Author: Adam Rosenblum Esq.

A recent study published by the Washington Post outlined the maximum speed limits for local roads or highways in each census block group in the U.S. The map, provided by Caliper technology and MetricMaps, highlights surprising contrasts between the nations cities and rural areas, with each census block requiring different standards be met based on cultural, developmental, and topographical factors, and differences in geographic regions influencing how roads are built.

For instance, in New York City, where the default speed limit was recently lowered to 25 mph, low-speed local roads predominate. In Washington D.C., even massive highways that run through the city are relatively slow at 40 mph. However, states like Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Texas, with wide-open and sparsely populated land, have the highest posted speed limits in the country, reaching up to 85 miles per hour. This means that what some states would consider a legal speed, other states would call speeding or even reckless driving. These nationwide contrasts pose questions about the way speed limits are determined.

Do lower speed limits actually create safer road conditions? Some traffic engineers and motorists have argued that the higher the speed limit is, the safer the roadways will be. A study by the National Motorists Association (NMA) raised and lowered speed limits throughout areas in urban and rural non-limited access highways. The findings showed that when the posted speed limit was raised to a speed traveled by 85 percent of motorists, accidents did not increase.

The MetricMap also raises questions about Mayor Bill De Blasio’s Vision Zero campaign, which was created to help to end pedestrian deaths and make roads safer. Data for the Vision Zero campaign has shown mixed results, although Mayor De Blasio insists it has been effective.

A ticket for speeding can result in heavy fines, points on your license, and increased auto insurance rates over the long-term. If you or a loved one have received a speeding ticket in New York, our dedicated team of attorneys can help defend your rights. Contact us for more information or call 888-434-0406 for a free consultation.

Additional speed cameras have been installed  throughout the city this week in an effort to get drivers to slow down now that the school year has begun.  The additions include 40 mobile speed cameras and 100 fixed cameras added to school zones – the maximum amount of camera locations authorized by the state. The cameras’ radars will track a driver’s speed a quarter of a mile in either direction of the school and will then snap a picture of the car.

These added speed cameras come on the heels of the School’s Open – Drive Carefully campaign, in effect through October 14, 2015, which focuses on pedestrian safety. “The NYPD will be giving special attention along with other city agencies for our children returning to school,” said NYPD Chief of Transportation Thomas Chan. “Our officers will be focusing on speeding and distracted drivers.”

Speed deterrence and pedestrian safety are two of the main goals of Mayor Blasio’s Vision Zero campaign. Since the program’s inception, the City has issued over 945,000 speed camera violations, with over 500,000 this year alone. According to city officials, speeding is a leading cause of fatal crashes, responsible for approximately one in three people killed on New York City streets.

“There are over 2,500 schools in New York City. We only have 140 cameras. So every kid deserves the life saving devices,” said Paul White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has doubled the efforts to install speed cameras since this time last year. According to the DOT, daily violations have dropped by an average of 60 percent since adding more speed cameras. In September 2014, there were approximately 192 violations issued per camera, per day. By August 2015, the number of violations per camera dropped to 69, demonstrating that the program is deterring drivers from speeding.

Drivers should also take extra caution 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 (VTL 1180-c), contact Rosenblum Law via our contact page or call us at 888-434-0406. Our team of traffic ticket attorneys has a successful track record of fighting these cases and reducing or mitigating these consequences.

A driver from North Carolina was arrested earlier this week after rear-ending a police car in Queens and injuring two officers seated inside. Albert Pearce was speeding on the Queens Parkway in a black 2007 GMC Denali when he slammed into the patrol car at around 2:10 a.m.

At the time, the marked police car was stopped in the right lane with its emergency lights on as the officers conducted a traffic stop. After the crash, the officers were taken to Jamaica Hospital with neck and back pain. 52-year-old Pearce was charged with felony reckless endangerment, reckless driving, colliding with an emergency vehicle, speeding, and refusing to take a breath test.

Reckless driving is a serious charge, especially when the victim is a police officer. The consequences of being found guilty are severe, including up to 30 days in jail and a criminal record for a first offense, five points on your driving record, and possible suspension or revocation of your license, in addition to the fines and increased insurance premiums common to all moving violations. In fact, a reckless driving conviction will likely lead to a higher increase in your insurance rate than would other 5-point offenses because insurance companies tend to be more concerned with the type and severity of the violation as opposed to the number of points.

If you have been charged with reckless driving in NY and would like to avoid these very serious and expensive consequences, contact Rosenblum Law today at 888-434-0406 for a free consultation with an experienced traffic attorney.

