information. In general, be cautious of information received verbally from court personnel. However, in this case, the court clerk confirms my understanding of the court rules, so I’m comfortable.

If I fail to appear, the website warns me: “…the judge may order a suspension or revocation of your driver's license, a suspension of your vehicle registration, referral to a collection agency, an interception of your tax refund, or issue a warrant for your arrest.” Better circle that one on my calendar.

Thanks to a combination of high-tech (the Internet) and low-tech (mail and phone) tools, I accomplished the following right from my kitchen table:

• Confirmed what I’m charged with
• Determined that my license is in jeopardy if I don’t fight
• Filed my not-guilty plea with the court
• Delayed my trial so that I have enough time to prepare

I can now focus on developing my defense. Since I’m a Supporting NMA Member, I’ll start by reviewing the“Fight That Ticket” E-book and the “Guerrilla Ticket Fighter” audio E-book. From there, I’ll search the NMA website for more tips to help me beat the ticket and save my license.

(Editor’s Note: This is a hypothetical example meant to show how to track down and use generally available public information. The specifics will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. It’s worth spending time on the types of websites referenced here, including municipal and county courts, as well as state department of transportation and/or department of motor vehicles. This approach is especially useful with out-of-state tickets.)