Author: RLF Attorneys

Tire failure causes around 11,000 car crashes each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Many of these can be avoided by occasionally checking your tires for signs of wear. In recognition of Vehicle Safety Week (May 22 through May 29), here are some things to look for that could mean it’s time for a tire change.

1. Bulges. Tires bulge at the sides when they are low on air. The NHTSA estimates that tires lose about one pound-per-square-inch of pressure each month. A bulge or blister can also occur when the sidewall is weakened, which could lead to a sudden blowout.
2. Cracks in the sidewall. Most tires that have been driven on for any length of time will have small, subtle cracks on the side. These are generally not noticeable unless you are right up on them. However, if the cracks are large and obvious from a distance, it could indicate a slow leak or a potential blowout.
3. Constant pressure loss. Even if you don’t see cracks or bulges, you may notice that your tires seem to lose pressure frequently. It’s normal to lose about 2 psi per month. If you find your tires are leaking air more often than that, you may have a puncture or crack somewhere you can’t see.
4. Tread wear. There’s an old-fashioned way of testing for tread wear that still works today: Place a penny into the tread, with Lincoln’s head pointing down. If you can still see the top of Abe’s head, the tread is too low. Many modern tires also have wear bars — bits of rubber woven into the pattern at a specific depth. If you can see that bar, the tread is worn out.
5. Vibration. Drivers should be mindful of any kind of vibration or thumping when the car is in motion. This could be a sign that the tires are out of balance, especially if the thumping feels like it’s coming from underneath your seat.

Worn out tires can be a serious safety hazard. In addition to the potential for sudden blowouts, worn tires have less grip on the road, making it harder to stop on time. This is especially dangerous when driving in the rain or snow.

Moreover, driving on worn out tires could lead to a ticket. A ticket for unsafe tires (VTL 375-35-c) applies to any vehicle with tires that are not properly inflated or which have dangerously worn treads. A conviction can cost up $150 plus up an NYS surcharge of $63. However, no points are assigned to this ticket. Even better, the law allows the ticket to be dismissed if the driver can provide proof that it was repaired within the first full business day after the ticket is issued.

It is essential that you contact an attorney if you or someone you love has been ticketed for speeding in New York. The lawyers of the Rosenblum Law Firm are experienced traffic ticket attorneys with offices in New York and New Jersey. Email or call 888-203-2619 for a free consultation about your case.

Most drivers realize there are a handful of different kinds of speeding tickets. There’s your basic speeding ticket (1180-d), speeding in a school zone (1180-c), and speeding in a work zone (1180-f). There’s another type of speeding ticket, however, that very few drivers know about — at least until they get a citation for it.

VTL 1180-e, also known as failure to reduce speed (special hazards), is a largely obscure but still occasionally issued ticket. In 2014 (the most recent data available) about 900 tickets for 1180-e were issued, representing well under 1 percent of all speeding tickets. Still, the wide variety of instances where this ticket applies makes it worth knowing about.

An 1180-e ticket can be issued during situations when drivers are expected to slow down momentarily, such as when approaching train tracks, on tight and winding roads, or near the crest of a hill. Another instance would be when approaching an intersection with pedestrians in it (regardless of right of way). The statute also contains restrictions that are redundant to other traffic laws. This includes approaching and passing emergency vehicles (similar to the Move Over law), driving within construction zones (similar to 1180-f), or traveling in hazardous weather conditions (similar to 1180-a/imprudent speed).

The statute actually predates many of the traffic laws (such as speeding in a work zone or the Move Over law) that it shares conditions with, which partially explains why the ticket is so infrequently issued. Officers tend to issue the newer, more specific violations, and use 1180-e when no other statute applies.

Unlike many other types of speeding tickets, the fines and points for a VTL 1180-e offense do not increase relative to your speed. A ticket costs $150 plus a mandatory surcharge of up to $93, and also imposes three points on your license. If you or a loved one has been issued a ticket for VTL 1180-e or any other speeding-related violation, it is urgent that you consult an attorney to help you avoid the consequences of a conviction. The lawyers of the Rosenblum Law Firm are skilled New York traffic ticket attorneys who are experienced in handling tickets for speeding 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 going slow is your thing, you might want to spend more time on the Cross Bronx Expressway. A national traffic study released in February confirmed what many New Yorkers have always known: the Cross Bronx has the worst bottlenecks in the country. In particular, the interchange of Bronx River Parkway was ranked the most congested in the U.S., with interchanges at Sheridan Expressway and White Plains Road coming in as third and fourth worst. In total, commuters wasted about 86 hours a year on the Cross Bronx.

