National Motorists Association

The National Motorists Association (NMA) is for-profit lobbyist and special interest group, created in 1982. NMA also operates a small non-profit organization, National Motorists Association Foundation established in 1999, whose meager revenue is derived from "gifts, grants, contributioins, and membership fees." The website motorists.org obfuscates the distinction between the corporation and National Motorists Association Foundation, which operates from the same address. (See "Corporate status and Foundation" below.)

The NMA, originally called the Citizens Coalition for Rational Traffic Laws (CCRTL), was founded in 1982 to advocate against the 55 mph National Maximum Speed Law, which was their chief cause until its successful repeal in 1995. The National Motorists Association name was adopted in the late 1980s.

The NMA encourages motorists to challenge all traffic tickets in court.

To promote this, through its Traffic Justice Program, the NMA offers to pay the fines for customers who challenge their speeding tickets in court and are subsequently found guilty. This offer is limited to US$300, once per subscription year.

The NMA also provides an audio program called "Guerrilla Ticket Fighter" and other web resources to its customers.

In the 1980s and '90s, the NMA would advertise a "Civil Obedience Day" where some drivers would travel in a caravan at the posted speed limit on a few local highways. The purpose was to illustrate that the current speed limit was unreasonably low. By purposely leaving the far left lane open for cars to pass, the volume of cars passing the caravan and the large amount of cars behind it both proved the point.

In cooperation with GetMADD.com, the NMA offered a $20,000 reward to anyone who could substantiate the NHTSA and MADD's statistics on impaired-driver fatalities.

The NMA operates a speedtrap registry and a roadblock registry where people can post the locations of known speed traps and road blocks. It opposes the installation of red light cameras.

NMA has taken a strong opposition to Vision Zero movements, signing editorials and offering criticism against policies to support the movement's goals.

The National Motorists Association is a privately held, in Waunakee, Wisconsin. NMA claims to be a "grassroots advocacy organization," but does not provide any public visibility into their membership statistics or funding sources.

NMA Foundation is a small 501(c)(3) non-profit organization was founded in 1999 based in Waunakee, Wisconsin, whose mission is "dedicated to finding innovative ways to protect the interests of North American motorists thorugh research, education, and litigation [sic] it seeks to expand motorists' opportunities to drive, travel, and enjoy personal mobility to the greatest possible extent." However, its sole program expenses are attributed to "educational materials and related support services to american motorists", for a total of $34,659 (USD) in 2014, and $69,338 (USD) in 2013. NMA Foundation does not have any paid employees. Though NMA Foundation claims "Through a multi-faceted approach of research, education, and litigation, the NMAF is seeking ways to protect your interests as a motorist and citizen," no evidence is provided of having directly funded any research or litigation activity, and their sole education activities appear to be production of their publication "Fight That Ticket" and a "Legal Defense Kit".

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Wikipedia