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Speeding Enforcement up for Canandaigua and Ontario County

In recent months, New York State police officers have ramped up their pre-emptive approach to reducing speed-related crashes and improving safe travel for drivers and passengers.

Ontario County, NY
Ontario County, NY, where speeding enforcement is expected to double between 2013 and 2014. (Photo Source: Wikipedia)

In the city of Canandaigua, 599 speeding tickets were given out on North Main Street in 2013 by city police officers. According to Sgt. Scott Kadien, that number is set to double this year. 722 tickets had already been issued as of July 31, 2014.

During Speed Week—and throughout the year—officers like State Trooper Greg Beaver are cruising the highways and logging an average of 100 miles per day. That time is above and beyond the time taken to respond to Ontario County 911 Center dispatches and working ongoing investigations.

Troop E covers all the counties in the Finger Lakes region, and is divided into three zones:

  • Rochester
  • Canandaigua
  • Geneseo

The Canandaigua station covers all of Ontario County, and is where Trooper Beaver is based.

He explained, “We try to reduce speeding which will in turn reduce serious accidents … and we enforce all traffic laws and any unsafe acts, such as cell phone use, seatbelt use[,] and the move over law.”

The trooper continued, “Ever since high school I’ve always respected police and always thought it would be a fun job and career … It’s a rewarding job because you’re helping people, helping ensure that the roads and highways of our state are safe.”

In the midst of this lies the harsh reality that cities like Canandaigua are raking in your hard earned money for every traffic ticket conviction and guilty plea they receive.

As we all know too well, not every ticket that you receive is deserved and not every officer issuing them is doing so in the nicest fashion.

With a few weekends left before summer is officially over, make sure you are on the lookout for police officers during any road trips through New York State. After all, state troopers will certainly be looking for you.

If you recently received a NY speeding ticket, contact Rosenblum Law today at 888-434-0406.

Nassau Issuing School-Zone Speeding Tickets During the Summer

Thousands of Long Island drivers recently received school zone speeding tickets in the mail.

CBS 2’s Carolyn Gusoff reported that the brand new speed-camera program is generating a tremendous amount of negative feedback from drivers saying they had no idea that school zone speed limits were still in force during the summer.

One driver noted that he always slows down in school zones when school is in session. However, unbeknownst to him, he was mailed four tickets from a speed camera for school-zone speeding!

He thought school was not in session. After all, it’s August. Plainedge Middle School appeared deserted and he was driving 36 mph in a 40 mph zone.

However—since summer school was in session—the zone was really 25 mph.

According to the driver, “[S]ummer school is not posted or advertised anywhere as to be in session … It’s not on any of the school calendars.”

Another motorist got slapped with 11 tickets costing $80 each in the same week.

Ever since Nassau County began its most recent school zone ticket blitz, similar stories have been cropping up.

School Zone Speed Limit Sign
A school zone speed limit sign. These speed limits are only enforced during days in which school is in session, but un-publicized summer school is causing Nassau drivers to receive school zone speeding tickets in August. (Photo Source: Wikipedia)
Fifty-six school zones could have speed cameras up and running in Nassau by the first week of September and speed cameras are coming to Suffolk County early next year.

New York State allows speed cameras to ticket drivers going more than 10 mph over the school speed limit on school days during school hours in addition to an hour before and after school as well as during school activities.

Nevertheless, many drivers near Plainedge Middle School are claiming that this type of summertime ticketing stretches the definition of “school day” simply to make money.

According to the Plainedge’s schools superintendent, 100 students were attending summer school. However, he promises that summer school days will be added to the district calendars.

If you recently received a New York speeding ticket, contact Rosenblum Law today at 888-434-0406.

Update: As of August 22, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano has declared amnesty on all school zone speeding tickets issued during the summer. Click here for details.

Grandma Writes Thank-You Letter for Speeding Ticket

Recently, an Idaho state trooper issued a speeding ticket to a grandmother on the way to Yellowstone National Park with her very young grandchildren (a four-year old and seven-year-old).

Thank You NoteApparently, the grandmother was traveling 91 MPH in a 75 MPH zone when Mike Nielson, a State Trooper, pulled her over. He noticed that the young children seemed nervous and that the grandmother was shocked as well.

