What Effect Will A Defensive Driving Course Have On My NY Speeding Ticket?

Defensive Driving Course
Defensive Driving Course

If you received a speeding ticket in New York you probably have a number of questions on how it will affect your license, insurance and how much will it cost you over time.  One of the main questions that drivers ask is whether a defensive driving course or going to traffic school helps in any way.  In short it can help but not in the way most people believe. 

There are plenty of misconceptions out there about a defensive driving course only because the law in every state is different.  In New York if you have a speeding ticket you can be facing fines of $235 and up.

Do My Points Get Erased In New York If I Take A Defensive Driving Course?

A defensive driving course can help lower insurance premiums but it does not completely wipe away points in New York.  In New York if you accumulate 11 points within an 18 month period then your license will get suspended.  Taking a defensive driving course will give you a credit of up to 4 points BUT only for tickets you already received. Therefore, if you get a 4 point ticket, it will reduce your point accumulation total to 0. If you got a 3 point ticket, it will reduce your accumulation to 0, etc. but if you did not get any tickets, taking the course won’t reduce anything because it can’t be used to “bank” credits for the future.

Importantly, despite the credit applying to up to 4 points you have received in the past, the whole conviction still stays on your record to be seen by your insurance company. This means that fighting your ticket and beating the ticket before you are found guilty or plead guilty is your best option to avoid paying insurance companies money.

Taking a defensive driving course will reduce your insurance premium by 10%.  You are only allowed to take the course once every three years for the 10% reduction.  At the same time certain speeding tickets are said to increase insurance rates up by 22%.

Insurance companies would like you to believe that the points are not a big deal, because you can take a defensive driving course to save you 10% on your increased rates.  However, the insurance company will make so much more money if you plead guilty to a ticket that carries a number points because you can end up paying for it with a much bigger increase than 10% for the next 3 years that was caused by the ticket you pled guilty to.

How Do I Go About Fighting My Speeding Ticket?

It might cost a little more money upfront to fight a traffic ticket at first but every point and fine that a lawyer helps drop from your license can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of 3-4 years.

Hiring an attorney is your best option because as a licensed professional an attorney is able to negotiate a reasonable settlement or possibly have the ticket dismissed all together.

The attorneys at Rosenblum Law are experienced in negotiating settlements and fighting traffic tickets.  Call today for a free consultation about your traffic ticket matter.

Why A Lawyer Can Get You a Better Plea Bargain For Your Speeding Ticket in New York

One of the most common question we’re asked is “why should I hire an attorney to fight my traffic ticket, can’t I just go take care of it myself?”  First, it is true that you don’t have to hire an attorney for a traffic ticket (don’t say “I told you so” yet), the reality is you should hire an attorney for your traffic violation matter.

In New York, a traffic violation can have a significant impact on you in a number of ways.  New York uses a point system to keep track of your driving.  Any conviction, meaning pleading guilty to a charge or being found guilty in court can lead to points against your license.  If you accumulate 11 points on your license within an 18 month period, New York’s Department of Motor Vehicles will suspend your license.

Points lead to increased insurance premiums which you can pay over an extended period of time.   Moreover New York has other hidden fines and penalties that a lot of drivers are not aware of.  New York’s Driver Responsibility Assessment program allows the DMV to assess separate fines for a period of 3 years after 6 points have accumulated on a license.  The DMV assessment starts at $300 total for the first 6 points and $75 additional for each point after 6.

Why Do I Need A Lawyer When I Can Get My Own Deal With The Prosecutor?

The main reason why you want to hire a lawyer is to get the best outcome in your case and avoid increased, fines, penalties and possible license suspension.  Some traffic offenses in New York can result even in a permanent criminal record.

A lawyer first knows how to navigate the legal system and make sure that you get the best results in your case.  Hiring an attorney means that you have an advocate that has the ability to take your matter to trial and win you a possible dismissal.  An attorney’s ability to take a matter to trial and thoroughly question the prosecutor’s evidence and cross examine the police officer, puts an attorney at a distinct advantage when it comes to negotiating a plea bargain.

Drivers who attempt to make a deal with the prosecutor on their own do not realize that a prosecutor’s goal is to get a conviction.  The prosecutor may drop your ticket down one or two points and you may take the deal not knowing that the case could have been dismissed altogether or a better plea bargain could have been negotiated.

Governor Wants To Make It Harder To Plead Down Speeding tickets

In his budget proposal, Governor Cuomo has called for an amendment of the Vehicle and Traffic Law (VTL) section that pertains to speeding to restrict courts from reducing certain speeding tickets to 0-point infractions.  In courts other than the Traffic Violations Bureaus of 5 boros of New York City, Rochester, Buffalo and parts of Suffolk County, a prosecutor has the option of offering to “plea bargain” or reduce speeding tickets from an offense that carries points to a 0-point offense like VTL 1201-a “Parked on Pavement”. The problem is that this ticket carries no New York State surcharge*. Cuomo argues that the state loses $58 million a year in surcharges as a result. Senate Bill S02605 calls for an amendment to the speeding law barring a plea bargain to a 0-point offense where the charged speed is more than 20 miles over the speed limit.

