Red-Light Camera Debate Is a Mix of Anger, Revenue and Safety
Getting a $50 ticket for missing a red light is unpleasant enough. But when it is received in the mail without warning, generated from an unmarked camera, it can cause resentment.
“If there were signs up, yes, I’d feel differently,” said Dan Rosenbaum after he received his camera-based ticket for an infraction in Brooklyn.
Mr. Rosenbaum’s reaction is common among drivers who question whether the cameras are deployed to prevent accidents or to generate revenue. The absence of a caution sign can raise suspicions.
Remembering Pierce Walsh
We just received the sad news from the Walsh family that E. Pierce Walsh passed away on March 16th at the age of 83. Pierce had managed a number of large fleets during his long fleet career – he retired from Armour Dial Corporation in the early 2000s – and had represented several fleet industry providers. He was a founding member of AFLA.
His family says, “Everyone who knows him will say that he was the smart, witty, Chicago Irish Catholic Democrat that loved the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Chicago Cubs, Frank Sinatra, and most important, all the friends he made over the years.” His wife Lynne says, “He will be missed but always will stay in our hearts and minds.”
I worked quite closely with Pierce over the years and was very fond of him. A perfect gentleman of exquisite integrity, he was a true friend. The consummate Irishman, he loved to tell a good story over a cocktail. As will many others, I shall miss him greatly. We send our sincere condolences to Lynne and the entire Walsh family.
Janice Sutton
Executive Editor
Ford Designers Want to Mine Your Mind
Automotive interiors have come a long way in recent years. Even the most Spartan vehicles are likely to use materials and offer features that were found in only the most up-market models a decade ago. And that’s become a critical factor when motorists go to buy a new car, truck or crossover, says Moray Callum, the head of design at Ford Motor Co.
So, how to differentiate your product from the competition has become an increasingly critical challenge for a company like Ford. And the maker is turning to some interesting science to help it get a leg up. That includes the use of brain wave scanners that can tell when an interior design turns on a potential buyer or leaves them cold.
Career Change: Big Fleet to Small Fleet
Bryan Flansburg retired from the University of Colorado, but he didn't leave the fleet world - or NAFA - when he went to work managing fleets for the I Have a Dream Foundation.
Volvo Pledges Support for Fleet Managers
Wanted: Fleet manager. To succeed, you must be a person with microscopic attention to detail, well-honed diplomatic skills and a thorough knowledge of the law. You will also be responsible for the safety of every employee in your company who drives for work, whether in their own car or a company vehicle.
Put like that, the life of a fleet manager seems impossibly demanding. Bear in mind that the majority of people performing this role in a small-to-medium-size business do so alongside a raft of other duties, and it begins to look even more daunting.
