New Reckless Driving Ticket Imposes Automatic Suspension

NYC Reckless Driving Ticket

Legislators in Albany are close to passing Elle’s Law, a law designed to create a new type of reckless driving ticket by punishing those who recklessly drive and injure pedestrians.

Named after Elle Vandenberghe, a toddler, who was seriously injured by a motorist who was unsafely backing in Manhattan the wrong way on a one-way street.

If enacted, the law would impose an automatic 6-month suspension upon any driver who seriously injures a pedestrian while driving recklessly. The suspension would increase to a year for a second offense within 5 years of one another.

Currently, a motorist convicted of reckless driving ticket is considered a criminal because reckless driving is a misdemeanor.  Also, if convicted of this charge, a motorist gets 5 points added to his or her New York driver’s license.  Under the new law, these items remain the same.

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New Type Of Speeding Ticket Camera?

The below photo shows a speeding ticket camera which doesn’t fool around.  It gives a new meaning to “strict” speed enforcement.

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The 10 Worst Places To Speed

The maximum speed limits within the United States vary from state-to-state.  See map on left.  The number of speeding tickets issued in each state also varies.  Driverside.com, a car owner website, recently researched the worst states to speed.  Specifically, they looked at the number of speeding tickets issued based on population.  The results are below.

Surprisingly, New York is not on the list with many smaller population states making it instead.

1. The number one speeding ticket states is actually not a state.  The nation’s capital is the runaway traffic ticket champion with an 434,301 traffic tickets being issued to its 553,523 residents, meaning that a whopping 78.5% of the District of Columbia population received at least one traffic violation!
2. Wyoming has a population of 506,529 people and issued 46,366 moving violations.  That’s about 9.2% of its population.
3. Similarly, Vermont has a population of only 631,394 residents but issued 52,269 traffic violations representing 8.4% of its population.
4. North Dakota has a per capita ticket percentage of 7.2% (population 634,366 and 45,510 traffic tickets issued).
5. Mississippi has 2,902,966 residents and its police force hands out 197,434 tickets for a 6.8% percent of the population.
6. Maryland issued 6.3% of its population with 349,921 traffic tickets being issued in this state of 5,558,058.
7. New Mexico’s 1,903,289 residents were issued 117,303 speeding violations (6.1%) despite its 75 mph highway speed limit.
8. South Carolina has a population of 4,198,068 which were issued a total of 228,363 speeding tickets (5.4%).
9. Delaware has the smallest population of the states on the list with a 5.36% figure.  Its 830,364 residents received 44,551 tickets.
10. The final state to make the list is the largest in population.  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ 6,416,505 residents received 337,103 tickets last year (5.25%).

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Satelites To Be Used To Issue Speeding Tickets

According to the English newspaper The Telegraph, PIPS Technology, a US company, has developed a system called “SppedSpike” that can be used to catch speeding motorists.

The system uses 2 terrestrial cameras and one satellite camera orbiting in space. Triangulating the three cameras, SpeedSpike determines a motorist’s average speed between two pre-measured points, photographs its license plate and, if you are speeding, will result in a speeding camera ticket be issued to you.  Inclement weather does not affect the system.

The system will be tested soon in two areas and, if successful, will be rolled out throughout the United Kingdom.

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Update: Man Dons Monkey Mask To Avoid Speeding Ticket

My all-time most read and linked-to post is entitled “Man Dons Monkey Mask To Avoid Speeding Ticket” and discusses how one Arizona resident creatively defeated speeding camera tickets. issued to him.  The speeding camera tickets are issued as a result of mobile and fixed cameras that photograph motorists going 11+ mph over the speed limit.  Our hero motorist defeated these tickets by wearing a monkey mask to prevent the Arizona officials from identifying as the driver.

Well now our favorite “primate” can hang up his monkey mask as Arizona will cease enforcing speeding via cameras.  Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer does not like the speeding cameras and is ending the program.  As a result, on July 16, 2010, Arizona will be turning off its 36 fixed speeding cameras and mouth-balling 40 mobile speeding cameras.

Brewer’s predecessor, Janet Napolitano, now the Homeland Security Secretary, introduced these insidious devices and projected that the program would bring in $90 million revenue in its first year.  Actual revenue,  however, was much less as many motorists ignored their speeding camera tickets received in the mail.  Only about 30% of them were paid.

