About.com blogger Charles Montaldo has compiled some statistics and information that once again demonstrate the questionable effectiveness of red light cameras. His research demonstrates that red light cameras have a negligible effect on red light running, but instead increase minor vehicle accidents caused by hard braking in advance of the automatically enforced intersection. He also points out that the IIHS, the Insurance Industry’s research arm, is the leading source of statistics that support the use of red light cameras, and that red light cameras amount to nothing more than a push from the industry to trap drivers in higher premiums through increased crash and citation data.

It may not be the most riveting story that you read today, but California’s Modesto Bee newspaper ran a letter to the editor entitled, “Who needs pesky stop signs, anyway?” In this case, the author is upset about what they feel is an unnecessary stop sign, that should be replaced by an entire bypass road. While that seems a bit drastic, certainly it can be frustrating to have to deal with needless stop signs on a regular basis. Do you encounter unnecessary stop signs that should be removed?  Sound-off below.

Asbury Park Press carried a particularly amusing letter-to-the-editor today — the story of one woman who was brave enough to obey the freshly lowered 55-mph speed limit on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey.

The Parkway speed limit is 65-mph starting from the border at New York, but proceeding farther south, the limit drops to 55-mph.  Recently, the 55-mph limit was extended farther north.  As anyone whose ever driven on the Garden State Parkway can attest, 75-mph-plus speeds are routine if not “too slow” to some of the more aggressive drivers.

AL.com has posted an interesting article that breaks down some common misconceptions about speeding violations. According to the linked article, a state police spokesperson said, “The speed limit is the speed limit, and that’s the speed you can go without encountering a trooper.” But a more detailed analysis by the AL.com authors revealed that only 72 speeding tickets, roughly 1% issued by Alabama troopers last year, were given to drivers going only 1 to 9-mph over the speed limit.  Of those 72 drivers, only 2 were ticketed with traveling less than 5-mph over the limit. Some additional discussion is provided regarding the accuracy of speed measurement devices and how that may play into an officer’s decision to ticket drivers at speeds close to but exceeding the posted speed limit.

The article also mentions the rather bizarre fact that the highest speeding ticket issued in Alabama went to a man driving 130-mph, double the 65-mph limit, in a “construction vehicle”.

NJ.com blogger Paul Mulshine recently posted an interesting review of dubious claims that a 55-mph speed limit improves overall fuel efficiency.  Mulshine provides a link to a variety of official sources, both domestic and international, that debase the myth of a single fuel efficient speed limit, especially one set at 55-mph.  “Every car I own gets better mileage at 70 mph than the typical SUV gets at 55,” remarked Mulshine. And while that may be true, it’s also worth noting that most modern passenger cars (and even SUVs) have evolved beyond the old carburated engines of yesteryear, and can achieve their highest fuel efficiencies at speeds above 55-mph anyway.

Drivers New Jersey are used to being the butt of innumerable jokes on topics ranging from their often colorful hand gestures to their overcrowded, nightmarishly confusing Turnpike. New Jersey drivers recently lowered the bar once again by demonstrating an incredibly schizophrenic view of vehicle & traffic law enforcement.  According to the Press of Atlantic City, a AAA-sponsored poll revealed “[New Jersey drivers] support a new state law making it a primary offense to use cell phones while driving, even though they don’t believe it will make it safer to drive on New Jersey roads.” There are also some views on traffic cameras and snow/ice removal that were captured in the AAA study.

Since 1997, engineers in Charlotte, NC, worried that too many motorists were confusing a green ball as permission to make a protected left turn. In response, Charlotte, NC will earn the distinction of being one of the first localities to implement traffic light phasing that include a flashing yellow turn arrow. According to the Charlotte Observer, “The new light replaces the green ball for left turns with a flashing yellow arrow to signal that motorists must yield.”

Mercury News has reported that authorities in San Diego had to temporarily shut down part of California highways 805 and 94 after leaky grease truck created a mile-and-a-half long oil slick on the road.  The slick caused at least two motorists to lose control of their car and spin out, and caused two others to collide as well.  Cleanup crews used sand to absorb the grease.

WSYR 9 is reporting that some temporary traffic lights in the city of Syracuse, NY are so poorly placed that they are actually causing accidents.  The issue seems to stem from the fact that other lights are placed above the intersection at other junctions, but the temporary lights are mounted to the side, on poles.  The temporary light poles were erected to replace the previous light poles, which were so deteriorated that they came crashing down a few months ago.

O’Reilly Radar reports that Motor Trend has reported that Nissan’s newest GT-R model will contain a speed limiter that uses the car’s built in GPS to determine the maximum safe speed.  On highways, the car will be limited to about 110 mph, but the driver can navigate through menus on the car’s computer to enable a special “race” mode if the driver is at a pre-approved race track.  A sign of things to come?