ATS’ Newsletter, Vol. 4, Issue 43

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Collision Shatters Morning Calm at School Bus Stop
WFXT-TV FOX 25 (Massachusetts), Sept. 24, 2014

Two children, ages 11 and 13, were injured when they were struck by a vehicle while crossing the street on the way to their school bus stop. One girl suffered a broken femur, and is in stable condition, the other has head trauma and remains in critical condition. Authorities say it was sun glare that caused the accident. No charges have been filed. View related coverage at WCVB-TV ABC 5.

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Dramatic Video Shows School Bus Collision
USA Today, Sept. 19, 2014

Dramatic video from two cameras show a school bus driver’s seven seconds behind the wheel after a collision with a passing car in Clayton County, Georgia.

 

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School Bus, Speed Safety Cameras Approved
The Kaufman Herald (Texas), Sept. 24, 2014

Despite protests by several Kaufman County residents and differing opinions on the Commissioners’ Court, commissioners on Monday approved civil penalties for traffic offenders caught by cameras on school buses and in school zones. The two new regulations are required in order to enforce a ticketing process related to a contract the court agreed to back in April.

Cameras to See Vehicles Illegally Pass School Buses in Arlington County
WTOP-Radio 103.5 FM (Virginia), Sept. 24, 2014

Drivers who speed past school buses when their flashing red stop signs are extended will soon be caught on camera and fined $250. The Arlington County board approved a policy on Tuesday night to install high-resolution cameras on the “stop arms” of school buses to catch drivers who don’t stop to protect children. See related article by The Washington Post.

 

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Maple Heights Police Say Cameras Should Stay
Cleveland.com (Ohio), Sept. 22, 2014

As Maple Heights citizens prepare to vote in November on whether to limit the use of traffic cameras, police said the cameras have significantly slowed traffic and made roads safer since they went live in July.

 

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Who Pays Red-Light Running Ticket? Company or Driver
Newsday (New York), Sept. 22, 2014

I received a red-light camera ticket for an incident that happened while I was driving the company van during business hours. The $80 ticket says I didn’t come to a full stop before turning right on red. Who is responsible for paying, my employer or me?

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Technology Aims at Texting Drivers
The Oregonian (Oregon), Sept. 21, 2014

Bad driving behavior and technology seem to go hand in hand. Consider the speeders and red-light runners who have inspired innovations in photo enforcement. Now, technology may be set to tackle texting drivers. To those drivers who do text, you know what that could spell: U R busted! (Associated Press photo)

More Red-Light Safety Cameras Activated in Osceola County
Central Florida News 13, Sept. 20, 2014

If you’ll be driving in Osceola County, this red-light camera advisory is for you. More red-light cameras are being activated.

 

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ATS Primary Logo

American Traffic Solutions is pleased to announce two newly signed agreements with Midfield, Alabama, and Anne Arundel County, Maryland. An amendment to Midfield’s original five-year agreement signed in 2011 provides for mobile speed safety cameras to be added to the city’s red-light safety camera program. The speed cameras will be deployed in specially outfitted vehicles. Anne Arundel County, whose red-light safety camera program dates back to 2006, renewed its road safety camera agreement with ATS for another year. ATS is honored to remain a part of the traffic safety efforts in Midfield and Anne Arundel County, and with all of its clients.

ATS to Relocate Corporate Office, Consolidate Arizona Locations in 2015
Construction News Today, Sept. 24, 2014

Harvard Investment, Lincoln Property Company and American Traffic Solutions announced today that ATS will be relocating over 600 employees to Waypoint, a new Class A office campus located in Mesa, Arizona. “We’re excited about this move and all of the amenities this location has to offer,” said James Tuton, president and CEO of American Traffic Solutions. “This facility will not only be designed to meet the needs of both our Fleet Services and State and Local Government Solutions Business Units but allows us to do so under one roof.”

 

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ATS_RoadSafety @ATS_RoadSafety Fact 5: Videos from RLSC’s have aided law enforcement 500 in investigations. http://atsol.com/newjersey-fact

NHTSA @NHTSAgov Drive Safely Work Week an opportunity to build a workplace safety culture. Thanks for the Fastlane blog @USDOThttp://fb.me/1xUVMssWA

ATS_RoadSafety @ATS_RoadSafety  #TipTuesday: Check out this video on school zone and school bus safety! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDN3q76S5R8…  #SchoolZoneSafety

 

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Tolls Are Possible to Complete Interstate 49 South
The Advocate (Louisiana), Sept. 24, 2014

Tolls starting at 18 cents a mile could pay from one-quarter to one-half of the more than $3 billion price tag to complete Interstate 49 South from Lafayette to New Orleans, according to a state-funded feasibility study unveiled Monday.

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Toll Lanes Becoming All the Rage in Florida
Miami Herald, Sept. 22, 2014

If you like the toll lanes on Interstate 95 that let drivers pay for a faster ride while the motorized masses look on in envy, get ready for more — lots more. In the next decade, Florida’s biggest cities will add toll lanes to the state’s busiest expressways. One hundred sixty-nine miles of toll lanes will arrive across the state in a series of projects that will be under construction until 2021, adding multiple toll lanes in South Florida, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville.

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Commentary: We Must Sensibly Enforce Sensible Traffic Laws
Guam Pacific Daily News/Guampdn.com, Sept. 22, 2014

Last November, the federal government reported something it has done only once in more than 20 years: an increase in the highway fatality rate. Traffic deaths climbed to 30,800 in 2012, pushing the fatality rate up to 1.13 per 100 million miles traveled. … But the real story about highway safety in the USA is not this one-year bump. It is far worse. The U.S., when compared with other industrialized countries, is utterly failing to adequately tackle highway safety — at the cost of tens of thousands of lives a year.

Commentary: Red Light Cameras May Help Prevent Crashes
The Tribune (Colorado), Sept. 20, 2014

My friend Heidi, mother of two, recently was hit by a car. In a crosswalk, no less. The driver? She blew through the light while chatting on the phone. Heidi’s surreal summersault began. First she hit the hood, then the roof and eventually the pavement. Next stop — the ER. Intersection collisions and crashes like this happen all the time. There are more than 200,000 annually in the U.S. Blowing red lights is even more common.

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Letter: Red-Light Cameras Give Law Teeth
The Dallas Morning News (Texas), Sept. 19, 2014

Those opposed to red-light cameras say things such as: I don’t like them; the city is just trying to collect revenue; they don’t do any good; they don’t save lives; it’s unfair that only some people pay the fines; and big brother is watching. Here’s my take:

 

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“Any car passing a stopped school bus, throw the book at them.”
Jay Fisette, Arlington County Board Chair
WTOP-Radio, 103.5 FM (Virginia), Sept. 24, 2014

“Most people realize the camera is there and slow down. Whether you like them or not, they provide a service that we can’t provide as a department.”
John Popielarczyk, Maple Heights Police Chief
Cleveland.com (Ohio), Sept. 22, 2014