Nestled on the Connecticut border and adjacent to Massachusetts, Dutchess County is about halfway between New York City and Albany. Dutchess County is populated with acre upon acre of sprawling farmland. Despite this, the county is still the 15th most populous in the state. Its long stretches of rural roads are actively policed. Drivers received more than 22,000 speeding tickets in 2018, placing it in the top 10 counties in NY for speeding tickets.
A speeding ticket issued in Dutchess County or anywhere else in New York State can result in serious penalties including points, fines, and auto insurance increases. A driver who gets a speeding ticket in Dutchess County should not pay it! Instead, contact an experienced traffic ticket attorney to fight the underlying charges.
Counties Issuing the Most Speeding Tickets in 2018
| County | # of Speeding Tickets |
|---|---|
| ERIE | 49,584 |
| QUEENS | 41,881 |
| WESTCHESTER | 39,530 |
| SUFFOLK | 33,692 |
| ORANGE | 33,023 |
| BRONX | 28,189 |
| BROOKLYN | 28,090 |
| NASSAU | 23,605 |
| DUTCHESS | 22,463 |
| ALBANY | 20,285 |
New York State Speeding Ticket Costs
Depending on one’s speed, NY speeding ticket fines can cost around $150 to $600. But this is not the final cost. New York State adds a mandatory surcharge of $88 (if issued in a city) or $93 (if issued in a town/village) on each ticket. Moreover, if the ticket brings the total number of points on a driver’s license to 6 or more, he/she will also have to pay a DMV Driver Responsibility Assessment (DRA) fee. A DRA is an annual fee that costs $300 (paid as $100 per year for three years). Each point over 6 adds another $75 ($25 per year). Worse, a single speeding ticket can cause a significant increase in auto insurance rates, which usually last for three years or more.
Speeding Ticket Data from Dutchess County, NY
In 2018, police in Dutchess County handed out 22,433 speeding tickets. This is nearly a third (31.3%) of all traffic tickets issued that year. Approximately 15% of drivers issued speeding tickets in Dutchess County were also given tickets for other offenses. The most common (1,236) were for license-related violations such as driving out of class or driving with an expired license. Equipment-related violations (e.g. broken tail lights) were the next most common (547), followed by the very serious charge of driving while suspended (355).
Number of Speeding Tickets Given in Dutchess County, NY
| Year | # of Speeding Tickets |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 24,528 |
| 2010 | 23,978 |
| 2011 | 21,038 |
| 2012 | 20,175 |
| 2013 | 19,745 |
| 2014 | 20,443 |
| 2015 | 19,935 |
| 2016 | 20,806 |
| 2017 | 19,546 |
| 2018 | 22,443 |
Summer is typically a busy time for police, with many counties seeing upticks in ticket issuance around those months. August 2018 was a particularly busy time for police in Dutchess County; more than 3,100 speeding tickets were written in that month, or 14% of all speeding tickets for the year. This is far above the 2,100 speeding tickets handed out in August 2017, which comprised just over 10% of all tickets for the year.
Dutchess County Geography and How It Relates to Traffic Tickets
With a population of 293,718, Dutchess is a far cry from the density of other NY counties, such as Brooklyn, Suffolk or Westchester. The only interstate highway in Dutchess County is I-84, which cuts through the southern quadrant in an east-west route. Also moving east-west through the county are U.S. 44, N.Y. 55, and N.Y. 199. Drivers can travel north or south through Dutchess via U.S. 9, the Taconic State Parkway, and N.Y. 22.
Dutchess County is home to several higher education institutions, including Marist College and Vassar College, both located in the city of Poughkeepsie. In addition, the main campus of the Culinary Institute of America can be found in the town of Hyde Park. Police in Dutchess County keep a close watch on the major throughways for locals, college students, and those just passing through. The county’s close proximity to both Massachusetts and Connecticut means there’s a slightly higher than normal amount of tickets going to out-of-state drivers (18%).
Hiring a Dutchess County Speeding Ticket Lawyer
No driver should ever “give up” and accept the consequences of a speeding ticket in Dutchess County. It is far better to let an experienced traffic ticket attorney assess the charges and build a defense to mitigate the fines and points. In fact, drivers who hire legal representation may not have to show up to court themselves (including those from out-of-state). If you or someone you love has been ticketed for speeding in Dutchess County, contact Rosenblum Law today. We can offer you a free consultation about your case and have our attorneys fight on your behalf. Our attorneys have represented clients in Dutchess County for both traffic and criminal matters, including those from Amenia, Beekman, Clinton, Dover, East Fishkill, Fishkill, Hyde Park, La Grange, Milan, North East, Pawling, Pine Plains, Pleasant Valley, Poughkeepsie, Red Hook, Rhinebeck, Stanford, Union Vale, Wappinger and Washington. Call 888-434-0406 or email Rosenblum Law today for a free consultation about your case.