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New York City instituting ‘Slow Zones’ targeting speeding

On October 10, 2013, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the city was expanding its Neighborhood Slow Zones program to encompass 15 new neighborhoods. New York residents should be aware of the city’s Neighborhood Slow Zones program and the penalties drivers in New York face for speeding.

Neighborhood Slow Zones program

New York City started its Neighborhood Slow Zones program in 2011 in an effort to curb speeding and reduce traffic fatalities. Neighborhoods that have been designated as Slow Zones have speed limits of 20 mph, rather than the 30 mph speed limit of most city streets. The city designates Slow Zones in areas that are self-contained and are made up mostly of local streets. The Slow Zones have signs and road markings at intersections that alert drivers that they are in a Slow Zone, as well as an increased number of speed bumps.

The city received 74 applications from neighborhoods wishing to become Slow Zones, and selected 15 from the pool. Some of the criteria officials used to select the new Slow Zones included the number of schools, subway stations, senior centers and daycares in the area, the crash rates of the area, community support for the application and whether the area had distinct boundaries. City officials will install the Slow Zone signs in these neighborhoods over the next three years.

Penalties for speeding in New York

Drivers need to be aware of the new Slow Zones in the city, as they face stiff penalties for speeding in New York. Drivers cited for driving up to 10 miles over the speed limit face a fine between $45.00 and $150.00, as well as a potential 15 days in jail and three points on their driving records. Those who are cited for driving between 11 and 30 miles over the speed limit can be fined between $90.00 and $300.00 and can be jailed for up to 30 days. A citation for driving 11 to 20 miles an hour over the speed limit results in four points on a driver’s record, and 21 to 30 miles over the limit results in six points on a driver’s record. Drivers who exceed the speed limit by 30 miles per hour can be fined between $180.00 and $600.00, as well as be jailed for up to 30 days and receive eight points on their driving records unless the speed is 41 mph over the limit or more in which case the results is 11 points on their records.

Fines for speeding citation are double if the driver was cited while driving in a work zone. The amount of fines can increase if the driver has had a previous citation for speeding within the past 18 months. If a driver receives three citations for speeding or 11 points with 18 months, the driver will lose his license.

Speak with a lawyer

Speeding tickets can lead to serious consequences. Now that New York City is expanding its Slow Zone program, drivers are even more at risk for getting speeding tickets. Drivers do not have to simply accept speeding tickets. It is possible to dispute speeding tickets and to try to mitigate the damage that such tickets can do. If you have speeding tickets, talk to an experienced New York traffic ticket attorney for assistance.