Israeli Traffic Court rules missile alert no excuse for speeding on a highway

Be cool! No need to hurry! The missile is faster! Just kidding!

"... Knowing how to behave on the roads in Israel when the sirens sound presents a confusing challenge. This issue arose in a case recently heard in the Central District Traffic Court. A man was driving on the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway in the afternoon at a speed of 157 kilometers per hour, in a stretch where the speed limit is 90 kilometers per hour. The driver was arrested, and his license was revoked for 30 days. ..."

Court rules missile alert no excuse for speeding - Globes "The Central District Traffic Court ruled that the alerts do not justify driving at the speed at which the defendant was driving."

Waymo driverless cars navigated 7,000 dark traffic lights during the San Francisco blackout without accident

Amazing stuff!

"... Waymo said the self-driving system in its robotaxis treats dead stop lights as four-way stops, just like humans are supposed to. That should have allowed the robotaxis to operate normally in spite of the massive outage. ...

While a lot of focus has been placed on the instances where Waymo’s robotaxis got stuck during the power outage, the company shared that its vehicles “successfully traversed more than 7,000 dark signals on Saturday.” ..."

Waymo explains why its robotaxis got stuck during the SF blackout | TechCrunch

Inside Uzbekistan's nationwide license plate and car occupants surveillance system

Is this part of the future? Automated traffic violations enforcement?

How often are these records deleted or how long are they retained? Who monitors?

Do we want government to be able to know all the time where we are going? Orwellian? The Road to Serfdom?

Caveat: I did not read the article.

Inside Uzbekistan's nationwide license plate surveillance system | TechCrunch "Across Uzbekistan, a network of about a hundred banks of high-resolution roadside cameras continuously scan vehicles’ license plates and their occupants, sometimes thousands a day, looking for potential traffic violations. Cars running red lights; drivers not wearing their seatbelts; and unlicensed vehicles driving at night, to name a few."

Most expensive speeding tickets in the US by state

Good to know! 😊 They want you to drive slow in the Golden and Eureka state of CA so you don't miss the sunsets! 😊

"Drivers going 10 mph over the posted speed limit can expect to pay the highest fines in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas, according to this list of the most expensive speeding tickets by state.

A recent study analyzed 2024 data on average fines and standard court fees across each state, ranking California as the highest for speeding costs at $234. Arizona followed closely at $231, with Nevada at $223, and Texas at $223.

New Mexico and Nebraska have the lowest minimum fines at $25, followed by Montana and North Dakota at $40.

The national average is $130, while the median value is slightly lower at $121.  ..."

Saturday, August 9, 2025 - Join The Flyover

Mapped: Speeding Ticket Costs by State

Waymo CEO says company hit 10 million trips, doubling in five months

Amazing stuff! More questions about the advantages of car ownership in urban areas.

"Key Points

• Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana told CNBC on Tuesday that the Alphabet-owned ride-hailing company has reached 10 million trips, doubling in the past five months.
• The Alphabet-owned company previously said it’s doing over 250,000 paid trips per week.
• “They represent people who are really integrating Waymo Driver into their everyday lives,” Mawakana said.

..."

Waymo CEO says company hit 10 million trips, doubling in five months

Want to ride an e-bike with no batteries? But capacitors needed! A French connection!

Recommendable! Why did the video not show any baguettes? 😊

1,400 additional traffic fatalities in the U.S. each year likely accounted for by the legalization of marijuana

I bet the actual fatality numbers are higher! The popular legalization of so called recreational drugs has consequences!

Will these drugged offenders be sanctioned harsher than sober drivers? Don't bet on it, but clearly they should!

"The number of additional traffic fatalities in the U.S. each year likely accounted for by the legalization of marijuana, a 2023 study found. Law enforcement is racing to identify drivers who are impaired by cannabis. Police rely on extra training and saliva tests, but those check only for recent marijuana use. In the blood, the concentration of THC, the psychoactive compound that makes people high, falls even as impairment increases, unlike alcohol, where levels are more closely related to how compromised drivers are, toxicologists say."

From the highlights and abstract:

"Highlights

• TWFE [traditional two-way-fixed-effects] methods are inadequate for policy evaluation.

• Traffic fatalities increase by 2.2 per billion miles driven after retail legalization.

• States who legalized earlier experienced larger traffic fatality increases.

Abstract

Background

This study examines the effect of retail recreational marijuana legalization on traffic fatalities using the most current data available and recent advancements in difference-in-difference estimation methods ...

Method

A modified difference-in-difference (CS-DID) is used to estimate the effect of recreational marijuana legalization on traffic fatalities reported in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Difference-in-difference regression models are run at the state-year level, using data from 2007 through 2020, and compared to estimates using traditional two-way-fixed-effects (TWFE) models.

