Hauppaugue Traffic Violations Bureau To Be Overhauled?

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Matthew Weiss

The Hauppague Traffic Violations Bureau adjudicates most traffic tickets issued in western Suffolk County.  It is part of the larger Traffic Violations Bureau (“TVB”) that is run by the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles and also covers New York City, Rochester and Buffalo.  To understand better how traffic tickets are resolved at the Traffic Violations Bureau, read “Fighting A Traffic Ticket At The Traffic Violations Bureau“.

Well, now, there’s a chance that this court will be dramatically changed.  Specifically, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone recently announced that it would like to establish a county-run (rather than a state-run) traffic violations bureau.  The rationale behind this change is that it will allow Suffolk County to keep as much as $13.2 million in additional revenues.  Currently, New York State takes a large portion of the revenue generated by this court.

If Suffolk County were to “secede” from the NYS TVB system, one would expect many changes.  We would expect new judges to be retained, a change in the location and possibly a change in how cases are handled.  It will be interesting to see how this un-precedented change unfolds (if it comes to light).

In another revenue-raising move, Bellone also is seeking to have 50 more red light cameras installed through Suffolk.  Ironically, given its plans to “succeed”, such a move would require New York State’s permission.

Posted in New York Traffic Lawyer Tips, traffic law, Traffic Tips & Info | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rushing For Sex Is Not A Valid Defense To A Speeding Ticket

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Matthew Weiss

Zachary Ramirez, a 21-year old Illinois man, was recently pulled over by Naperville police for speeding (111/45 mph zone), reckless driving, disobeying a traffic control device, disobeying a stop sign and possession of marijuana.

He had an unusual excuse.  He told the apprehending police officer that he was  rushing to meet a girl with which he was “trying to go have sex”.

Opting not to play cupid, the un-impressed officer arrested him anyway.

Posted in Bizarre Traffic Stories, Traffic Jokes & Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How To Help Your Customer Buy

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Matthew Weiss

VMV Hypoallergenics sells skin care products and provides facial and skin services.  It has a large online presence and 15+ stores and various other retail outlets worldwide.  Its products are some of the best in the industry designed specifically for people with mild to severe skin issues and backed by clinical studies.

However, I write today about something I observed at its only US store at 868 Broadway in Manhattan.  Beside the product displays and facial rooms, I noticed two unobtrusive and interesting features — a chalk board/felt board and a putting green.  What purpose do you think these items serve?

I inquired of Laura Verallo de Bertotto, one of the owners, and she explained with a smile that customers with children are usually tense, harried and distracted.  The chalk board and felt board give young ones something to do and, more importantly, “buy” some precious time for her customers to browse, inquire and purchase.  Similarly, the putting green buys time for customers shopping with their male counter parts.

Laura was inspired by a book entitled “Why We Buy: The Science Of Shopping” by Paco Underhill.  In there, it was suggested that lingerie stores (as an example) should have male-oriented lounge chairs and large TVs showing sports, to keep the “dudes” entertained while their women could shop in peace.

What item can you use in your business to give your customers (and their companions) a better, longer and more relaxed purchasing experience?

Matthew Weiss

Posted in Entrepreneurship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Alert: Cell Phone Laws Being Strictly Enforced This Week

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Matthew Weiss

Between April 23, 2012 and April 29, 2012, police officers statewide (especially along the New York Thruway) will be strictly enforcing the distracted driver laws.  Dubbed “Operation Hang Up”, any motorist caught using a cell phone or other electronic device in violation of the law will be issued a 3-point traffic ticket.  We urge you to obey this law for safety reasons (and also to avoid being issued a traffic ticket).

During the first “Operation Hang Up”, Thanksgiving weekend 2011, over 800 traffic tickets were issued for distracted driving.  We expect even more to be issued this time around.

Of course, Operation Hang Up is not the only time that such times are issued.  In fact, more than 65,000 motorists have been issued traffic tickets for using an electronic device while driving in 2012.

Cuomo said regarding this initiative: “We hear too many heartbreaking stories about how distracted driving leads to tragic consequences, and we must do everything in our power to ensure more lives are not unnecessarily lost because someone took their eyes off the road to use a phone.”  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 3,000+ deaths last year due to distracted driving.

Posted in New York Traffic Lawyer Tips, traffic law, Traffic Tips & Info | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

High Speed Caravan On The Garden State Parkway

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Matthew Weiss

The New York Post reports today that ex-Giant running back Jacob Jacobs and some of his friends were recently escorted by New Jersey State Troopers (with emergency lights flashing) along the Garden State Parkway at recklessly high speeds.

A caravan of 30+ Porches, Lamborghinis and Ferraris, all with tape covering up their license plates, headed towards Atlantic City at speeds in excess of 100 mph.  Motorists along the way were “terrorized” with some filing complaints with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

In New Jersey, under New Jersey Statute 39:4-96, this is a serious offense punishable with a fine and up to 60 days in jail.  Likewise, in New York reckless driving is a serious charge (it is a criminal offense that carries possible jail time, 5 points and a hefty fine).

I doubt that anyone will be sentenced to jail for the high-speed caravan.  In fact, it will be very difficult to prosecute a reckless driving charge because the People will have to prove the identities of each drivers, something difficult to do after-the-fact.  I do expect the State Troopers who escorted the caravan to be punished, however.