Also in the top 10 were the stretch of Fifth Avenue between 120th Street and 40th Street as well as the approach to the Lincoln Tunnel on NJ-495, from the I-95 junction to 12th Avenue. Overall, New York City earned the honor of being the second-most congested municipality in the country; only Los Angeles had worse traffic.

So why is the Cross Bronx so bad? According to the study, the highway has an inordinate amount of trucks, and drivers have few alternative routes. Lack of shoulder areas for broken-down cars, hills that create blind spots, and narrow lanes were also major factors.

The Cross-Bronx Expressway was an engineering nightmare. Its six lanes had to weave over, under, and around a ton of existing infrastructure, including

• railways
• sewer pipes
• utility lines
• 113 roads
• a subway line
• seven other highways

The construction of the expressway was so difficult that it was easier to move the Bronx River 500 feet to accommodate it. A one-mile stretch through East Tremont required the relocation of more than 1,500 families. In total, approximately 50 apartment buildings were demolished and 5,000 families displaced to build the highway.

Getting stuck in traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway is bad enough; getting a traffic ticket while driving on it just adds insult to injury. If you or a loved one has been ticketed for a traffic violation on the Cross Bronx or anywhere else in New York, contact an attorney for help. The lawyers of the Rosenblum Law Firm are experienced traffic ticket attorneys with offices in New York and New Jersey. Email or call 888-203-2619 for a free consultation about your case.

Lead-footed New Yorkers, be warned: the streets have eyes. New York City is home to about 140 speed cameras in school zones, each of which doled out an average of 10,000 tickets in 2016, according to a report by the New York Post. That’s a 36 percent increase from the 1 million total tickets issued in 2015.

Turns out, however, that those cameras are slacking off. In 2014, the city had only 20 speed cameras, each of which issued 22,000 tickets on average, for a total of 445,000.

The robots won’t be beating out the real police any time soon. Living, breathing cops handed out 137,260 speeding tickets last year, NYPD records show. That’s a 65 percent increase over the 83,202 tickets written in 2013. In total, officers wrote 1,042,703 total tickets for various moving violations, including disobeying traffic signs, seat belt violations, and distracted driving.

In keeping with the city’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities, in 2016 police also doled out 42,385 tickets for failing to yield right of way to pedestrians — a 185 percent increase over 2013 (the year before the program began). The city also saw the fewest traffic fatalities ever recorded last year, with 229 total deaths. Unfortunately, pedestrian deaths ticked up from 139 in 2015 to 144 last and cyclist deaths increased from 14 to 18 over the same period.

A ticket for speeding in a school zone during school hours can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,200. It also carries at least three points on your license. Even worse, a conviction for speeding in a school zone can wreak havoc with your auto insurance premiums. If you or a loved one has been ticketed for speeding in a school zone, it is urgent that you consult an attorney to help you avoid the costs associated with a ticket. The lawyers of the Rosenblum Law Firm are skilled New York traffic ticket attorneys who are experienced in handling tickets for speeding 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.

Much to drivers’ chagrin, traffic tickets are big money for towns and villages throughout New York, with the average police officer issuing about $300,000 worth of speeding tickets each year. A recent report from The Buffalo News looked at which villages and towns collected the most revenue from traffic tickets in 2015.

Out of New York State’s more than 1,200 town and village courts, the Town of Wallkill in Orange County ranked Number 1, with more than $3.6 million in revenue. It may seem surprising given the town’s sparse population of just 28,000 residents, but the reason Wallkill rakes in so much money is simple: I-84 runs right through it.

In fact, nearly all of the villages and towns in the top 20 have major thruways that provide a steady stream of revenue from drivers. For example, Southampton and East Hampton, which take the second and third spot for ticket revenue, are both situated around NY Rte-24 (Montauk Highway). The Town of Harrison, fifth on the list, is striped with stretches of I-95, I-287, and the Hutchinson River Parkway.