Results

Consistent with past studies, results from conventional TWFE suggest traffic fatalities increase at a rate of 1.2 per billion vehicle miles traveled (BVMT) after retail of recreational marijuana begins. However, using the CS-DID model, we find slightly larger average total treatment effects (∼2.2 fatalities per BVMT). Moreover, the size of the effect changes across time, where cohorts “treated” earlier have substantially higher increases than those who more recently legalized.

Conclusion

Traffic fatalities increase by 2.2 per billion miles driven after retail legalization, which may account for as many as 1400 traffic fatalities annually. States who legalized earlier experienced larger traffic fatality increases. TWFE methods are inadequate for policy evaluation and do not capture heterogeneous effects across time."

The Wall Street Journal What's news

Revisiting the effect of recreational marijuana on traffic fatalities (open access, I presume this is the referenced study)

Archaeological study shows humans started riding horses more than 4,000 years ago and improved breeding techniques and equestrianism

Amazing stuff! We owe horses so much! Without horses, we might still be very primitive people!

"... Horse power was a critical development in human society as it significantly sped up ancient people’s ability to communicate and trade. Riding on horse back remained the fastest means of transportation until the mechanical engine was invented in the 20th century. ..."

"... The research team gathered an extensive collection of horse archaeological remains spanning the Eurasian continent. They combined radiocarbon dating with ancient DNA sequencing to characterize a comprehensive genome time-series providing fine-grained resolution into the genetic transformations coinciding with the emergence of equestrianism. ...

The research team scrutinized their data for three indicators of horse husbandry. First, they traced when the progenitors of modern domestic horses began to spread outside their native domestication homeland. Next, they reconstructed the horse demography all along the third millennium BCE to precisely date the earliest signs of breeding and large-scale production of horses. Last, they uncovered evidence of significant shifts in the horse reproductive lifespan, indicating deliberate manipulation of animal reproduction by early breeders.

The remarkable alignment of all three lines of evidence around ~4,200 years ago strongly suggests that domestic horses were produced in sufficiently large numbers to sustain a growing demand across the continent only then, and not earlier. Therefore, the date of ~4,200 years ago marks the true onset of horse-based mobility as we recognize it. ..."

From the abstract:

"Horses revolutionized human history with fast mobility. However, the timeline between their domestication and widespread integration as a means of transportation remains contentious. Here we assemble a large collection of 475 ancient horse genomes to assess the period when these animals were first reshaped by human agency in Eurasia. We find that reproductive control of the modern domestic lineage emerged ~2,200 BCE (Before Common Era), through close kin mating and shortened generation times. Reproductive control emerged following a severe domestication bottleneck starting no earlier than ~2,700 BCE, and coincided with a sudden expansion across Eurasia that ultimately resulted in the replacement of nearly every local horse lineage. This expansion marked the rise of widespread horse-based mobility in human history, which refutes the commonly-held narrative of large horse herds accompanying the massive migration of steppe peoples across Europe ~3,000 BCE and earlier. Finally, we detect significantly shortened generation times at Botai ~3,500 BCE, a settlement from Central Asia associated with corrals and a subsistence economy centered on horses. This supports local horse husbandry before the rise of modern domestic bloodlines."

Archaeological study shows humans started riding horses more than 4,000 years ago

The rise of horse power ~4,200 years ago (original press release) An international research team sequenced the genomes of hundreds of horse archaeological remains to track the historical rise of horse-based mobility around 4200 years ago in the Pontic-Caspian steppes.

The emergence of improved breeding techniques at the time considerably enhanced the yearly capacity of horse production, which helped spreading domestic horses like a wildfire across the whole Eurasian continent.

The massive human migrations that spread Indo-European languages outside the steppes around 5,000 years ago were not mediated by horses, contrarily to what was previously thought.

Widespread horse-based mobility arose around 2,200 BCE in Eurasia (no public access)

44% The share of Americans’ cars that were 10 or more years old in 2022, up from 17% in 1977

Good news? Were these two years (especially 1977) selected for maximum effect and manipulation!

Has the quality of cars improved so much? Are new cars too expensive? Are we less reliant on cars in the age of home delivery?

"The share of Americans’ cars that were 10 or more years old in 2022, up from 16.9% in 1977, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Drivers are holding on to their vehicles for longer because car and insurance costs are higher, newer models are more expensive to repair and record-high interest rates mean pricier auto loans."

The Wall Street Journal What's news

All-terrain Exoquad gets wheelchair users into four-wheelin' action in nature environments

Good news! But it does not come cheap! How many can afford it? Opportunity for rental business?

"The Exoquad four-wheeler is designed to let wheelchair users independently explore the gnarliest of outdoor environments. And while it packs multiple motors, it has an unpowered sibling that's made for no-holds-barred downhill descents. ...

Should you be interested, pricing starts at €15,999 (about US$17,365) for the 4WD Exoquad, €12,999 ($14,109) for the 2WD Exoquad, and €7,199 ($7,814) for the Exogravity. Potential buyers might also want to check out The Rig, the Zoom and the EV4 Mountain Cart. ..."

