NMA National Alert: USAA's Support of the IIHS Red-Light Camera Position
USAA, the giant insurance company with membership consisting largely of active and retired military personnel, endorses the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) support of red-light camera programs. The USAA annual member meeting is being held at 9:00 am, Grand Hyatt, San Antonio, TX, Saturday Nov. 21, 2009. If you are a member of USAA, and would like to voice your opposition to ticket cameras, as well as the company's position on the matter, please contact longtime NMA member Helwig F. Van Der Grinten ("Van"), the founder of the Houston Coalition Against Red Light Cameras (as they are presently utilized). Van is currently gathering signatures on a petition against the USAA position, and is asking that USAA members who are opposed to ticket cameras, and/or who are able to attend the annual members' meeting in San Antonio, also contact him. Van may be reached at: website: www.houstoncoalition.net
email: HTxCARLC@aol.com
home phone: 281-265-7408
cell phone: 832-567-6521 (if no answer at home) The language of the petition, to be submitted to USAA's directors, is: An unhealthy relationship has developed between the auto insurance industry and revenue inspired law enforcement. This has manifested itself in biased research on red light cameras by the USAA supported Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. We call upon USAA to employ a certified traffic engineer to advise our USAA directors on implementing corrective action based on sound engineering and scientific methods to temper the staunch support of red light cameras by IIHS.
Photo enforcement programs continue to produce significant income for both local government and the camera companies, all at the expense of motorists without improving traffic safety. The NMA encourages you to take a stand against red-light cameras.