Below is a list of the Top 20 revenue-generating village and town courts, as compiled by The Buffalo News:

Town of Wallkill	$3.62 million
Town of Southampton	$3.20 million
Town of East Hampton	$3.10 million
Town of Amherst	$3.05 million
Town of Harrison	$2.82 million
Village of Port Chester	$2.81 million
Village of Hempstead	$2.65 million
Town of Greenburgh	$2.57 million
Town of Colonie	$2.48 million
Village of Freeport	$2.40 million
Village of Lynbrook	$2.24 million
Town of Tonawanda	$2.14 million
Town of Cheektowaga	$2.06 million
Village of Valley Stream	$2.01 million
Town of Clarkstown	$1.85 million
Village of Mineola	$1.78 million
Town of Newburgh	$1.75 million
Town of Poughkeepsie	$1.75 million
Town of Ulster	$1.67 million
Village of Garden City	$1.66 million

A speeding ticket in New York costs at least $150, plus a mandatory surcharge of up to $93, and incurs three points on your license. A conviction for speeding can also increase your auto insurance rates substantially. If you or a loved one has been given a speeding ticket in New York, contact an attorney right away. Hiring an attorney can only help you avoid the most serious consequences of a ticket, but it can also save you a trip to the courthouse.  The lawyers of the Rosenblum Law Firm are skilled New York traffic ticket attorneys who can help you avoid the costs associated with a ticket speeding and other driving-related offenses. Call 888-203-2619 or email the Rosenblum Law Firm today for a free consultation about your case.

Traffic jams are the worst! Nearly every driver feels there’s nothing he or she can do to avoid them and in most cases, that’s true. However, there are things that every driver can do to avoid contributing to congestion on the roads.

1. Lay off the brakes. Hitting your brakes too frequently forces the drivers behind you to slow down as well. Each time this happens it creates a ripple effect that, in some cases, can last for miles. This is especially relevant on a typical highway with everyday congestion, where traffic can easily snarl, but it also comes into play in stop-and-go traffic. Instead of constantly braking, find a moderate speed that reduces the need to brake, but also doesn’t run the risk of hitting the car in front of you.
2. Watch the lead foot. The counterpart to easing up on the brakes is to avoid speeding up too much every time there’s a brief break in congestion. This wastes gas (yours and other drivers’) and in heavy traffic, you’re not getting anywhere faster than anyone else.
3. Give yourself space. Tailgating won’t get you to your destination any faster, either. The rule of thumb is to maintain one car length for every 10 mph. This allows for adequate time to react to traffic ahead and avoid slamming on the brakes or worse, crashing. After all, a car accident is one surefire way to ensure traffic gets worse.
4. Mind your own beeswax. Rubbernecking is one of the most common causes of traffic jams. New York law requires vehicles to slow down in work zones and to move over for emergency vehicles, both of which will inevitably create some delays. Slowing down too much in order to gawk and stare will only exacerbate the situation.
5. Put away distractions. It is both illegal and dangerous for drivers to text, make phone calls, or even put on makeup while driving (not to mention play smartphone apps and take selfies). If you need another reason not to do these things, though, know that they also are also major contributors to congestion on the road.
6. Use the appropriate lane. Ever make it through a traffic jam without any sign of what caused it? Many such slowdowns are caused by inappropriate lane use. For example, if you don’t plan to exit the freeway any time soon, get out of the merge lane and into the thru lane(s). On the flipside, get out of the left-most lane if you can’t or won’t keep up with the other cars. Plus, many states are cracking down on cars camping in the left lane, so you also risk a ticket by staying in the left lane without passing.
7. Change lanes strategically. Once you’re in the appropriate lane, stay there. A lane change can force the cars behind you in your current lane and the lane you’re entering to slow down, so don’t do it unless you need to. If you plan to exit, make sure to give yourself enough time to avoid sudden lane shifts, which could potentially cause an accident.
8. Zip it up. Traffic engineers recommend what’s known as the “zipper method” for merging lanes. To employ this method, the driver in the merging lane should continue to the end of the lane at the same speed as the second lane. Drivers in the second lane should alternate, allowing one car in and then advancing. Unfortunately, many drivers race to the end of the merging lane or merge prematurely, both of which are inefficient and increase congestion.

If you or someone you love has been ticketed or arrested for a moving violation in New York, you need a skilled attorney to help fight the charges. The lawyers at the Rosenblum Law Firm are experienced traffic ticket attorneys with offices in New York and New Jersey. Email or call 888-203-2619 for a free consultation about your case.

A speeding ticket may seem like a pretty cut-and-dried thing — you go too fast, you get a ticket, and that’s all there is to it. In reality, though, there are lot of different types of speeding tickets. Each applies in different situations and can carry different fines and points. Here’s a quick rundown of the types of speeding tickets you can get in New York.

1180-a: Speed Not Reasonable Prudent. This ticket applies when road conditions require drivers to slow down below the posted limit. Such conditions might include thick fog, heavy rain, or icy roads, and it is ultimately up to the officer to determine what conditions require slowing down and what speed is prudent. Cost: $150. Points: 3.

