Best of 2012 short list announced, for-profit red-light cameras criticized

(Volkswagen)

Best of 2012 field pared to two dozen
The North American Car and Truck of the Year jury has announced its short list of 24 vehicles up for its 2012 awards. Notably absence is the redesigned Honda Civic, which won Car of the Year in 2006. The winners will be announced at the Detroit auto show in January. The finalists:

Cars
Audi A6, Audi A7, Buick Verano, Chevrolet Sonic, Chrysler 300/SRT-8, Fiat 500, Ford Focus, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Veloster, Rio/Rio 5, Scion iQ, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Camry, Toyota Prius V, Volkswagen Beetle, Volkswagen Passat (shown)

Trucks
BMW X3, Honda CR-V, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Mini Countryman, Nissan Quest, Saab 9-4X

--The Associated Press

(The Associated Press)

For-profit red-light cameras criticized
A pro-consumer group says that for-profit companies operating cameras that record traffic violations could end up putting profits ahead of safety and accuracy. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group say vendors have an incentive to ensure a minimum number of citations are issued under some revenue-sharing contracts. Also, some contracts penalize cities if they don't approve enough tickets, effectively setting a ticket quota, the report says.

--The Associated Press