Officer Nielson assured the children that their grandmother was not in serious trouble and gave them “junior troopers” stickers.

The grandmother revealed that the police officer who issued her the speeding ticket was so courteous and sensitive that she decided to write a thank-you note to the state police.

She explained, “We were on vacation and he could have really dampened our mood but he was just great.”

When her grandchildren asked if she was mad at the trooper for getting the ticket, she used that as an opportunity to explain to them the importance of taking responsibility for their actions.

Unfortunately, in New York, the police officers are not always this kind or professional and routine traffic stops are not always so pleasant.

Many times, we receive phone calls from people who were yelled at by New York police officers, had their PBA cards taken away, and even one or two who had their driver’s license thrown back at them.

This is not to say that this is the norm or that most New York police officers act like this. However, it happens more than it should. If it happens to you, remember to remain calm and composed.

Although difficult, never argue with a police officer who pulls you over for speeding in New York. Doing this will likely infuriate him and could even lead to an additional traffic citation––whether it is warranted or not.

Nevertheless, do not apologize to the officer either. Any apology could be considered an admission of wrongdoing which the officer and prosecutor can use that against you in court.

Your best course of action is to be as cordial as possible and let the officer do the talking. If you do end up with a New York speeding ticket, be sure to plead Not Guilty and call an experienced attorney to help you fight the case.

If you received a speeding ticket in NY, contact Rosenblum Law today at 888-434-0406.

Nassau and Suffolk Counties Cracking Down on School Zone Speeders

Brand new legislation went into effect this past Wednesday aimed at increasing student safety near schools.

Assemblyman Dave McDonough announced that the law was signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to establish speed monitoring systems in school zones on Long Island.

According to Mr. McDonough, the new law will allow Nassau and Suffolk counties to start four-year speed camera pilot programs within 120 approved school zones.

Nassau County Police Vehicle
A Nassau County police vehicle. If you speed in Nassau school zones, you can expect to find one of these with pulling you over. (Photo Source: Wikipedia)

The Assemblyman explained, “I have been a long-time advocate of public safety and this legislation marks a substantial victory in the fight to prevent speeding and other dangerous traffic violations in the vicinity of our local schools.”

In addition to the speed cameras, we expect this emphasis on school zone safety to increase police enforcement in school zones. If the pilot program is successful, it is likely that similar programs will pop up throughout New York State.

If you happen to pass a school on your way to work or during your daily commute, be sure to slow down and obey the traffic rules. Remember, speed limits are drastically reduced near schools, often with little warning. If you are approaching a school zone, pay attention to traffic signs or you may soon find a camera ticket in your mailbox.

Getting caught for speeding in a school zone translates into significant fines, points, insurance hikes, and penalties.

If you recently received a school zone speeding ticket in NY, contact Rosenblum Law today at 888-434-0406.

Are Traffic Cameras Always Right?

A question that most drivers want an answer to is: Are traffic cameras always accurate?

One Manhattan judge certainly does not think so!

State Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Wright recently received a NY traffic ticket for driving in a bus lane. However, he is convinced that the camera was not accurate.

Although the fine is only $115, Justice Wright is fighting this one on principle.

Red light camera
Traffic cameras are supposed to provide photographic, incontrovertible evidence of traffic infractions—but that may not be the case. (Photo Source: Wikipedia)

According to Justice Wright, he was driving a 2005 Mazda MZ6 that was registered to his 94-year-old mother when he was caught by a traffic camera on 23rd Street.

He claims to have photos from the ground to prove he was just to the left of the designated lane. These photos show two bus lanes on First Avenue with manhole covers visible in those spaces.

Wright contends that his car was to the left of those manholes, so he could not have been in a bus lane.

Interestingly, the city’s camera images that are attached as exhibits to the lawsuit are too blurry to make out exactly where the Mazda was in relation to the lanes—casting further doubt on the reliability of some NY traffic cameras.

However, in spite of this, Mayor de Blasio wants the New York Legislature to allow for the installation of even more traffic cameras.

It is lawsuits like this that really call into question the veracity of red light cameras and traffic cameras generally.