1180-b: Speed Over State Limit. New York State has established 55mph as the maximum speed that drivers can go on any road in the state, although many roads have lower limits. If you are speeding on a highway, this is the ticket you will probably get. Cost: $150 to $600 depending on speed. Points: 3 to 11 depending on speed.

1180-c: Speed in a School Zone. As the name implies, this a specific ticket for violating the 25mph limit around schools. Fines for this offense are more expensive when school is in session. Cost: $150 to $600 on non-school days or between 7pm and 6am on school days; $300 to $1,500 between 6am and 7pm on school days. Points: 3 to 11 depending on speed (regardless of day/time).

1180-d: Speed in Zone. This is your catch-all speeding ticket. Most speeding tickets issued in New York are 1180-d. Cost: $150 to $600 depending on speed. Points: 3 to 11 depending on speed.

1180-e: Failure to reduce speed (special hazards). A rarely issued ticket, this citation applies to drivers who do not reduce their speed when approaching things like railway crossings, the crest of a hill, or narrow turns. The statute also contains provisions redundant to other tickets, such as slowing down for emergency vehicles (similar to the Move Over law), when approaching construction zones (similar to 1180-f), or in hazardous weather conditions (similar to 1180-a). Cost: $150. Points: 3.

1180-f: Speed in Construction Zone. Nothing difficult here. Note that getting convicted of this violation twice in 18 months will result in an automatic suspension of your driving privileges. Cost: $150 to $600 depending on speed. Points: 3 to 11 depending on speed.

1181-a: Driving too slow (impeding traffic). This is an inverted speeding ticket – it applies if you are driving so slowly that you are holding up traffic. There’s no specific guidance as to how far below the posted limit constitutes too slow; it depends on whether the officer considers your speed to be a disruption or a hazard. Cost: $150. Points: 3.

1181-b: Driving below posted minimum speed. This is also a ticket for going too slow, and applies on highways that have posted minimum speeds. As with 1181-a, there’s no details on how far below the minimum is too slow, so it up to the officer to decide. Cost: $150. Points: 3.

1182-1: Unauthorized speed contest. This is a ticket for racing. There’s no points for this ticket because it is always accompanied by a speeding ticket (and possibly a reckless driving charge as well). Cost: $575. Points: None.

On top of the listed fines and points, a conviction for any of the above tickets can impact your auto insurance rates. In addition, three convictions for speeding within 18 months (or two convictions for speeding in a work zone) will automatically result in a suspended license. If you or a loved one has been issued any kind of speeding ticket in New York, contact a lawyer right away to fight the charges and avoid the points associated with a ticket. The lawyers of the Rosenblum Law Firm are skilled New York traffic ticket attorneys who are experienced in handling tickets for all types of speeding and other driving-related offenses. Call 888-203-2619 or email the Rosenblum Law Firm today for a free consultation about your case.

 

Speeding tickets are one of the most common traffic tickets a driver can get, according to data from the New York State Department of Transportation. Most New Yorkers know just how costly speeding tickets can be. Here are some other unique facts about speeding tickets you should know.

1. NY is third. New York comes in third place for the most number of traffic tickets issued each year, according to new research from Statistics Brain. Ohio and Pennsylvania take the top two spots, and Montana issues the fewest tickets.
2. One ticket per second. Nationwide, officers issue about 41 million speeding tickets each year, which equates to approximately 1.3 tickets per second.
3. Twice as many stops as tickets. Drivers are pulled over at about twice the rate that they receive tickets. If you’re pulled over, don’t panic — there’s a good chance you won’t receive a citation.
4. Men go faster. Another study from Statistics Brain found that men get almost twice as many speeding tickets as women, at a ratio of 1.71 to 1.
5. Older drivers crash less. Say what you want about senior drivers; they have the lowest incidence of fatal speeding-related accidents.
6. Drinking and speeding. Alcohol is often an aggravating factor in speeding-related crashes. An estimated 42 percent of speed-related accidents involved a driver whose blood-alcohol content was above the legal limit.
7. Speed is killing us less. Overall, fewer people are dying in speeding-related accidents. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that speed-related traffic deaths have fallen steadily from 13,609 in 2006 to 9,283 in 2014. There was a slight in increase in 2015 with 9,557 fatalities, although that was still a lower percentage of total traffic deaths.

A speeding ticket costs at least $150, plus up an NYS surcharge of up to $93, and can result in three points on your license. If you or a loved one has been caught speeding, consult an attorney immediately. The lawyers of the Rosenblum Law Firm are skilled New York traffic ticket attorneys many years of experience handling tickets for speeding 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.

