SPEED TRAP
New ‘speeding’ rule comes into effect on January 6 – and it’ll mean drivers are more at risk of a ticket
Signs will be installed by next week
A NEW speeding rule that comes into effect on January 6 will see drivers face more risk of getting a ticket.
Motorists across Des Moines, Iowa, will have to be extra cautious as a host of mobile speed cameras are to be installed.
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New signs, as required by state law, have already been put in place - months after the city's mobile speed cameras were taken out of action.
A new state law requiring DOT approval for their locations and saw cameras shut down, causing cars in the area to recklessly speed.
Speaking to KCCINews, Megan Rapp, a Des Moines homeowner, said: "Cars that are driving really fast, definitely going over 25 mph.
"I've seen cars go as fast as 50 mph on the street."
But recently, the state approved roughly a dozen locations for the cameras across the city, including the 4300 block of Ingersoll where Rapp and her two sons live.
Des Moines police are now in the process of installing new signs at these spots in a bid to alert drivers of the traffic enforcement cameras in the area.
Once the signs are in place, police will give warnings from December 2, while enforcement will begin on January 6 and will see the smallest fines increase from $65 to $75.
Sgt. Paul Parizek of the Des Moines Police said: "We just don't have the resources to put a cop on every corner.
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“We don't have the resources to stick a cop in front of every park or every school.
"So this is us working smarter and using the technology to our advantage.
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“And hopefully, we'll get that compliance that we're looking for so that the kids are safe when they ride their bikes or walk to school."
This comes as traffic lights could be given a major facelift with a fourth color added - as driving practices change with advances in technology.
Already the motoring industry is becoming ever-dominiated by electric and autonomous vehicles, with the use of self-driving cars becoming steadily more common.
To this end, experts from North Carolina State University are proposing the addition of a fourth "white light" to traffic signals - which will instruct human drivers to "follow the car in front of them."
The "white light" would signal human drivers to follow autonomous vehicles, which in turn would use the networked capabilities of AVs to ultimately reduce traffic delays and improve fuel efficiency.
Elsewhere, drivers in one US state will need to make an extra $1,000 to afford gas prices next year, an expert has warned.
The surge in prices is set to be triggered by a move requiring gas stations to carry a more expensive blend fuel.
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