New Red Light Camera Laws Coming?

A bill has been submitted in Albany to dramatically increase the number of red light cameras as well as the fines associated with such tickets. The bill would expand the Red Light Camera Traffic Safety Program to include the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers as well as Nassau and Suffolk counties.  It would also eliminate the 100-intersection cap on the number of intersections in which cameras can be installed.

The bill would also increase the maximum fine from $50 to $100 for each violation, and statutory authorization for red ligth cameras would be permanent.

Since red light cameras were first authorized in 1993, law makers claims that they have played an integral role in reducing the number of violations (40%-60%) at intersections being monitored and as well as injuries at monitored locations.   However, there are many studies which contradict this efficacy of red light cameras.

In any event, there can be no doubt that politicians will approve the bill for a different reason … money.  The expansion is estimated to raise $100 million to $233 million per year for New York City and approximately $50 million for the other eligible cities and counties combined.

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Bloody Traffic Ticket Leads To Major Drug Bust

A bloody Pound Ridge traffic ticket led police to a discover a drug warehouse inside a New Canaan, Connecticut home.  The dim-witted motorist sent in his traffic ticket with a not guilty plea but an observant clerk noticed that the traffic ticket had blood on it.  The Pound Ridge police, then, called the New Canaan police.  When  the New Canaan police went to check on the man, they noticed a broken window and blood inside the home. Once inside, they noticed drugs left out in plain view.

Officers seized about two pounds of marijuana, a marijuana plant, scales, packaging material, literature on how to grow marijuana and a 12-gauge shotgun, police said. They also found blood-soaked towels, blood on rugs and walls and in a bathtub.  Now, in addition to the traffic ticket, the motorist faces a number of drug-related charges.

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Greatest Video In Support Of Wearing A Seat Belt

This video is terrific.  Anyone who doesn’t wear a seat belt regularly should watch it.

Thanks to Chris Brogan via Doriano “Paisano” Carta via Zane Aveton for sharing it.

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Traffic Agents Breaking Traffic Laws

Traffic agents and police officers are known to have their own set of rules when it comes to obeying traffic laws.  This video shows two examples of this in action (and is quite funny too).

Khloe Kardashian Answers A Seven-Year Old Speeding Ticket

Khloe Kardashian, best known for being the sister to super hot Kim Kardashian, is in trouble again.   She failed to answer a speeding ticket issued 7 years ago.  A Los Angeles judge was lenient on her, however, recalling a bench warrant issued against her and only imposing a $200 court fee.

Back in 2007, Khloe was convicted of driving while intoxicated and sentenced to 36 months probation plus community service in the form of picking of (appropriately) trash. Khloe had a blood alcohol level of .13 ( the legal limit in California and New York is .08 ).  Khloe pushed her luck too far by violating probation and ended up serving time in the “Big House” for violating her probation.  Even her well known defense lawyer father Robert Kardashian (remember the OJ trial?) couldn’t keep her.  At the time, she was in the midst of appearing on Celebrity Apprentice and, when Donald Trump her about the violation, he promptly fired her from the show.

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Bizarre HOV Violation

One of my favorite episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm with Larry David is when Larry hires a prostitute so that he can use the HOV lane and beat traffic.  Well life imitated art this week when a 61-year-old woman was caught using a mannequin as a passenger in order to get away with occupying the HOV lane on the Long Island Expressway.

Deputy Sheriff Robert Howard became suspicious when he saw the “passenger” with her visor down and wearing sunglasses despite the overcast weather.  The eagle-eyed Suffolk County police officer stopped the car and discovered the torso of a female mannequin wear a long dark wig, blouse and scarf.   To complete the ruse, make-up had been applied to the mannequin.

When the officer approached, the driver asked “What did I do wrong?”.  The officer simply said I’d like to your license … and an ID for your passenger.

The driver was issued a summons for disobeying a traffic control device (VTL 1110a) which carries 2 points and roughly a $135 fine.  She’ll have to fight the traffic control device ticket at the Haupppauge Traffic Violations Bureau.

In case you haven’t seen it, below is the Larry David “Car Pool” episode.