It seems that the picture and video quality on traffic cameras is usually good enough to detect that a specific car was in violation of a vehicle and traffic law. However, determining the driver of that vehicle is much harder.

Similarly, in order for red light cameras to be accurate, the speed at which they take photos and videos needs to be within milliseconds.

Ultimately, although courts throughout the country have universally accepted the accuracy of traffic cameras, there still seems to be enough wiggle-room to take Justice Wright’s lead and stand up against them.

Tracy Morgan Accident Prompts Debate Over CDL Trucking Rules

The federal transportation safety investigators revealed that a Wal-Mart truck driver was speeding immediately prior to careening into a limousine, killing a man and seriously injuring Tracy Morgan, the famous comedian.

Right before the crash, the truck driver was reportedly travelling 65 mph in a 45 mph zone.

This incident highlights the difficult balance between allowing truckers to work long hours and how doing so impacts the safety and health of the trucker as well as other motorists.

The driver had been on the job for approximately 13 1/2 hours at the time of the crash. The law on the books only allows a truck driver to work a maximum of 14 hours in a day and only 11 hours behind the wheel.

Had the driver reached his intended destination, he would have been slightly over the 14-hour limit (presuming he would have been going the speed limit).

Currently, the Senate is considering passing a resolution that would expand the maximum work period for truck drivers to 80 hours per week.

However, as a result of this tragic incident, the Teamsters Union pushed Congress not to ease the laws limiting truck drivers from working 60-70 hours per week.

The President of the Teamsters, James P. Hoffa, noted, “The NTSB’s preliminary findings in this case clearly show that truck drivers are pushing beyond the limits of the current hours of service rules.”

Apparently, the driver had not slept in 24 hours before the crash.

No one can tell whether the Senate resolution will pass, let alone become law. However, one thing is for sure: as this nationwide debate rages on, it is crucial for you to remember the importance of driving safely and the frightening ramifications of failing to do so.

Remember, a truck driver is a CDL (commercial driver’s license) holder and the penalties are dire for speeding when you have a CDL. Do not let fatigue or very long hours lead to a speeding ticket or a suspended license.

New York City’s Car-Mounted Speeding Cameras

As CBS News reports, New York City’s new car-mounted speeding cameras are popping up in neighborhoods across the city, issuing speeding summonses to drivers as they pass.

The speed cameras, mounted to the roofs of unmarked NYPD vehicles, appear as simple flashbulbs—but don’t be fooled. They are actually highly calibrated technology with each radar going through its own 26-point checklist prior to deployment.

Aimed at passing traffic, the radar is programmed to snap a picture of any vehicle going 11 or more miles above the posted speed limit. The photo is then uploaded to the NYPD database and the owner of the vehicle is sent a $50 summons in the mail.

A $50 summons is actually much better for the driver than if they had been pulled over by an NYPD officer. A standard speeding ticket can mean up to a $600 fine plus points on your license that can lead to a DMV assessment and even a driver’s license suspension.

While many New Yorkers see these cameras as a quick and easy revenue generator for the city, Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg argues otherwise. “We are really not trying to engage in ‘gotcha,’ and we’re really not trying to do this as a revenue-raising exercise,” Trottenberg stated. “And one thing that I say is if the drivers of New York slow down, obey the speed limit, and stop running red lights—and the city collects no revenue—I’ll consider it a victory.”

Driver safety has been a platform of Mayor DeBlasio’s administration since he’s taken office. His Vision Zero plan to eliminate traffic deaths by the year 2024 has meant a slew of recent ticket blitzes. Increased speed enforcement in school zones and work zones has also been a focus.

To date, the city’s six speed camera cars have issued nearly 70,000 tickets.

“Speed Week” Turns into “Speed Month” in NYC

Did you happen to receive a speeding ticket in New York between April 17 and April 24? Well, if so, you’re not alone. In fact, your ticket(s) is among 24,354 others that were issued during New York’s so-called “Speed Week.”

This is 2,156 more tickets than last year’s “Speed Week,” and there’s every reason to think that police are aiming to increase these numbers every year. A similar operation, dubbed “Operation Hang Up,” yielded 3,472 tickets for cell phone-related driving infractions, such as talking on a cell phone while driving and texting while driving.

