Moving Violations

Driving Violation in New York: Getting Out of That Ticket

Moving violations are violations of traffic laws that occur when your vehicle is in motion. New York law takes moving violations seriously because accidents could happen if laws are broken while an automobile is traveling. Unfortunately, this means that many drivers end up facing serious penalties when they are cited for a moving citation.

A moving violation may not seem like anything more than a minor hassle when you are handed a citation by a law enforcement officer. The citation will usually include instructions for paying a fine, going to court, or for what you must do if you want to plead not guilty and try to fight the citation. While many people don’t want to deal with the stress and hassle and they simply pay their required fine, you should not do this.

Admitting to a moving violation is an admission that you broke the law, and the implications of this admission can go beyond any immediate money that you must pay as a penalty. You could face harsher penalties going forward if you are accused of other traffic offenses because of the black marks already on your record. Jobs that are limited to clean drivers will no longer be open to you as a result of the moving violation in your driving history.

Your insurer may significantly raise the rates that you have to pay for insurance because the moving violation convinces the insurer that you are a risky driver. And, in a worst-case scenario, your repeated moving violations could lead to a suspension of your driver’s license.

NY Traffic Firm provides representation and advocacy to motorists who have been accused of moving violation. This type of violation can have much more far-reaching consequences than just getting a parking ticket or similar type of ticket for a more minor traffic offense.

We have the knowledge and the experience necessary to help you fight the accusation against you, so call as soon as you are cited for a violation to find out how New York traffic attorneys can help you.

Types of Moving Violations Our New York Traffic Lawyers Help You Fight

NY Traffic Firm provides representation to motorists who live in the state of New York or who were visiting the state when they were pulled over by law enforcement and cited for a moving violation. Our firm has extensive experience advocating for drivers accused of many different kinds of wrongdoing including:

• Driving without insurance
• Blocking the box
• Failing to yield
• Running a stop sign
• Driving on the shoulder of the road
• Driving an unregistered vehicle
• Failing to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles of an address change
• Failing to stop for a school bus
• Tailgating
• Unsafe lane changes

Whether you have been ticketed, told to appear in court, or are facing the possibility of losing your license as a result of too many moving violations, we will work with you to put together a customized strategy for responding to your legal situation.

We know how important it is for you to continue to be able to drive your vehicle and have affordable insurance and a clean driving record. Our legal team will do everything possible to protect your rights as a motorist so you can continue to get around unencumbered by black marks on your driving record and points on your license.

Why You Should Fight a Moving Violation Instead of Just Admitting Guilt

If you are cited for failing to stop for a school bus and you do not fight the accusations against you, you could get five points on your license. Tailgating is four points, and failing to yield the right-of-way is three points. If you are caught driving your car with a child who is not in a safety seat, this is three points as well. These are just a few examples of the points that could be put on your license due to a moving violation.

These points can add up very quickly. They can send your insurance rates skyrocketing. If you collect more than 11 points in 18-months, you will have to attend a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). This ALJ has the power to suspend or revoke your license. This means your ability to continue to drive your car will be at risk.

If you do not fight a moving violation at the time when you are accused of breaking the law, you will lose the opportunity to try to contest the claims that have been made against you. You will not ever have the opportunity to go back and argue that you didn’t actually fail to stop for the bus or that there was insufficient proof that you drove an unregistered car. It will be too late to do anything at all about you damaged driving record if you gave up you chance to speak up and defend yourself.

There is no reason to give up your opportunity to fight the accusations that you’ve violated the laws. You have to respond to the citation either by paying your fine or moving forward in legal proceedings. Don’t just pay your fine and give up your chance at due process- make the state prove that you actually broke the law.

How New York Traffic Attorneys Can Help You Respond

In response to an allegation of a moving violation, it is important for you to make the most strategic choice about how to respond. While it sometimes makes sense to admit that you actually did break the rules, you should do this only after you’ve talked with NYC traffic ticket lawyers.

Your attorney can help you to explore the possibility of attending traffic school so you can reduce points on your license and avoid higher insurance premiums. Your attorney can also help you to discover if there is a possible deal to be made by negotiating with the prosecutor to let you admit to a lesser offense than the violation you were accused of in exchange for your admission of guilt.

NY Traffic Firm has helped many clients to objectively evaluate the evidence against them and the nature of the alleged violations to determine if a moving violation accusation is worth fighting or if it makes sense to acquiesce and admit guilt. We can provide personalized advice to you after a careful review of the specifics of your situation.

Often, you will not have to admit that you violated the law, but instead, can contest the claims made against you and plead not guilty. If you do this, you don’t want to just depend upon the time-worn tradition of hoping the law enforcement officer who cited you for your moving violation does not show up at your court hearing.

Instead, you should be ready with a legal strategy even if the officer shows up and is prepared to prove you violated traffic laws. You should work with an experienced attorney to find out about what must be proved for you to be found to have committed a moving violation. You do not have to disprove the claims or show that you definitely did not violate traffic law. All you must do is introduce questions so your violation cannot be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

Our New York traffic lawyers can help you to raise doubts by asking the right questions of witnesses, challenging evidence introduced against you, and introducing your own evidence such as expert witnesses or justifications for your driving behavior. We know how traffic cases work and the ways to make the court conclude there is insufficient evidence that you committed a traffic violation.

Contact a New York Traffic Lawyer Today

A NY traffic lawyer should be your first call as soon as you have been cited for a moving violation. You have a deadline and you must act within that time frame, because ignoring your citation by failing to either pay the fine or fight the violation could result in serious consequences. Bench warrants and license suspensions can result from not responding to a citation for a violation.

NY Traffic Firm will carefully review the accusations against you and the circumstances in which you were cited for a moving violation and will provide invaluable advice so you can maximize your chances of facing no penalties or minimal consequences for allegedly breaking traffic rules.

The right approach to responding to allegations must be tailored to the specific moving violation you have been accused of, and we will assist you in doing everything possible to make the law work in your favor. Our firm can help you to follow deadlines and determine the best approach to dealing with your alleged violation. We will also put together a strong defense on your behalf.

From moving violations to traffic citations to criminal charges for driving offenses, our firm is trusted by motorists in New York to help them with problems and we are dedicated to being there for drivers in their time of trouble. Give us a call today to discover more about what our New York traffic lawyers can do to help you.