With today being the last day of New York’s Speed Awareness Week, we expect to hear that thousands of tickets were issued this week alone, all across the state. In 2018, the Speed Awareness Week campaign produced almost 30,000 tickets, including 14,028 for speeding and 682 for distracted driving. This may sound like overkill, but the truth is, this week is designed to teach people a lesson. Just because the week is over does not mean you can do whatever you want. Tickets are given for a reason. The police are in charge of keeping our backroads and highways safe, just as it is their duty to protect people from all other unsafe conditions or circumstances.
Speeding is still among the leading causes of fatalities on our highways, contributing to about one-third of all fatal crashes in New York State. Driving under the influence is also one of the leading causes of car accident fatalities, which is why police will be cracking down on drunk drivers. In today’s day and age, however, distracted driving is the number one cause of car accidents in the United States. This is a very serious matter, as people seem to text while driving everywhere you look. Despite it being common knowledge that we should not do any of these things, people still do, which is why there is a Speed Awareness Week. If you have received a cell phone violation, a DWI, or a speeding ticket, here are some of the consequences you may face:
First-Offense DWI:
- A revoked license for at least 6 months
- Possible fines ranging from $500-$1000
- Possible jail time up to 1 year
- Potential enrollment in the New York Drinking Driver Program (DDP) and applicable costs
First-Offense Cell Phone Violation:
- $50-$200 fine
- A surcharge of up to $93
- A 5-point penalty on your license, which will impact your insurance premiums
Speeding Tickets
These are the different types of speeding tickets and their corresponding points.
- Driving 1-10 miles per hour over the speed limit is a 3 point violation.
- Driving 11-20 miles per hour over the speed limit is a 4 point violation.
- Driving 21-30 miles per hour over the speed limit is a 6 point violation.
- Driving 31-40 miles per hour over the speed limit is an 8 point violation.
- Exceeding 41 miles per hour over the speed limit is an 11 point violation.
Contact our experienced New York firm
If you have been charged with a moving violation this week or otherwise, you must retain the services of an experienced attorney as soon as possible. An attorney can help you fight and mitigate your charges, or even have them dropped completely.
If you are in need of experienced legal counsel for a criminal defense matter on Long Island or throughout New York State, please contact Grunwald & Seman, P.C. to schedule a consultation and we would be happy to assist you.
