Author: Adam Rosenblum Esq.

Speed camera legislation for NYC was first passed in 2013 and allowed for 20 cameras to be installed near school zone entrances. The program was extended in 2014 and the number of speed cameras was increased to 140. Safety advocates are now calling for a further expansion of the program. They are hoping to get cameras near every New York City school and to have the cameras operate at all times of the day, not just during school hours.

School zone cameras are only active from 6am to 6pm and the enforcement program is in place for less than 10% of NYC schools, leaving many dangerous streets without a camera. However, the cameras that are in place have successfully cut down on speeding and increased pedestrian safety. In fact, cameras now issue more speeding tickets than police officers.

Safety groups like Families for Safe Streets are asking people to sign the petition for more speed cameras. They are also using Twitter to generate awareness with the hashtag #everyschool.  However, before additional cameras can be added the legislation has to be approved by the Senate and Assembly and then signed by Governor Cuomo. Mayor Bill de Blasio has encouraged the program’s expansion, stating, “We’re going to push to pass state legislation that will ease these restrictions that will allow cameras to operate overnight and on other streets so we can really maximize the impact of these cameras and protect lives. ”

Drivers should be extra cautious while traveling through school zones because fines are doubled for speeding in these areas. If you received a NY traffic ticket in a school zone, contact the Rosenblum Law Firm via our contact page or call 888-434-0406. Our team of traffic ticket attorneys have a successful track record of fighting these cases and reducing the consequences.

Year-end statistics have shown that New York’s 140 school zone speed detection cameras issued over one million tickets in 2015, generating approximately $50 million in revenue for the city. This is more than double the 440,000 speeding camera tickets issued in 2014.

New York City installed the first speed cameras in 2013. Initially, the city just distributed warnings to those who sped past the cameras, but in 2014 the city was permitted to start issuing tickets. Each speeding citation costs motorists $50 but includes no points against a driver’s license. The cameras have caused controversy among drivers who say the cameras intrude upon their personal privacy.

In 2015, a request was made to the state legislature to increase the amount of cameras. Of the 140 school zone cameras that were added, 100 are stationary and 40 are mounted on vehicles that drive within school zones. The cameras are only permitted to operate from one hour before the school day starts until one hour after it closes. The new cameras were only installed in September 2015, but have managed to make a big impact.

In addition to the speed camera tickets, the NYPD also issued over 130,000 handwritten speeding citations and 38,000 failure to yield tickets in 2015. The handwritten tickets carry higher fines, points, and potential surcharge fees from the state and will have significant impacts on insurance. If you have been issued a traffic citation in New York, contact the Rosenblum law firm. Our dedicated team of attorneys can reduce and minimize the consequences of the ticket.. Contact us for more information or call 1-888-434-0406 for a free consultation.

According to recent traffic data released by the NYPD, speeding tickets have more than doubled in Staten Island over the last two years. Police officers issued 5,771 speeding tickets in 2015 as compared to 2,732 in 2013 and 5,131 in 2014. Tickets for failure to yield to pedestrians have also risen. So far this year, 716 citations were issued as compared to 494 in 2014 and 147 in 2013. Interestingly, tickets for cell phone violations have decreased substantially over the same time frame. There have been only 2,672 cell phone tickets this year, but there were 3,432 in 2014 and 5,017 in 2013.

The sharp increase is likely due to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative, which was implemented to reduce traffic-related injuries and deaths. As part of Vision Zero, there have been multiple crackdowns targeting speeding and other moving violations in Staten Island. In addition, speed cameras were installed in school zones and drivers were issued a $50 ticket for going more than 10 mph over the posted speed limit. In the first six months after the cameras were installed, 20 school zones issued more than 106,000 speeding tickets totaling over $5 million in fines.

As part of Vision Zero, the citywide speed limit was reduced from 30 mph to 25 mph. Staten Island also participated in the associated educational campaign, in which NYPD placed electronic signs at various intersections and moved them around the borough to different spots where speeding was a problem.

If you have been issued a speeding ticket or other traffic violation in Staten Island or elsewhere in New York, don’t just ignore it. Call an experienced New York traffic ticket lawyer who can achieve results by reducing your points and lowering your fines and surcharges. Call Adam Rosenblum for a free consultation at 888-434-0406.

The Crawford Police Department is cracking down on speeding using a three-pronged enforcement initiative. With education, extra visibility in the community, and stronger enforcement of traffic violations on the roads, the town expects to see a decrease in the number of injuries and fatalities from car accidents.

The department has been particularly concerned with incidents on Route 302. The area has seen more than a dozen deaths over the past decade, with speed as the primary reason for a majority of the fatalities. Tragically, many of the crash victims on Route 302 have been children, as seven schools are located along that road.

According to Police Chief Dominick Blasko, “We really need to slow people down…People are making bad decisions, and that’s why we’re here, to remind people to make good decisions.”

The entire Crawford Police Department has been encouraged to strictly enforce traffic laws. In addition, a new police officer was hired for the specific purpose of monitoring traffic. So far the three-step initiative seems to be working. The Crawford police department has given out a total of 2,671 traffic tickets this year, almost half of which were for speeding. This is more than twice the amount of tickets issued in any of the previous four years.