Update: New Jersey’s Attorney General suspended the two state troopers without pay, one of them a 25-year veteran. A lawyer for one of the Troopers claims that they are treated as scapegoats and that escorts are routinely given.

Posted in Celebrities & Traffic, New York Traffic Lawyer Tips, traffic law, Traffic Tips & Info | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stealing Gasoline From A Police Cruiser!?!

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Matthew Weiss

Michael Baker, a Kentucky man, was recently arrested for stealing gasoline.  He committed three mistakes that led to his arrest:

  • He siphoned it from a  police cruiser
  • He allowed his girlfriend to take a photograph of the crime (by the way, it didn’t help that he was “flipping the bird” in the photograph).
  • He posted the photograph on Facebook.

The photograph spread virally and the Jenkins Police took notice.  Baker was arrested shortly thereafter and taken to jail in a Jenkins police cruiser.  The police commented that, if Baker would steal from law enforcement, he’d steal from “just about anybody.”

Jenkins police said they will install locking gas caps on their cruisers to prevent something like this from happening in the future.

Posted in New York Traffic Lawyer Tips, Traffic Jokes & Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Alert: Rash Of NYC School Bus Tickets Being Issued

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Matthew Weiss

We’ve been literally swamped this week with inquires and telephone calls from New York City motorists pulled over this week for failing to stop for a school bus.   Be extra vigilant to avoid receiving such a ticket (one of the more serious traffic tickets in the books carrying 5 points and a hefty fine).

Locations that we’ve heard such tickets being issued about include:

  • S/B Ninth Avenue at 26th Street – Manhattan
  • York Avenue & 85th Street – Manhattan
  • Bell Blvd & 75th Avenue – Queens

Posted in New York Traffic Lawyer Tips, traffic law, Traffic Tips & Info | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Be Careful Driving On Tax Day

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Matthew Weiss

One more reason to hate Tax Day … increased car crashes.  That’s right, based on 30 years of statistics analyzed in a Journal of Medical Association study, during the week that taxes are due, fatal car crashes rise an average of 6 percent.  The increase in risk is similar to that found on Super Bowl Sunday, a day notorious for drinking and driving.

The findings suggest a variety of feelings associated with preparing and paying one’s taxes (including stress, irritability, impatience and distraction) result in unsafe and aggressive driving.  It makes sense that late nights preparing tax forms, fretting about getting them right and, of course, making timely payment could affect people’s judgment.

This year Tax Day falls on Tuesday, April 17th but we urge you to be particularly cautious driving this whole week.

 

Posted in New York Traffic Lawyer Tips, traffic law, Traffic Tips & Info | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

PBA Attacks NYPD About Un-Due Pressure At Traffic Court

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Matthew Weiss

The PBA recently started running a radio campaign attacking the NYPD for taking away vacation days when police officers lose traffic ticket cases at the Traffic Violations Bureau due to clerical errors or other honest human error.  In the ad, union President Pat Lynch states that “[m]ore stress is put on police officers by NYPD management than by criminals.”

Last June, in a post entitled “Crack Down At NYC Traffic Violations Bureau“, I was one of the first to report that Internal Affairs Officers would be stationed in the various Traffic Violations Bureaus to “monitor” police officers.  I followed two months later with a post called “NYC Cops Stop Writing Traffic Tickets” criticizing the Internal Affairs practice of docking police officers vacation time for messing up a traffic ticket case.  Well, now, the PBA is spending substantial sums to educate the public of the evils of this practice.

This practice encourages police officers to lie about traffic ticket cases in order to keep their hard-earned vacation time.  For instance, if an officer does not remember the direction of travel (an element needed to prove his or her case), then that officer may simply make it up to establish a legally-minimum case.  It is a really bad situation for motorists and, more importantly, obtaining justice.

The NYPD responded to the ad by releasing statistics that show a 73% conviction rate on tickets for the first two months of this year, compared with 55% over the same period last year.  The added that the jump is attributable to more police officers “showing up” to court.

However, in our 20+ year experience in all of the NYC traffic courts, “no shows” is not the true underlying reason for the spike.  The “no show” rate has not dramatically decreased.  Police officers generally appear in court and, in fact, are scheduled to be there at convenient times and on multiple cases.  Instead, I believe the threat of losing vacation days has turned good cops bad.

We join the PBA in condemning this practice and hope it is rectified immediately.  Police officers should be treated like adults and not penalized for being human.

What do you think?

 

Posted in New York Traffic Lawyer Tips, traffic law, Traffic Tips & Info | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rochester Red Light Camera Program

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Matthew Weiss

Like other parts of the state, since October 2010, the City of Rochester has a red light camera program.  This program works like those in other parts of the state (i.e., 0 points, $50 fine).  Violators may view a 12-second video clip provided by the vendor, Redflex, Inc. at  photonotice.com.

The registered owner who receives the notice has the following options to resolve the violation:

  •  Pay the fine either by mail, phone using a credit card, or in person at Parking Violations Bureau at 42 South Ave, Rochester, NY.
  •  Pay online at www.cityofrochester.gov/payments
  •  Contest the violation in the Parking Violations Bureau. For information call (585)428-7482 or (585)428-7484.

Below are the current locations of the Rochester red light cameras:

Posted in New York Traffic Lawyer Tips, traffic law, Traffic Tips & Info | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment