Essex County is bordered on the east by Lake Champlain, which serves as the New York-Vermont border. Essex County is a minor hub of high-tech, bio-medical and light industrial businesses. It is also home to the mountain village of Lake Placid, nestled in the Adirondacks, which hosted two Winter Olympics (1932 and 1980). Lake Placid remains a very attractive vacation spot for winter sports due to its vehicle-accessible high elevations and abundance of trails. It is also popular during the summer months for its lakeside spots and numerous golf courses. 

Drivers ticketed for speeding in Essex County should fight the charges against them. The fine, points and other fees are often far higher than most expect. However, the prosecutors and judges can be tough and drivers will likely need the help of a skilled attorney in order to succeed. 

New York State Speeding Ticket Costs

A driver with a speeding ticket in Essex County can usually expect a fine between $150 and $600. Unbeknownst to many, however, a mandatory state surcharge of $88 or $93 applies as well. Should the traffic ticket bring one’s point total to 6 or more (which can happen with just one ticket), the DMV charges an additional fee called a Driver Responsibility Assessment (DRA). This is separate from the fine and costs $300 for the first 6 points plus $75 for each additional point. Most speeding tickets will also impact auto insurance premiums, costing several hundred dollars more per year for three or more years. 

Speeding Ticket Data from Essex County, NY

5,148 speeding tickets were issued in Essex County in 2022, a notable increase from 4,495 in 2021. A large majority of the tickets in 2022 (4,965) were issued by the New York State Police. County and local enforcement agencies issued far fewer at 99 and 84 tickets, respectively.

The most common violation cited was §1180-d (Speed in Zone), which accounted for 4,772 tickets. The second most-cited infraction was §1180-a (Speed Not Reasonable and Prudent), with 166 tickets issued. Authorities gave out 97 tickets to drivers who allegedly violated §1180-b (Speed Over 55 Zone).

Number of Speeding Tickets Issued in Essex County (NY), 2013 – 2022

Aside from speeding violations, speeding-related crashes also kept the authorities busy. There were 1,186 crashes reported in 2022, only two of which were fatal. The majority of crashes (1,036) resulted in property damage. Additionally, 148 crashes led to personal injuries.

Successfully contesting a speeding ticket in Essex County can be a daunting task, as only 2.9% of drivers got their charges dismissed or reduced. However, hiring an experienced traffic ticket attorney may improve these odds and result in fewer or no points on your license and no increase in your auto insurance rates.

Number of Speeding-Related Crashes in Essex County (NY), 2013 – 2022

Essex County Geography and How It Relates to Traffic Tickets

Essex County is the second-largest NY county by land area at 1,794 square miles, yet it has the third-smallest population (37,300) and is third-least population-dense county. However, it’s popularity as a vacation spot means it has a fairly sizable amount of traffic, boasting about 1.6 million vehicle miles traveled each year. While some of this is tourism traffic, much of it may also be through-traffic on I-87 taking drivers to/from Clinton County and the Quebec border as well as points south. U.S. Route 9 runs nearly parallel to I-87 through much of Essex County. These factors, plus the location of four State Trooper substations (Crown Point, Lewis, Wilmington, and Ray Brook near Lake Placid) within the county mean cops are always on the lookout for speeders. 

Hiring an Essex County Speeding Ticket Lawyer

Every driver ticketed for speeding in Essex County should consult with an experienced traffic ticket attorney to determine the best way to avoid or mitigate the consequences. An attorney is far more likely to succeed in negotiating with prosecutors to get the ticket reduced to a low- or no-point offense that won’t impact one’s insurance premiums. In addition, most drivers who hire a NY traffic ticket attorney do not have to appear in court in person.

Contact Rosenblum Law for help with your speeding ticket matter in Essex County. Our attorneys have represented clients in Essex County for both traffic and criminal matters, including those in Chesterfield, Crown Point, Elizabethtown, Essex, Jay, Keene, Lewis, Minerva, Moriah, Newcomb, North Elba, North Hudson, Schroon, St. Armand, Ticonderoga, Westport, Willsboro, Wilmington. Call 888-434-0406 or email Rosenblum Law today for a free consultation about your case.

Speeding Ticket in Other Counties