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New York State Police were busy issuing traffic tickets through holidays

For many people, the holiday season means travelling to attend more gatherings with friends and family. In some cases, the celebrations involve alcohol, and those who are not careful can find themselves with traffic tickets or arrested for driving while intoxicated. New York State Police were active over the 2012 holiday season issuing traffic tickets and making DWI arrests. People should be aware of the benefits of hiring an attorney to fight traffic tickets.

National campaign

New York State Police participated in a national campaign increasing enforcement of impaired driving laws beginning December 12, 2012 and lasting through January 1, 2013. Over 10,000 law enforcement agencies took part in the campaign. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration dedicated $11 million to advertising about the impaired driving crackdown.

Over 33,000 tickets in New York

As part of their participation in “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” New York State police reported that they issued more than 33,000 traffic tickets. Police also arrested 538 people for suspicion of driving while intoxicated, 22 people for providing alcohol to minors and 12 people for other alcohol-related offenses.

Police operated 29 sobriety checkpoints across the state, as well as staffing 10 “saturation details” that targeted specific areas for underage drinking. Police also dedicated 41 additional local patrols looking for intoxicated drivers.

Hiring an attorney for tickets

Some may think that traffic tickets are minor annoyances and do not bother to try to fight the citation. However, traffic tickets can have serious consequences. Traffic citations carry steep fines and cause points to accumulate on drivers’ records. Too many points on a driver’s record can lead to the loss of a driver’s license. Drivers also often end up paying higher insurance rates for many citations.

Hiring a lawyer to help fight traffic citations may seem like a steep expense, but it may end up being more cost-effective in the long run. An attorney can negotiate with prosecutors more effectively than average citizens and can often arrange better deals for people than they could get for themselves. For example, an attorney may negotiate a lower fine or for fewer points to go on a driver’s record.

Attorneys are also familiar with the court system and can help people navigate through the process while educating them of all of their rights and options. Attorneys can also make personal appearances in court on behalf of their clients in some cases, so their clients do not have to travel back to where the citation was issued.

If you have traffic tickets, speak with an experienced traffic ticket attorney with a broad history of successfully resolving such matters who can help minimize the impact of the ticket.