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From AAA:
10 New Road Laws You Should Know
by Joseph D. Younger
A moving violation will now cost you $85 in taxes, up from $55 under the old law. A busted taillight or other equipment violation? You’ll now write a check for $55 for the surcharge alone, up from $35. The surcharges come in addition to the fines for the offenses. “Instead of addressing real safety issues, lawmakers are nickel-and-diming drivers with assessments that have no safety rationale,” says John Corlett, AAA New York’s director of government affairs.
Here’s a selected list of other new laws that will directly affect you as a driver.
1) Grading driver’s ed: A temporary advisory panel will assess the availability and content of driver education in the state and recommend ways to improve it. (For more information about the panel, see our Update section)
AAA’s safety experts applaud the statewide assessment, since tighter budgets have squeezed driving instruction out of school budgets. “AAA is concerned by the decline in the availability of quality driver education and training programs,” says Barbara Ward of the Club’s Traffic Safety Department. “We believe these programs should be an essential element of the educational function of the public school system.”
2) Dodging Segways: Your 3,500-pound sedan now has to share the streets with people whirring along on 105-pound Segways. A new law permits these motorized scooters on local roadways everywhere except New York City. AAA, along with other safety and environmental advocates, opposed this bill and remains concerned about the safety impacts of adding Segways to the traffic mix. The law does allow local authorities to restrict Segways or prohibit them altogether, however.
3) Answering the question, “Dude, where’s my car?”: As of Oct. 19, 2008, private parking lots can’t tow your car, unless they have conspicuously posted signs warning that unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense and naming the towing company. The new law also requires the towing company to accept at least two credit or debit cards, prohibits towing companies from sharing the profits of a tow with the lot owner and allows municipalities to enact towing laws even stricter than the state’s.
4) Reporting paid-up parking tickets faster: Beginning Nov. 1, 2008, municipalities must promptly notify the state Department of Motor Vehicles when drivers have paid their parking tickets. Until now, some local governments haven’t kept the DMV up to date, creating problems for people seeking to renew their registrations.
5) Tickets for “blocking the box”: As of July 7, 2008, New York City can downgrade an obstruction of an intersection from a moving violation to a parking violation. This allows traffic enforcement agents, not just police officers, to issue tickets for the offense. As a parking violation, it will no longer count for points on your license.
6) Protecting consumers at the gas pump: Franchised gas stations in New York State can now sell unbranded fuel, provided that labels on the pumps clearly identify it. Generic gas must meet government standards for detergent content, oxygenates and other characteristics, and it usually sells at a lower price than name-brand gasoline, which contains proprietary additives. In separate legislation, lawmakers also increased the penalty for price gouging from $10,000 to $25,000.
7) Easing certification for handicapped-parking permits: You can now add physician’s assistant to the list of medical professionals who can certify a driver’s eligibility for a handicapped parking permit.
8) Funding transportation improvements: The legislature authorized the use of so-called Marcheselli funds (state money given to local governments to build roads) for transportation projects other than roadways, such as bike and pedestrian paths.
9) Labeling slow-moving vehicles: After New Year’s Day 2009, all farm equipment must display a slow-moving-vehicle emblem when on public roads.
10) Hiking fines for commercial vehicles on parkways: Operating a commercial vehicle on a parkway will now cost up to $250 (vehicle weight under 26,000 lbs.) for a first violation. Fines for second and third offenses will also go up to $500 and $700, respectively. Big trucks will be subject to even higher fines of up to $350 for a first offense, $700 for a second offense within 18 months and $1,000 for a third offense.
10 New Road Laws You Should Know
by Joseph D. Younger
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Getting a traffic ticket has become more expensive—not because of higher fines, but because of higher surcharges, otherwise known as “ticket taxes.” This surcharge hike leads the list of new traffic laws enacted last year.A moving violation will now cost you $85 in taxes, up from $55 under the old law. A busted taillight or other equipment violation? You’ll now write a check for $55 for the surcharge alone, up from $35. The surcharges come in addition to the fines for the offenses. “Instead of addressing real safety issues, lawmakers are nickel-and-diming drivers with assessments that have no safety rationale,” says John Corlett, AAA New York’s director of government affairs.
Here’s a selected list of other new laws that will directly affect you as a driver.
1) Grading driver’s ed: A temporary advisory panel will assess the availability and content of driver education in the state and recommend ways to improve it. (For more information about the panel, see our Update section)
AAA’s safety experts applaud the statewide assessment, since tighter budgets have squeezed driving instruction out of school budgets. “AAA is concerned by the decline in the availability of quality driver education and training programs,” says Barbara Ward of the Club’s Traffic Safety Department. “We believe these programs should be an essential element of the educational function of the public school system.”
2) Dodging Segways: Your 3,500-pound sedan now has to share the streets with people whirring along on 105-pound Segways. A new law permits these motorized scooters on local roadways everywhere except New York City. AAA, along with other safety and environmental advocates, opposed this bill and remains concerned about the safety impacts of adding Segways to the traffic mix. The law does allow local authorities to restrict Segways or prohibit them altogether, however.
3) Answering the question, “Dude, where’s my car?”: As of Oct. 19, 2008, private parking lots can’t tow your car, unless they have conspicuously posted signs warning that unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense and naming the towing company. The new law also requires the towing company to accept at least two credit or debit cards, prohibits towing companies from sharing the profits of a tow with the lot owner and allows municipalities to enact towing laws even stricter than the state’s.
4) Reporting paid-up parking tickets faster: Beginning Nov. 1, 2008, municipalities must promptly notify the state Department of Motor Vehicles when drivers have paid their parking tickets. Until now, some local governments haven’t kept the DMV up to date, creating problems for people seeking to renew their registrations.
5) Tickets for “blocking the box”: As of July 7, 2008, New York City can downgrade an obstruction of an intersection from a moving violation to a parking violation. This allows traffic enforcement agents, not just police officers, to issue tickets for the offense. As a parking violation, it will no longer count for points on your license.
6) Protecting consumers at the gas pump: Franchised gas stations in New York State can now sell unbranded fuel, provided that labels on the pumps clearly identify it. Generic gas must meet government standards for detergent content, oxygenates and other characteristics, and it usually sells at a lower price than name-brand gasoline, which contains proprietary additives. In separate legislation, lawmakers also increased the penalty for price gouging from $10,000 to $25,000.
7) Easing certification for handicapped-parking permits: You can now add physician’s assistant to the list of medical professionals who can certify a driver’s eligibility for a handicapped parking permit.
8) Funding transportation improvements: The legislature authorized the use of so-called Marcheselli funds (state money given to local governments to build roads) for transportation projects other than roadways, such as bike and pedestrian paths.
9) Labeling slow-moving vehicles: After New Year’s Day 2009, all farm equipment must display a slow-moving-vehicle emblem when on public roads.
10) Hiking fines for commercial vehicles on parkways: Operating a commercial vehicle on a parkway will now cost up to $250 (vehicle weight under 26,000 lbs.) for a first violation. Fines for second and third offenses will also go up to $500 and $700, respectively. Big trucks will be subject to even higher fines of up to $350 for a first offense, $700 for a second offense within 18 months and $1,000 for a third offense.
