Last month, the Department of Homeland Security requested permission from Congress to consider charging a fee for entry into the United States. This request has stirred a raging debate among lawmakers throughout the country.
Currently, Canadians drive into the United States to purchase goods at a much cheaper rate than they ever could receive back home. Such purchases have been and continue to be an economic boon for northern states like New York. However, if Canadians were charged a fee for entering the United States, many lawmakers and businesses believe that the trek would no longer be worth it.
If this were to happen, northern legislators say, the economy would suffer tremendously. As one small business owner put it, “They should be doing anything they can to get them down here to buy more.” Echoing this sentiment, 18 Republican and Democratic House lawmakers wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano explaining, “The imposition of such a toll would act as a barrier to the greater economic integration that we seek, and is the absolute last thing we should be doing to grow our economy.” Continue reading “Lawmakers Discuss Charging a Fee to Cross the Border into the US”
A common urban legend is that cops are less likely to give out speeding tickets in the winter. There are multiple theories for this supposed trend. One is that more police officers are on vacation. Another is that ticket quotas are mostly filled. Other explanations include the holiday spirit makes police more forgiving and the cold weather makes officers want to stay in their car.
Is there any truth to the legend? A look at the data reveals the answer is definitively… sort of.
Public data from New York State Department of Transportation provides information on every ticket issued between 2012 and 2014, broken down by month. This data was filtered for speeding ticket and then graphed.
In each year, the number of speeding tickets issued began to decline starting in October, reaching its lowest point in December. Figures rose in January and February before spiking in March. However, winter technically starts Dec. 21 and ends March 19. If anything, the decline in tickets coincides with autumn rather than winter.
So if it isn’t the season, could it be the weather?
An analysis by one blogger correlated total traffic ticket data to inclement weather (rain and snow) for Montgomery County, Maryland. He found that officers issued fewer tickets on days when it rained or snowed, particularly in colder months. Rain and snow can mean less cars on the road and more cautious driver behavior, both of which would result in fewer traffic tickets, but the biggest factor is likely that officers do not want to get out of their vehicles in bad weather.
Even that explanation is flawed. January and February are often just as cold as December, and statistically are just as likely to see snow and rain. Yet the first two months of the year experience a gradual rise in speeding tickets. The idea that fewer drivers are on the road in December is also unlikely, since the 10 days before Christmas are the busiest travel days of the year.
The only thing that can be said for certain is that there are consistent peaks and valleys in the number of speeding tickets written. The bad news is the lull in speeding tickets is coming to an end.
No matter what the season, a speeding ticket can definitely ruin your day (or year). Even the smallest speeding ticket will cost at least $150, plus up to $93 in court fees and a possible driver responsibility assessment of $100. In addition, a conviction means 3 points on your license as well as an increase in your auto insurance rates. If you or a loved one has been caught speeding, you need the help of a skilled attorney to avoid the many costs associated with a ticket. The lawyers of the Rosenblum Law Firm have extensive experience fighting speeding tickets in New York as well as other driving-related offenses. Call 888-203-2619 or email the Rosenblum Law Firm today for a free consultation about your case.
If a Canadian driver is ticketed for speeding in NY, should he just plead guilty and pay the fine to avoid the hassle of having to appear in court?
No! Pleading guilty means paying large fines and accumulating point or demerits. Plead “Not Guilty” and call the NY traffic attorneys at Rosenblum Law at 888-434-0406. In most cases, our team of aggressive NY traffic lawyers will appear for you so you will not have to travel to court and miss a day of work.
If a resident of Quebec or Ontario is convicted of speeding in New York State does he have to worry about points or demerits?
Yes. The Société de l’Assurance Automobile du Québec (SAAQ) and The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) issue demerit points for a Canadian driver who is convicted of NY traffic violation. Under a special agreement, Ontario and Quebéc share information with New York State about traffic violations and transfer points and demerits between countries.
For a New York speeding ticket issued to a Quebec driver, the number of demerits given by the SAQ depends on the speeding violation. For example, a speeding ticket for driving 80mph in a 65mph zone would translate to 2 demerit points. A speeding ticket for driving 90mph in a 55mph zone would translate to 10 demerit points.
