As the New Year is now well underway, various states are collecting and reviewing statistics from the prior year. New York is no different and when it comes to traffic violations, the state is highly interested to see the trends from year to year about different types of offenses. Often such information is utilized by law enforcement to develop programs to curb certain activities. One example may be the slow zones that are now seen in different parts of New York, one effort designed to reduce speeding in the city.
Some new traffic data was reported in the media identifying that in recent years, the number of citations issued for texting while driving has increased while the number of citations issued for illegal cell phone use while driving has decreased. In 2009, police around New York State gave out 342,000 tickets for use of phones when behind the wheel. In 2013, that number had dropped to 207,000.
It appears that more people are being caught texting these days. In 2012, a total of 30,000 texting citations were given out and in 2013, roughly 55,000 drivers received such tickets. On average, the city of New York saw the texting ticket rate rise by 82 percent and all other areas outside the city recorded an 89 percent jump.
No matter what a driver is cited for, it can be difficult to fight a traffic ticket in New York. Anyone who has received a speeding ticket or had a driver’s license suspended may wish to consult with a traffic attorney to understand the options for a better outcome.
Source: Democrat & Chronicle, “Tickets for texting soar in New York,” Joseph Spector, January 30, 2014
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