When the rain gets heavy, even the most careful driver can suddenly find their car hydroplaning. Hydroplaning occurs when your car’s tires skim over the surface of the water, resulting in little to no traction. If you find your car hydroplaning, there are three things you can do to reduce the chances of an accident.

1. Don’t panic. This is both the most important rule and also the hardest. Realizing you have no control over the car is frightening, but do your best to remain calm.
2. No brakes, no gas. You need to slow down to stop hydroplaning, but braking will make things worse. Instead, take your foot off the gas and let the car gradually slow. As you slow down, your tires will increase their grip on the road until you are no longer hydroplaning.
3. Keep the wheels straight. Don’t try to turn, even if the car starts veering off the road. Wait until the car slows down and you regain control before attempting to steer.

Hydroplaning is not the result of bad driving. However, there are some general driving tips that can help reduce your chances of an accident during heavy rain or other dangerous weather.

1. Put both hands on the wheel. Basic driver’s education tells you to always drive with your hands at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock on the steering wheel. Most drivers don’t this on a regular basis, but when the roads are slick, the extra control is critical.
2. Stay focused. Turn off any unnecessary distractions, like music or cell phones, and pay extra attention to the road conditions, other cars, and pedestrians.
3. Keep your distance. Leave at least five seconds of space between you and the car in front of you. The extra space compensates for reduced visibility and slicker roads. When possible, you should also leave space on the side in case you need to quickly change lanes to avoid striking a person or vehicle.

More than anything, remember to slow down in heavy rain. Driving too fast in inclement weather is not only dangerous, it can also land you a ticket. Even if you’re driving below the speed limit, an officer can deem your speed to be not reasonable under the conditions. This can result in a ticket for imprudent speed. A first offense can result in 3 points on your license, plus up to $150 in fines and a surcharge of up to $93. A conviction could also mean up to 15 days in jail. Penalties increase for a second and third conviction within 18 months.

If you or a loved one has been ticketed for speeding, imprudent speed, or any other kind of traffic violation, consult an attorney to help you avoid the fees, points, and increase in insurance premiums that can result from a conviction. The lawyers of the Rosenblum Law Firm are skilled New York traffic ticket attorneys who are experienced in handling tickets for a range of driving-related offenses. Call 888-203-2619 or email the Rosenblum Law Firm today for a free consultation about your case.

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Speeding tickets are expensive by design. After all, they are supposed to be a deterrent to speeding. A speeding ticket in New York usually costs at least $150, but you could end up shelling out even more depending on your speed and other factors. Here are some interesting facts about the cost of speeding tickets that everyone should know.

1. $100 after six points. New York State imposes a driver responsibility assessment (DRA) of $100 each year for three years if the driver has accrued six points on their license. The DRA increases by $25 for each additional point accrued.
2. $1,493 max in NY. The most expensive speeding ticket you could get in New York would be $1,493. In order to get a ticket this large, you’d have to be going 31+ mph over the limit in a school zone ($1,200). Assuming you already had two points on your license, this would add an additional eight points, incurring a DRA of $200. You’d also have to be assigned the maximum court fee of $93.
3. $3,000+ in Virginia. New Yorkers can rest assured that they don’t have it as bad as Virginia drivers, who can sometimes pay over $3,000 for a speeding ticket.
4. $800 in premium hikes. A speeding ticket can wreak havoc with your auto insurance, increasing your premiums by 21 to 30 percent, which could translate to anywhere between $300 and $800 more each year.
5. Two pounds Flemmish. Back when New York was known as New Amsterdam, a person would get fined at least two pounds Flemmish for riding at a full gallop. Coincidentally, that equates to about $150 in today’s dollars.
6. $5.4 billion annually. Speeding tickets bring in anywhere from $3.8 billion to $5.4 billion a year in revenue, nationwide. That means that on average each police officer issues about $300,000 worth of speeding tickets annually. That’s quite an incentive for towns and states to hand out citations and increase fines!
7. $40 billion in accidents. However, the revenue from tickets doesn’t come close to covering the cost of crashes. According to the Insurance Information Institute, accidents caused by speeding cost about $40 billion a year. That figure is based on total economic impact, including job loss, repairs, insurance premium hikes, and more.

Between DRAs, NYS surcharges, and insurance premium hikes, a conviction for speeding can be very costly. If you or a loved one has been ticketed for speeding in New York, contact an attorney to avoid the expenses associated with a conviction. The lawyers of the Rosenblum Law Firm are skilled New York traffic ticket attorneys who are experienced in handling tickets for speeding 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.

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