For an Ontario driver convicted of a speeding ticket in NY, the MTO applies demerit points as if the offense occurred in Ontario. Following is a chart:
Exceeding the speed limit by 16 to 29 km/h 3 Demerits
Exceeding the speed limit by 30 to 49 km/h 4 Demerits
Exceeding the speed limit by 50 km/h or more 6 Demerits
Skip the hassle of going to court, and forget insurance increase!
If the ticketed driver lives in Ontario or Quebec, can he just ignore the NY speeding ticket?
Ignoring any New York traffic ticket can lead to a suspension of your driving privileges in New York and in Ontario or Quebec. According to New York Vehicle Traffic and Vehicle Law (VTL) 226(3) declares that if a person fails to appear at a hearing, his driver’s license, registration or driving privileges may be suspended. Under New York State’s agreement to share traffic violations with Ontario and Quebec, if New York suspends a Canadian’s privilege to drive in NY, the suspension may be extended to Ontario and Quebec.
If you have received a New York speeding ticket, what should I do?
Call an aggressive NY traffic attorney such as Adam Rosenblum of Rosenblum Law. Our team of experienced NY traffic lawyers will appear for you so you do not have to miss work or travel. In addition, in most cases we can negotiate a more favorable outcome by plea-bargaining to a reduced charge that involves fewer points (demerits) and lower fines. Call 888-434-0406 today to speak to an attorney.
It appears as though there has been an increase in the number of out-of-state drivers getting pulled over in New York, especially those from Canada.
Recently, one Ontario driver was stopped by the New York State police for speeding on Highway 28 in Long Lake, NY. The speed limit was 55 mph and he was issued a speeding ticket for going 75 mph.
According to the driver, if he were to have driven the speed limit in a state as notorious as New York for its motorists, he would have “invited the wrath of every other driver.” Although he readily admits his guilt, he feels as though he was directly targeted for being from out of state. After all, he says, there were many other cars on the road that were speeding, but only he and a Massachusetts driver got pulled over.
He grew even more suspicious when the officer told him that he either had to plead guilty or travel 496 kilometers (both ways) from Ottawa to Long Lake to contest his ticket in-person at traffic court—which is held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday nights.
After asking how much the fine was, the officer simply told him, “Sir, we only do the ticketed. We have nothing to do with the fines charged.” The ticket did not reflect any amount of money and only gave him the option to plead “guilty” or “not guilty.”
Since he did not want to spend a day traveling to traffic court and driving back home late at night (or getting a costly hotel room), he pled “guilty” and hoped it would all be over. He then received a letter in the mail indicating that he had to pay $300 (a $215 fine and $85 surcharge). Moreover, the letter read, “NO PERSONAL CHECKS, ONLY MONEY ORDERS AND CERTIFIED CHECKS ACCEPTED made out to the Town of Long Lake Court. CANADIANS MUST PAY IN US FUNDS! PLEASE RETURN THIS NOTICE WITH YOUR PAYMENT.”
What was most startling for this driver was that the letter ended by saying, “If your money is not received by the due date of this letter, the Department of Motor Vehicles in Albany will be ordered to suspend your driver’s license.” The man’s “due date” was merely two days away and the mail in Canada can be awfully slow.
However, if he were to have hired a NY speeding ticket attorney, he could have contested his ticket, not incurred a steep fine, avoided an insurance hike, and not have had any threat of suspension whatsoever. Aside from all of this, he would have been able to stay at home in Ontario while his NY attorney fought for him.
Ultimately, if it seems as though NY police are targeting drivers from Canada, that itself should be enough of a reason to hire an experienced attorney to help defend yourself.
New York State Thruway shield (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you are a Canadian driver and received a speeding ticket in New York or some other traffic violation it is always a good idea to take care of the ticket sooner rather than later. This doesn’t mean that you should plead guilty and pay the fines just to get it over with, because you can accumulate demerit points against your Canadian driver’s license for tickets you receive in New York. For more information and a free phone consultation contact the attorney’s at Rosenblum Law about your New York speeding ticket at 888-434-0406. Continue reading “Canadian Licensed Driver With Traffic Ticket In New York”