All-terrain Exoquad gets wheelchair users into four-wheelin' action

Motorized bike trailer clears bike lanes of dangerous glass and debris with a bike lane sweeper

Happy biking! Sweeping news!

Motorized bike trailer clears lanes of dangerous glass and debris A bicycle-towed electric street sweeper may soon be clearing gravel, broken glass, bits of metal and other debris off a bike lane near you. Known as the Bike Lane Sweeper, the device is already being trialled at multiple locations in Canada and the US.

Africa’s Growing Toll of Traffic Deaths. We need more not less fossil fuels and more nuclear power!

There is a huge demand for more motorization in Africa with a population of over 1.4 billion people!

Does anyone believe these people will buy electric vehicles anytime soon unless they become a lot cheaper and better!

So in the name of the greatest scam and scandal of the past 30 years or so, i.e. the Global Warming hoax and Climate Change religion, people living in Western countries are forced to give up gas powered vehicles. A little more honesty would be nice! Drill baby drill, we need more fossil fuels for now! Plant more trees, do more carbon capture, use more solar power when it makes sense etc.!

"While global road traffic deaths have fallen 5% over the last decade, Africa is seeing an alarming 17% spike as the continent becomes increasingly motorized, according to the WHO’s new global road safety report tracking progress between 2010 and 2021. ..."

Global Health NOW: Africa’s Growing Toll of Traffic Deaths; Erosion of Health Care’s ‘Sanctity’; and Ad Blocks Keep Abortions Unreachable

Air taxi, please! Can urban air mobility get off the ground?

Exciting stuff! The pioneers of aviation are thrilled!

But will it become a noisy affair in urban areas?

"But, while the concept of so-called urban air mobility (UAM) may sound enticing, turning that into reality is far from straightforward. For one thing, the specialist infrastructure required would be mind-boggling: high-voltage electricity networks and safe charging points are merely the basics. Safe segregation from the flight paths of mainstream civil air traffic and autonomous delivery drones would have to be factored in too.

Despite these complexities, a brave new world of electrified UAM appears to be gradually taking shape. McKinsey’s Center for Future Mobility has found that of the 25 largest mainstream aerospace manufacturers and suppliers, 72% and 64% respectively are engaged in future air mobility technologies. Over the past five years, 16,000 VTOL orders, worth around £85bn, have been placed. ..."

Air taxi, please! Can urban air mobility get off the ground? - Raconteur Several EVTOL providers are poised to offer emission-free urban air travel, but they have some significant infrastructure challenges to overcome before they can realise this electric dream

Boston second-most congested city in U.S., fourth in the world, traffic report says

I bet, many Bostonian do not like a headline like this! What an incredible waste of our time to be stuck in traffic. How about e.g. more work from home?

I am a little surprised that traffic congestion in non Western countries is not so high up in the rankings. It appears that INRIX covered only South Africa as the only country in Africa.

"Time lost to traffic congestion in Boston increased by a whopping 72% last year, placing it second for worst gridlock in the country, and fourth worldwide, a new report found.

Boston is ranked behind London, Chicago and Paris, but ahead of New York City for cities with the “highest traffic delay times,” according to a report released Tuesday by INRIX, a global transportation data and analytics company.

The typical Boston driver lost 134 hours to congestion, up 56 hours from 2021 when it was ranked fourth in the U.S. and 18th in the world.

The Massachusetts capital is also home to the fourth-worst corridor in the U.S., I-93 southbound through downtown Boston to the Pilgrim Highway Interchange, resulting in 24.7 minutes lost on average per day at the 4 p.m. rush hour, the report stated. ..."

Boston second-most congested city in U.S., fourth in the world, traffic report says

Inrix 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard (7 continents, 50 countries, over 1,000 cities)

In the UK, a Surge in Number of Pedestrians Injured by E-Scooter Riders

The flip side of E-scooters! Perhaps, not as deadly as car accidents, but painful nevertheless!

"The number of pedestrians injured after being hit by e-scooters was nearly four times higher in 2021 than the previous year, new figures show.

Department for Transport statistics revealed that 223 people travelling on foot were wounded by the contraptions in Britain last year, including 63 who were seriously hurt. ...

Private e-scooters are often used on public roads and pavements despite being banned.

Legalised trials of rental e-scooters have been set up in dozens of towns and cities across England.
The casualty statistics also show that 64 cyclists were injured in e-scooter crashes in 2021, up from 21 during the previous 12 months. ..."

Are E-Scooters Legal in UK? Surge in Number of Pedestrians Injured by Riders - Bloomberg

Fly the urban skies with Urban Aeronautic flying cars

Are looking here (AirMule, X-Hawk) at the future of urban mobility or at a hyped stock? A bit of both? 😄 Less traffic congestion? 

URBAN AERONAUTICS