The Crawford town board is supportive of this enforcement initiative and is standing by the police department’s efforts. However, some residents are unhappy about the high rate of people being pulled over and have complained that the increased number of traffic tickets is just to benefit the town’s budget. While the exact numbers have not been calculated yet, the town board does expect to see an overall increase in revenue by next year. In spite of this, the police department is maintaining its stance that the goal of the enforcement initiative is safety, not financial gain.

A New York speeding ticket can be very costly and may increase your insurance rates by 20-25%. If you received a ticket in New York State, contact the Rosenblum Law Firm for a free consultation at 888-434-0406. Our experienced NY traffic attorneys can help reduce or remove the extensive fines and protect your driving record.

Late in the evening on October 8th, Claudia Christmas raced her 66-year-old husband, Stanley Christmas, to the hospital as he was having a heart attack. On the way, they were stopped by police for going 56 mph in a 35 mph zone. Mrs. Christmas frantically told officers that her husband was having a medical emergency, however they did not let her proceed.

The officers informed her that an ambulance was on the way and that she could not continue the drive, despite the hospital being less than 10 minutes away. “I did acknowledge that and I said we were having a medical emergency,” said Mrs. Christmas.

According to St. Clair Shores Deputy Chief Steve Lambert, “the problem with that is if a driver is going to continue to drive at that rate, she’s putting herself, as well as her passenger and the public, in danger of her erratic driving.” Lambert said that in the case of a medical emergency, the best thing to do is to call 911 and have an ambulance respond to the scene.

During the stop, the officers asked if Stanley had a history of heart attacks. He told the officer he didn’t have time for his “stupid questions”. His daughter Ashley also took issue with the way the stop was handled. “Checking their license and coming back and asking them where they worked wasn’t relevant to the fact that there was a medical emergency transpiring right in front of their faces,” said Ashley.

Mr. Christmas later arrived by ambulance at Beaumont Hospital in Michigan and was taken into surgery. He is reportedly in recovery.

There is no law that justifies speeding for emergencies. If you have been pulled over and you say you are headed to the hospital, the officer has discretion to choose a course of action, which can include calling an ambulance for you and/or ticketing you for speeding or other offenses. In this case, Lambert said a ticket was not issued.

If you or a loved one have recently received a speeding ticket in New York for any reason, contact Rosenblum Law today at 888-434-0406.

Greenburgh, NY has come up with a unique plan to help resolve the town’s speeding issue. According to Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner, the town will install a digital sign announcing motorists’ speeds when they drive past as well as the number of tickets issued on that street in recent days.

The town issued a press release stating that police will use selective enforcement by focusing on a street for a day or two and issuing a number of speeding tickets on the street. A few days later, the digital sign will be placed on that street with information on how many tickets were issued. The sign will also periodically advise motorists when citations are given for reasons other than speeding, such as failure to put on seat belts, outdated car registrations, or crossing a lane. 

Feiner hopes that drivers will see how many tickets have recently been issued on the street, begin to worry about getting a ticket themselves, and slow down as a result.“This digital speed board will discourage speeding by alerting motorists that the police are out there and will be issuing tickets to those who drive recklessly,” said Feiner. “If drivers know that there is a strong possibility of getting a ticket on a street I think they will also be more careful.”

According to a poll from the 2014 New York State Highway Safety Annual Report, 37 percent of the New York drivers admit that they exceed the speed limit by more than 5 mph “always” or “most of the time.” Will these enhanced radar speed signs be effective? Do drivers really slow down when they see them? If the answer to either of these is yes, we may see this tactic used in other areas.

If you have been issued a traffic ticket in New York, you need experienced legal representation. Call the Rosenblum Law Firm for a free consultation at 888-434-0406.

A 33-year-old driver from Connecticut was arrested for speeding after he was clocked going 112 mph in a 65 mph zone on an interstate in Vermont.  In an ironic twist, the driver told police he was heading to traffic court to pay a previous speeding ticket.

Trooper Rich Slusser said the man was caught weaving in and out of traffic before he was pulled over and charged with excessive speeding and negligent operation of a vehicle. The driver was also issued a citation ordering him to appear in Vermont Superior Court in late October.

While it is rare for a police officer to arrest someone for a speeding violation alone, the officer does have the discretion to do to so.  In addition to the possibility of imprisonment, a speed violation can also result in steep fines, surcharge fees, and increased insurance premiums.

If you get 6 or more points within an 18 month period, the DMV will fine you a surcharge known as the Driver Responsibility Assessment (DRA). The fine is $100 and must be paid once a year for 3 years. An additional $25 per year will be added to the DRA for every point over 6. Those who accumulate 11 points will have their licenses automatically suspended.

“I was in a hurry” is never an excuse for speeding, but going to court for a speeding ticket is often a problem for people who cannot take time off of work or who live far away. However, those who choose not to show up to traffic court can get their license suspended due to failure to appear. It is always advisable to consult with a speeding ticket lawyer and discuss your case before you decide to plead guilty. An experienced traffic ticket lawyer can appear in court on your behalf and save you valuable time, in addition to the expense of the ticket and points. If you have been issued a ticket or a summons, contact us for a free consultation at 888-434-0406.