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Hempstead, NY Speeding Ticket Lawyer

It is a well known fact that Hempstead is known for issuing plenty of speeding tickets. Whether traveling through back roads or on the Wantagh Parkway, you are bound to run into a police officer looking to pull you over for speeding.

Hempstead police giving a speeding ticket

Remember, every municipality in New York is going through a tough financial crisis and is dealing with major budgetary cutbacks. One of the ways towns like Hempstead have dealt with this is by increasing the amount of traffic tickets they issue in order to generate more revenue.

 

Continue reading “Hempstead, NY Speeding Ticket Lawyer”

Cheektowaga, NY Speeding Ticket Lawyer

Face it: speeding tickets are a hassle and can be quite costly.

In a time where New York State is having great financial difficulty, it is becoming even harder for municipalities to generate revenue. Consequently, towns throughout NY are doing what they can to use traffic tickets as a means to boost revenue.  Make sure to be on the lookout for the Cheektowaga police. Make no mistake, they are looking for you.

 

Cheektowaga Speeding Tickets

Cheektowaga has a population of almost 100,000 and is the second largest suburb in Buffalo. Moreover, Cheektowaga is a town that you will pass when going to or coming from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Police, who are looking to issue Cheektowaga speeding tickets, are stationed along the main roads.

In fact, they have made it a point to increase the amount of traffic tickets that they are issuing. When you put all of these factors together, the likelihood of you getting a speeding ticket is rather high.

Therefore, hiring an experienced traffic lawyer is crucial to avoiding the negative consequences associated with a conviction for speeding in NY.


   Hire Us To Fight Your Ticket      Skip the hassle of going to court, and forget insurance increase!

 

The Cheektowaga Police Force

The Cheektowaga Police Department, which was established in 1928, went from having only 11 officers to now having over 130. It is one of the busiest town agencies in New York State.

According to some, these officers are known for pulling over speeders and issuing plenty of speeding tickets.When passing through, make sure to look at your speedometer and also check for police officers that may be lurking off to the side of the road.

 

I Got a Cheektowaga Speeding Ticket. Now What?

If you already got a NY traffic ticket for speeding in Cheektowaga, you came to the right place.

Rosenblum Law has been helping countless motorists throughout New York State avoid the negative consequences associated with traffic tickets (i.e. suspensions, revocations, points, fines, insurance hikes, etc.).

We will negotiate with the prosecutor in order for your speeding ticket to be reduced to one that will not add points onto your license or result in a suspension of your driving privileges.

If need be, we will go to trial to protect your innocence and vigorously fight to ensure that you get the justice you deserve. If you ever find yourself face to face with a speeding ticket, make sure to contact an experienced traffic ticket lawyer today.

Remember, fighting the ticket alone could be a huge mistake. Prosecutors and judges are more apt to listen to an attorney’s arguments and to deal more favorably with them.

 

Who Should You Contact?

If you or a loved one was recently given a ticket for speeding in Cheektowaga, contact Adam H. Rosenblum of Rosenblum Law. Mr. Rosenblum is a skilled traffic ticket attorney who will defend your rights and fight for you every step of the way. E-mail or call him today at 888-815-3649.


   Hire Us To Fight Your Ticket      Skip the hassle of going to court, and forget insurance increase!

New App Warns Drivers of Speed Traps

In some parts of the country, when drivers see a flash of high beams, it is a warning to fellow drivers that a speed trap is ahead.

However, when police in Florida saw one man doing it, he was issued a $115 speeding ticket.

Although his case was overturned, it actually is illegal to warn other drivers that there is a speed trap ahead in certain states.

Arizona and Alaska prohibit the flashing of high beams while New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia allow it.

Loyola law professor Jessica Levinson explains that police often have to stretch to find a legal reason or justification to charge a motorist who warns of speed traps.

“It feels like there’s something unfair about the cops saying, you’re not allowed to tell people where we are,” she said.

However, with the advent of the smartphone, the battle between police and drivers over flashing headlights just got digital.

Want to warn a fellow driver of a speed trap? Now, there’s an app for that.

Trapster free app
free app to warn a fellow driver of a speed trap

Trapster––a free app that has over 16 million users who report and meticulously map speed traps, red light cameras, and other road hazards––allows anyone who downloads the app to have a digital (and constantly updated) heads up.

According to Levinson, “If law enforcement feels that this is not helping them, then I think, yes, the app could face some sort of question.

Levinson continued, “But they’re going to have to, you know, whoever prosecutes the app company, is going to have to come up with a good reason as to why this is hindering law enforcement.”

Thus far, no state has been bothering with that yet, so Trapster is growing larger by the minute and mapping the entire country in mere moments.

 

If you or a loved one received a New York speeding ticket, contact an experienced NY traffic ticket attorney today.

