In an article by the Columbus Dispatch, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday morning that an Ohio officer trained to estimate speed with his eyes does not need a radar gun to catch people speeding. The ruling was 5-1.

The 8^th District Court of Appeals in Cleveland thinks that cops need more than just an estimate by sight to convict someone for speeding, but Supreme Court Justice Maureen O’Connor, writing for the majority, says that the 8^th District stands alone in their belief.

Officers will only be able to ticket drivers based on estimation if they are trained, certified and experienced. Still no word if officers can be trained to detect if a driver has valid auto insurance. Do you think this is fair? Will you still think it’s fair after you get pulled over based on an estimate?

[Source: Columbus Dispatch]

This past weekend I went on a road trip to Chicago. The ride ended up being about 6-7 hours long each way, which is a lot of time to fill… Of course many folks listen to music on their iPod’s, watch movies and some travelers even appreciate some good old fashion conversation. But, with all that time to fill, what else can travelers do to pass the time? Long car ride games, of course!

Edmunds.com provides a top ten list of the best road trip games to play while driving through The United States’ crossroads.

One of my favorites coming in at number seven on the list is “The Picnic Game,” in which one player begins with, “I went to a picnic and I brought…” The first player brings an item that starts with the letter A, such as apple. Then the next person repeats the same opening phrase and brings an item that starts with the letter B, such as banana. Then the next player brings something that starts with the letter C. Simple enough?

My favorite game that shockingly came in at number 10 is “Geography Lesson.” This is the game where a category is chosen by the players (I stink at geography so I usually play this game with celebrities) and the first player says the name of a state or whatever the chosen category is. The next player has to then name a state or celebrity that starts with the last letter of the previous players answer. If the first player starts the game with Ohio, the next player names a state that starts with O, like Oklahoma. The next player would then name a start starting with A, like Arizona and so on.

Next time you have some time to pass while on the road, turn down your iPod’s and try out one of these fun games!

[Source: Edmunds.com]

Some common rules when you are driving include buckle your seat belt, obey the traffic laws and do not drink and drive. It’s the word “drive” that often brings confusion to this statement. I’m sure you’ve heard that you can get a DUI while riding your bike. But what about a bar stool?

A man in Ohio tried to debate this topic when he was recently cited for driving a bar stool. Kile Wygle was charged with a DUI this past March while driving his home-made motorized bar stool. He fell off the vehicle and was then approached by a police officer.

Wygle contested, “It was just an accident.” And when the police asked how he fell off the vehicle and asked how many beers he had, Wygle replied, “More like fifteen.” The vehicle was then placed for sale on eBay by the county, finally being sold for more than $1,000!

Another man received similar punishment last year in Illinois while operating a lawn mower under the influence. You would think a revoked license would teach this 49 year old man a lesson, but he was caught taking his yellow lawn mower for a beer run to a local gas station. A woman in Alabama was even arrested for riding a horse while intoxicated. Ohio police officers say you can get cited for driving any motorized vehicle while under the influence and even a bike if you are on public property.

So remember, play it safe when you are enjoying an evening of celebrating or leisure with your friends and family. Take a cab, designate a sober driver and do not drive ANY vehicles while under the influence this holiday season.

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[Source: CNN.com, Associated Content, Fox News, Dispatch]