In a recent study by WalletHub, researchers ranked states based on their strictness in handling speeding and reckless driving offenses – and the results might surprise you. WalletHub compared all 50 states and Washington D.C. by weighing a list of factors including each state’s speeding rank, types of speed limit, use of automatic speed cameras, highway racing laws, average insurance cost increases, aggressive driving penalties, and license suspension laws. The study also took into account the state’s rules on whether speeding is automatically considered reckless driving. Researchers then ranked each state on their relative strictness with 1 being the harshest and 51 being the most lenient.

According to the study, New York ranked 6th for strictness in speeding enforcement, but 41st for reckless driving enforcement, resulting in an overall ranking of 23rd in the nation. New York is tough with rules and regulations against speeding like additional costs to insurance, but lacking when it comes to penalties like jail times and fines for reckless driving. For example, while the state has laws prohibiting racing on highways, it does not have additional penalties for aggressive driving.

While New York is included in the 49 percent of states that have an automatic citation for reckless driving when speeding, it is not among the quarter of states that allow ticketed drivers to argue that their speed was “reasonable” regardless of what the speed limit sign suggested. In New York, traveling 30 mph over the posted speed limit is automatically a reckless driving offense.

The most lenient state in the study was Texas, ranking at No. 51, while Colorado topped the list at No. 1. Following Colorado, the toughest places on speeding and reckless driving are Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, and New Mexico.

New York has also recently been ranked by Popular Mechanics as the third worst state to get a speeding ticket in due to fines and penalties imposed. If you have been issued a speeding ticket in New York, we provide free consultations with our experienced and dedicated attorneys. Call Rosenblum Law at 888-434-0406 to get started.

Additional safety measures are being put in place for pedestrians and bicyclists along Route 198, aka the Scajaquada Expressway. After a car struck and killed a 3-year-old boy in late May, Governor Cuomo ordered immediate changes to lower the speed limit from 50 mph to 30 mph on Route 198. The Buffalo News is now reporting that The Department of Transportation (DOT) will also construct three signalized crosswalks to allow pedestrians and bicyclists to cross the Expressway with ease. Other changes announced by the DOT include permanent flashing Reduced Speed Ahead signs, narrower lanes, and hatched striping on the shoulders.

Some believe the newly lowered speed limit is too slow. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown has said the speed limit should be boosted in certain segmented areas of the expressway. However, Assemblyman Sean Ryan says the changes to Route 198 will be permanent, adding, “We want obstructions on roadways because that sends a message to drivers that you’re not on a straight-shot roadway and the roadway isn’t just for cars.”

The DOT is also in the process of changing the functional classification of the roadway as a “principal urban arterial – expressway,” which would require approval by the Federal Highway Administration. The classification helps determine the future development, design, and speed limits on the roadway. There will be discussions with elected officials, stakeholders, and the public about other long-term changes to the highway.

While the final costs and timeline remain uncertain, state DOT Commissioner Matthew J. Driscoll explains, “Short-term traffic-calming measures will be made while long-term solutions are finalized, ensuring that the corridor is safer, in harmony with the surrounding community and accessible to motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.”

If you have been issued a speeding ticket on Route 198 or anywhere else in NY, our dedicated team of attorneys can help with your defense. Call us at 1-888-434-0406 for a free consultation.

On May 30, 2015 a vehicle struck and killed 3-year-old Maksym Sugorovskiy while he was walking with his family in the Delaware Park area of Buffalo, NY. In response to the tragedy, Governor Cuomo immediately ordered guardrails to be installed and the speed limit to be lowered from 55 mph to 30 mph on Route 198, commonly referred to as the Scajaquada Expressway.

This decision has since stirred up controversy with those accustomed to cruising down the road at 50 mph. According to a recent report, the city plans to recommend a segmented speed limit increase to the State Department of Transportation, which may result in the speed limit on Route 198 changing yet again.

The city argued that an increase in the speed limit on Route 198 would benefit drivers in the short and long term. According to Buffalo City Mayor Byron Brown, “We think it makes sense to increase the speed limit so that people who are merging into a faster roadway are at the proper speed to be able to merge effectively and safely.”

Mayor Brown suggested segmented speed limits be implemented along the highway. City engineers, who have been studying Route 198, agree that the speed limit could be segmented by raising the limit back to 40 mph outside of Delaware Park area and permanently leaving the segment in Delaware Park at 30 mph. However, many neighborhood groups surrounding Delaware Park are in support of the plan to keep the speed limit at 30 mph on the entire highway in the interest of pedestrian and cyclist safety.

The Department of Transportation will be making an announcement and scheduling a public meeting to discuss these findings later in July. There is currently no timeline on when and if these changes will be approved or take effect. In the meantime, city police officers will continue to strictly enforce the 30mph limit.

If you have been issued a speeding ticket, you need experienced legal representation. Call us for a free consultation at 888-434-0406.