Further, our masked driver was not the only Arizonan to take matters into his own hand.  Silly string, Post-It notes and pick axes were all used to disable speeding cameras.  Indeed, in April 2009, a passing motorist fatally shot a camera-van operator doing paperwork in his marked vehicle.

We can only hope that other municipalities learn the lessons from the Arizona program and do not try and institute similar “Big Brother” programs.

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Speeding Motorcyclist Exposes Police Misconduct, And Police Respond With More Abuse

A motorcyclist was stopped by an off-duty police officer for speeding and “popping wheelies”.  Unfortunately, for the officer, the motorcyclist was also wearing a helmet cam.  The recording showed the officer draw his gun rather than his badge.  Compounding his error, the officer in plain clothes says “Get off the motorcycle” three times before identifying himself as a cop  The motorcyclist received a traffic ticket and posted his video on YouTube.

Needless to say, police officers should not draw their gun during a routine traffic stop making this incident disconcerting.  However, adding insult to injury, four days later, the Maryland state police showed up at his home  and confiscated the motorcyclist’s computers and threatened to bring felony criminal charges for allegedly making an illegal recording.

In Maryland, it is illegal to secretly record someone’s conversation without their permission.  The law, however, is designed to punish eavesdropping or secretly recording telephone or other conversations.  Here, the motorist was in the public, and the recording device was in plan view.

To me, this case represents a clear example of police misconduct, and shameless over-reaching.  The video clearly shows that there was no justification for the officer to brandish his weapon, and rather than acknowledge the lapse of judgment, the Maryland state police responded by abusing their power.

Why can’t people accept responsibility for their actions?  It never ceases to amaze me at the lengths that people will go to avoid simply apologizing.

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Wow! Tricky Way To Stop Speeding Motorists

If you are driving and approached this pot hole, would you slow down?  Many motorist would try and straddle it but many others would hit their brakes hard and slow themselves to a crawl.

Well if you fall within the latter group, the joke is on you.  The “pot hole” is actually a removable mat which can be placed anywhere cops want to deter motorists from speeding.

If you don’t believe me, check out the below photograph.

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A Gift From One Of Our Most Appreciative Clients

We fight over 3,000 traffic tickets per year in New York, and the vast majority of our clients are extremely happy with our service and brand promise of making your legal problem as easy as possible.  One such client was so ecstatic he created a video for us.

Now that is brand passion and loyalty.

Thanks Eric and it was our pleasure to represent you.

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Vikings RB Adrian Peterson Gets A 109 MPH Speeding Ticket

Star Minnesota Vikings Adrian Peterson runs fast and apparently also drives fast.  He was issued a speeding ticket this past Saturday for going 109 mph in a 55 mph zone in his BMW.

In New York, this would be an 11-point ticket, the most severe moving violation in the state, and could result in suspension of his license.  It could also result in 3o days in jail.  What happens to “Purple Jesus” by the State of Minnesota (and by the NFL), will be interesting to see.

Update:  The rumor that Peterson was speeding to get away from a mad Viking chick with a golf club has yet to be corroborated.

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Can You Go To Jail For A Speeding Ticket?

Can You Go To Jail For A Speeding Ticket?

Believe it or not, the answer is “yes”.  In New York, you can be sentenced to up to 30 days for speeding.  Of course, imprisonment for speeding is rarely imposed.  Rather, it is relegated to only the most egregious instances.  You can read a funny anecdote about one of our client’s who was faced with this “honor” but today I write about another even more serious situation which recently occurred in Monroe County.

A police officer clocked a 2001 Audi at 110 mph this week in the up-state New York town of Greece.  The motorist tried to get away and a 13-minute, high-speed chase through various residential neighborhoods ensued.  The speeder temporarily lost the officers by turning off his lights but neighbors called 911 to help the police re-locate him.  Eventually the 21-year old motorist was cornered.  Instead of giving up, he made a very poor decision … he backed his Audi into the police car.  The officer tried to arrest this speed demon but he resisted.  You can see photographs and a video report of the incident.

Fortunately, no was hurt but you can bet that this young man will be getting more than a few points and a fine.  He was charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and a whopping 56 traffic tickets.

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