Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/30/3001.asp

12/26/2009

2009 Year in Review
The ten most popular stories on TheNewspaper.com for the year 2009.

The following were the ten most viewed stories on TheNewspaper.com during 2009.

1. Man Uses Speed Camera to Power Neighborhood
   A clever resident of Mragowo, Poland found a way to tap into the power supply for a nearby speed camera and uses it to power his own home.
   
   
2. City Threatens $2500 Fines for Challenging Traffic Tickets
   A lawyer decided to fight back after courts in Indianapolis, Indiana threatened to impose a $2500 penalty on any motorist who dared to contest a speeding or parking ticket in court.
   
   
3. No Speeding Tickets for Fast Sounding Cars
   The Ohio Court of Appeals overturned the conviction of a man accused of speeding based on a police officer's testimony that he heard a car approaching and the noise was "consistent with a vehicle that was in excess of the posted speed limit."
   
   
4. City Councilman Arrested for Opposing Red Light Cameras
   The mayor of Duncanville, Texas decided to silence a critic of red light cameras by arresting him during a city council meeting. That critic happened to be a fellow city councilman peacefully expressing his views (with video).
   
   
5. Police Caught Tampering with Speed Camera Ticket
   While some claim that the speed camera never lies, a police chief and subordinates in Bavaria, Germany were placed under investigation after evidence of photo ticket tampering surfaced.
   
   
6. New Jersey to Consider Banning Drivers from Operating GPS
   Proposed New Jersey legislation would have imposed a $100 fine on any driver accused of touching a GPS navigation screen while in motion.
   
   
7. South Dakota Supreme Court Limits Interrogation of Travelers
   The high court in South Dakota limited the ability of police to interrogate and search innocent motorists from out of state based solely on a police hunch that something might appear suspicious.
   
   
8. Canada: Speed Camera Refunds Become Political Issues
   After being caught illegally issuing speed camera tickets in construction zones where no work was performed, the ruling party in Manitoba, Canada fought calls for refunds as opposition legislators made photo radar an election issue.
   
   
9. Maryland Legislature Approves Statewide, Freeway Speed Cameras
   Thanks to a heavy lobbying campaign by interests that stand to profit from photo ticketing, Maryland legislature approved one of the most expansive speed camera programs in the country.
   
   
10. Arizona State Police to Investigate Aggressive Redflex Driver
    A member of the public turned the tables on a photo radar van driver, capturing on video several traffic law violations as the Redflex employee rushed to a Chick-fil-A restaurant for lunch.