Albany Legal Issues Blog

All drivers in New York and around the country hate getting traffic tickets. However, the financial impact of traffic citations hits low-income drivers the hardest, according to research.

For the study, an economic researcher at Princeton University analyzed the financial burden that traffic tickets placed on Florida drivers. He did this by examining the affected drivers' individual credit report data and payroll information. He found that 4.5 million Florida drivers were issued traffic tickets between 2011 and 2015. He also found that more tickets were issued in low-income areas than in higher-income areas and that the impact of those tickets was greater to drivers living in low-income communities.

One New York woman accused of speeding in a school zone is also accused of driving with a suspended license at the time. Yorktown police said that the 29-year-old woman was pulled over on Dec. 20, 2018, and accused of driving over 15 mph, the posted speed limit in the school zone. The Peekskill woman was identified via a state learner's permit that she had in her possession. However, when looking further into her identity, police say that they learned that her driver's license was suspended. Reportedly, her license was suspended twice, once for failing to pay a driver's responsibility assessment and once for driving while impaired.

The woman was arrested and taken to the local police department. She is now facing a number of charges, including speeding in a school zone and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, both of which are traffic violations. She is also accused of aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle in the third degree, a misdemeanor charge. After her arrest, she was released later that day on her own recognizance. She was ordered to reappear in the Justice Court in Yorktown on Jan. 22, 2019.

Many drivers in New York will be issued a citation for speeding at some point during their lives. A motorist who is cited for speeding will usually be ordered to pay a fine. The fine amount could vary based on the offender's driving history, how fast they were going and if there were any aggravating factors such as speeding through a construction zone.

Many courts have a tiered schedule of fines based on how fast the driver was going. Some courts assess a base fine for speeding and additional penalties based on how many miles per hour over the speed limit the driver was going. Drivers who were clocked at very high speeds may face additional charges for reckless driving.

While certain cities in the State of New York have a reputation as being not-so-friendly for pedestrians, not all drivers are reckless when it comes to adhering to traffic laws. At the same time, safely getting around on foot in places like New York City is sometimes challenging, especially when some garbage truck drivers may not be paying attention to traffic laws as much as they should be. This is why the NYPD is cracking down on garage truck drivers by stepping up efforts to spot violations and issue tickets when necessary.

Officials say traffic violations involving garage trucks are a fairly regular occurrence. Common issues include speeding, reversing down one-way streets, and running red lights. Specifically, the focus of the crackdown is on the private carting industry, which primarily consists of vehicles that pick up commercial garbage, construction debris, and similar materials. There are approximately 7,000 such vehicles on the road in New York City.