And for New York City in particular, the ticket blitzes continue. This month saw at least 3: two targeting speeding and one targeting “distracted drivers,” the nickname for people who talk or text while driving. The increasing frequency of so-called ticket blitzes is part of Mayor De Blasio’s “Vision Zero” plan to eliminate traffic deaths in the City by 2024.

In addition to the blitzes, the NYPD have numerous other weapons in their Vision Zero arsenal. For instance, they have purchased 200 more radar guns and installed about 120 more cameras in school speed zones. More recently, they have announced plans to install more cameras in work/construction zones throughout the city, particularly targeting motorists for reckless driving, a misdemeanor crime in New York, meaning it carries potential jail time.

Speeding and distracted driving tickets can come with serious consequences in terms of not only fines and points on your driving record but also auto insurance premium rate increases. These insurance rate increases can be long-term, lasting three years or even more.

We at the Rosenblum Law Firm have successfully fought thousands of traffic tickets throughout the past ten years. We’re here to fight for you. For more information on how we can handle your case, call our office at 1-888-815-3649.

Black Boxes May Soon Be Installed in New York City Taxi Cabs

A bill introduced this week by New York City Councilman Jimmy Vacca (D-Bronx) proposes the initiation of a pilot program to install black boxes, the same data-recording devices currently used to monitor planes and trains, in taxi cabs in New York City.  If the pilot program is implemented, data collected from the black boxes will track the speed, stops and starts, and location of cabs on city roads.

NYC Taxi
New York City taxis may soon have black boxes installed in an effort to improve driver and pedestrian safety. (Photo Source: Wikipedia)

While in its test phase, any data collected from the program would not be used to penalize cab drivers.  However, the city may eventually decide to use black boxes to fine drivers or even to develop technology that would reduce fares or stop the meter from running if cabbies exceed the speed limit.

The motivation behind the bill is to deter taxi cab drivers from engaging in reckless driving as they ferry passengers around the city and hold them to the same standards as other drivers, thus keeping both taxi cab passengers and pedestrians on the street safe.  The installation of black boxes in city taxis is similarly one of the proposals included in Mayor Bill De Blasio’s “Vision Zero” plan to eradicate NYC traffic deaths by 2024.

 

(Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/black-boxes-catch-speeding-taxis-article-1.1751204; http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/04/10/councilman-proposes-black-boxes-to-monitor-taxi-drivers-speed/)

Putting an End to Speeding Ticket Quotas

Despite denial of any mandate that police hand out a certain number of traffic tickets each month, Illinois lawmakers recently proposed a bill that will outlaw ticket quotas by any city or municipal law enforcement agency. In addition, the bill bans agencies from evaluating officer performance based on the number of warnings and tickets each individual hands out in a given time period.

Though the Illinois Sheriff’s Association and the Illinois Chiefs of Police deny that the practice of ticket quotas is in place, they nevertheless protest the proposed bill, concerned that it will discourage officer work ethic. However, senators have advanced the bill without permitting any testimony by police.

Cop Writing a New York Speeding Ticket
A police officer writing a traffic ticket.

In New York, as in Illinois, it is similarly a widely-held belief that police are required to meet ticket quotas each month, despite New York law prohibiting ticket quotas and the NYPD’s repeated denial of the practice. Evidence, meanwhile, appears to substantiate the belief.

Statistics of traffic tickets handed out in greater quantity during the last days of the month tend to indicate that ticket quotas do, in fact, exist. Data from the New York Office of Court Administration also shows that many minor criminal summonses are dismissed in court on the basis that judges find the tickets were issued without a good faith basis.

Several newspapers have reported the claims of NYPD officers disciplined for whistleblowing, or for revealing that ticket quotas were in place in the precincts in which they worked. In 2010, the New York Daily News actually discovered memos posted in the 77th Precinct which called for officers to issue tickets of a particular kind in a particular quantity.

Whether or not police admit that a certain number of tickets per offense must be handed out each month, the evidence suggesting that ticket quotas exist means that drivers in New York and other states should be particularly cautious on the road as the end of the month draws near.

 

(Sources: http://www.wics.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_15975.shtml; http://www.ticketdefenselaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Reckless-Driving-Ebook-Final.pdf)