Certainly not but, as the saying goes, if you can dodge a wrench you likely can dodge a ball!
But while you can’t ‘dodge’ a traffic ticket in many cases you can actually FIGHT one given certain circumstances and, if successful, potentially save the driver both the fine AND points on their license.
And sometimes, while having to pay the fine can be painful, it’s avoiding the points on a license that can actually be more valuable over the long run!
That said we are fortunate to have had opportunity for the Law Firm of Michael Block, specialists in traffic ticket law, to write a guest post titled…
‘You can’t fight City Hall, but you can fight traffic tickets!‘
Last year, Mayor de Blasio instituted his Vision Zero policy, which aims to bring the amount of pedestrian traffic deaths down to zero within the coming years. Vision Zero has brought about numerous changes New York City driving laws, such as lowering the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph and making failure to yield to pedestrians a criminal offense if the pedestrian is injured or killed. Other changes may include penalizing the use of cell phones by bicyclists. As with any major policy change, there has been quite a bit of pushback from citizens and transit groups. Here is what you should know about the Vision Zero policies that impact the way New Yorkers drive:
Speeding
The increased enforcement of speeding offenses is one of the main focuses of Vision Zero. Studies show that pedestrians hit by cars doing 30 mph are twice as likely to die as they are when hit by a car going 25 mph. This is the main reason the default speed limit in New York City was lowered to 25 mph, and why police issued 42% more speeding tickets in 2014 than in 2013. (In total, 117,767 speeding tickets were issued in New York City). While police promised a slow roll out to allow New Yorkers to get used to the new speed limit, the drastic increase in the amount of tickets issued shows that police are heavily targeting speeders. Speeding tickets carry 3-11 points on your driver’s license, depending on the speed. If a driver were to receive 6 or more points on their license within an 18 month period, they would be subject to the New York Driver Responsibility Assessment – a fee of $100 a year for 3 years. If a driver were to accumulate 11 points on their license within 18 months, or get 3 speeding tickets within 18 months, their license may be suspended.
Failure to Yield to Pedestrians
Failure to yield laws saw the biggest increase in enforcement through Vision Zero. Failure to yield to pedestrian tickets increased more than 125% from 2013, with a total of 33,577 tickets written. In addition, if a driver fails to yield to a pedestrian and kills or injures them in the ensuing accident, the driver will be charged with a misdemeanor. That means the driver will have a criminal record and may pay fines up to $250 or possibly spend 30 days in jail. The failure to yield ticket also carries 3 points.
How can a traffic ticket lawyer help?
Pedestrian deaths went down from 180 in 2013 to 138 in 2014, though that does not mean that police will sit back on their accomplishments – instead, drivers should expect even stricter enforcement of speeding and failure to yield violations. Traffic tickets can cause quite a bit of financial hardship for drivers, since in addition to the already heavy fines imposed by the tickets, they must also contend with court surcharges, increasing insurance premiums, and the aforementioned Driver Responsibility Assessment. All of these things can happen if the driver simply pleads guilty to the charges – this is something a traffic ticket lawyer would never recommend. Instead, by contacting an experienced New York City traffic ticket lawyer, drivers may be able to escape some of these heavy penalties.
You might not be able to fight City Hall, but you can fight the traffic tickets you receive as a result of Vision Zero. Contact a traffic ticket lawyer as soon as you receive a ticket so they can begin working on your defense.
New York Traffic Ticket Attorney Michael Block has defended thousands of motorists with moving violations, or tickets, in all counties and boroughs throughout New York State. He has achieved positive outcomes for his clients in both large municipal courts and small town or village courts with the knowledge that comes from more than 25 years of experience. Please contact him at 212-227-9008 or visit michaelblocklawyer.com.
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Michael Haltman, President of Hallmark Abstract Service, New York.
HAS is a provider of title insurance in New York State for residential and commercial real estate transactions.
And, for anyone either buying a property or refinancing, remember that although your attorney will likely recommend a title insurance provider you always have the right to choose your own (click here to learn more)!
If you have any questions you can reach Michael by email at mhaltman@hallmarkabstractllc.com.
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