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Porn And Driving Don’t Mix

Pornography is a $10+ billion industry.  Millions of people watch adult videos, films, etc.  However, some people love their porn too much.

Last month, an Ohio trucker driver was charged with second degree manslaughter arising out an accident involving the death of a 33-year old mother.  The truck driver allegedly was watching porn on his laptop when his rig struck a disabled car on the New York Thruway killing its driver.

This past Summer, a Mississauga, Ontario, man was issued a traffic ticket for speeding on a highway in Southern Ontario, Canada, after another motorist observed him watching a pornographic movie while driving.  Police clocked his speed at around 140kph (i.e., 87 mph) along the 100kph (62 mph) stretch of highway. There was a portable DVD player on the front seat of his vehicle and evidence to suggest the man was also drinking alcohol.

For those of us who drive attentively and safely, it is scary to think about how other distract themselves.

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Don’t Eat Wendy’s Chili And Drive

Wendy’s Chili’s is rich and meaty, and low in fat and high in fiber.  It also can be hazardous to your health.

On January 30, 2010, at around 10:30 am, a truck driver crashed into a house in Lowell, Massachusetts.   The cause of the crash …. its driver choked on Wendy’s Chili that he was eating while driving.

The truck driver reported that he choked on the chili after his truck hit a speed bump causing him to lose consciousness.  His flatbed truck veered off the road and struck the house.

Lowell Police say that he may be charged with “eating while driving”.  New York does not have such a law.  The closest statute here is the vague moving violation of “dangerous driving”.  In all the 1,000s of traffic tickets which I have fought through the years, I have never seen anyone charged with committing a dangerous driving charge from any type of fast food.

New Yorkers Speak Their Mind About Bad Driving

New Yorkers are known to be blunt.  Such directness leads to open and honest communications.

Below are some notes found throughout New York City exemplifying the principle of love thy neighbor.

Fighting A New York Reckless Driving Ticket

Reckless driving tickets in New York are quite serious for the following reasons:

• They are criminal (misdemeanor) charges where technically you could be sentenced to jail
  
• They carry five points on your New York driver license
  
• A conviction will likely result in your auto insurance rates being increased
• Substantial fines will be imposed

The good news is that reckless driving tickets in New York City are not heard at the Traffic Violations Bureau. Therefore, a favorable outcome via a plea bargain can often be negotiated to avoid a criminal record, lessen points and keep your auto insurance from being raised.  Dismissal of these tickets is also possible when there is a defect in the original ticket filed with the court.

Our firm has fought 100s of reckless driving tickets in New York and has a favorably resolved the vast majority of them.

So what do you do if you get one?

The first thing is to be polite to officer.  Rudeness has bought many a motorist extra tickets.  Indeed, technically the officer could “run you through” the system which would mean, at least, 24 hours locked up while you wait for your case to be called.

The next thing you do is to note the court date toward the bottom of the ticket.   This is the date on which you must appear to enter a plea.  On that date, you always plead  not guilty.  It is at this time that you or your lawyer can inspect the original ticket for defects.  In New York City, the back of the ticket must establish how you were reckless driving.  A mere conclusion is insufficient.  If you are unsure, I would still ask the court for a dismissal on the grounds that it is defective.  You have nothing to lose.

If you cannot get it dismissed, then the court will often propose a plea bargain which involves no points and just a fine.  If you are offered such a deal, take it!  This will avoid the need to go to trial as well as the risk of points, a criminal record and an insurance hike.  Usually,the fine is between $150 and $300 with such a plea bargain.

Below is a list of courts in New York City which handle reckless driving tickets (also known as pink tickets).

Manhattan (New York) Criminal Court
346 Broadway
New York, NY 10013

New York Midtown Community Court
314 West 54th Street
New York, NY 10019

Queens Criminal Court
120-55 Queens Blvd
Kew Gardens, NY 11375

Bronx Criminal Court
215 East 161 Street
Bronx, NY 10451

Kings (Brooklyn) Criminal Court
120 Schermerhorn Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Kings (Brooklyn) Community Court
88-94 Visitation Place
Red Hook, NY 11201

Richmond (Staten Island) Criminal Court
67 Targee Street
Staten Island, NY 10301