 

Amherst, NY Speeding Ticket Lawyer

No one likes being pulled over. However, if you drive through Amherst and you are not driving carefully enough, it is quite likely that you will be.

Although most police officers will not admit it, due to the state of the economy, towns like Amherst have been ramping up their effort to raise revenue by increasing the amount of motorists they pull over along with the number of traffic tickets they issue.

After all, Amherst has been ranked several times as the safest city in America and almost every year it is either among the top 5 or top 10 safest cities in the country.

With little crime, police officers have more time to focus on traffic violations and issuing speeding tickets in Amherst.

Amherst Speeding Tickets

If you received a speeding ticket in Amherst, you are facing points on your driving record, a potential insurance hike, a fine, and possibly a surcharge. For a list of speeding ticket fines and points click here.

Chances are you have very little spare time and certainly do not want to waste it by appearing in court to plead not guilty.

Nevertheless, pleading guilty is quite possibly the worst option. In fact, it really is no option at all.

Pleading guilty may seem easy, but in reality it simply is not worth it.

Pleading guilty will result in the conviction being put on your driving record and will serve as a red flag for officers whenever you get pulled over again.

Additionally, depending on your speed, the cost of your car insurance could increase by 15% and you will incur a steep fine.

The financial cost alone will almost certainly exceed the cost of hiring an speeding ticket lawyer.

Remember, this is to say nothing about the points that will go on your license, the potential suspension you might face, and all the other non-economic consequences of receiving a speeding ticket.

Hire an Speeding Ticket Attorney

When you hire an Amherst speeding ticket lawyer, you will be able to avoid the hassle of going to court to fight your ticket.

You will be able to remain at home while your attorney represents your interests in court.

A skilled attorney will be able to negotiate a favorable plea with the prosecutor and thoroughly defend your rights at trial.

Make no mistake: it pays to hire a traffic ticket attorney.Speeding Tickets

Who Should You Contact?

If you or a loved one was recently given a ticket for speeding in Amherst, contact Adam H. Rosenblum of Rosenblum Law today. Mr. Rosenblum is a skilled traffic ticket attorney who will defend your rights and fight for you every step of the way. E-mail or call him today at 888-815-3649.


   Hire Us To Fight Your Ticket      Skip the hassle of going to court, and forget insurance increase!

A Speeding Ticket in NY May Increase Insurance Rates

After receiving a speeding ticket, it is very easy to say, “No big deal – one speeding ticket will not increase my auto insurance rate.”  While that may be true, it also may be a big mistake. Under NY Insurance Law Section 2335 an insurance company can raise insurance rates for a single speeding conviction.

 How can a speeding ticket in NY increase insurance rates?

If you receive a speeding ticket and immediately pay the fine, then you are pleading guilty to the offense and points are added to your license.  If this situation repeats itself within a short span of time, you may accumulate a significant number of points on your driving record.

Each year insurance agencies review driving records in order to renew policies.  Insurance companies calculate your rate according to the number of points on your driving record.  If you have more points, then your insurance premium is likely to increase.

Simply, insurance providers perceive a driver who received numerous NY speeding tickets in one year as a potential hazard in terms of auto accidents.

It is important to note that driving an uninsured vehicle or giving an uninsured vehicle you own to someone to drive is illegal and result in losing your license and/or registration.

In general, the better the driving record is, the lower the insurance premiums will be.

It is also a common misperception that taking a driver safety course will remove 4 points from your driving record.  This is not the case. The DMV website says:

Completion of a course under the “Point & Insurance Reduction Program” does not remove, delete, subtract, or erase any violation, conviction, or notice of original number of points from your driving record.

So, while the course will give you an extra 4 points before you lose your license, it will not remove them and they are fair game as far as your auto insurance company is concerned.

Here is a quick review of what you can do to avoid an increase in auto insurance rates:

Drive safely and follow the rules of the road.  If you do not receive a speeding ticket in NY then insurance rates will not increase.

  1. Fight your traffic ticket instead of paying it and pleading guilty.  An experienced NY traffic attorney like Adam Rosenblum can negotiate a plea bargain that results in reduced points on your driving record.
  2. When facing another speeding ticket in New York, as part of your plea bargain, offer to participate in the NY Department of Motor Vehicle’s Points and Insurance Reduction Program.  DMV declares that PIRP is designed to benefit New York drivers by:
  • Reviewing safe driving pointers and expanding knowledge of driving laws
  • Reducing (but not removing) as many as four points from their driving record
  • Lowering insurance rates by up to 10 percent.

PIRP involves enrolling in a driver safety course run by private companies that are approved by DMV.
If you have received one or more speeding tickets in NY and you are concerned about increasing insurance rates, then it is highly recommended that you contact an aggressive NY traffic lawyer who has a record of successfully combating traffic tickets. If you are thinking of going to court yourself, read Top 10 mistakes made in traffic court.


   Hire Us To Fight Your Ticket      Skip the hassle of going to court, and forget insurance increase!