New laws for this driving practice have gone into effect in New York, with drivers set to face fines as high as $250 for just this small error. This year, a host of new driving laws passed last year have gone into effect. Drivers across states are encouraged to monitor official state channels for updates regarding this, specific to their location, in order to avoid being hit by a fine or other penalty for a behavior that is no longer considered legal. These new laws, no matter how tedious they may seem, are all intended to make the roads a safer place. 

Keeping drivers and road users safe with new laws

Local legislative changes are constantly going into effect statewide as a response to the unique circumstances on the roads and the state authorities’ subsequent response. However, generally, these changes are usually a tightening or extension of current laws, with increased severity of convictions and penalties. They include higher fines, increased points for a driving behavior, and even jail time. 

Other recent adjustments include new laws introducing the use of automated camera technology to monitor the roads for speeding and red light running in instances where traffic authorities are not present. While met with controversy by some, these cameras have proven to be effective at reducing these behaviors in the locations where they are set up, making areas such as school zones safer for road users and pedestrians. 

The use of automated camera technology has seen drastic results in locations where the technology is most prevalent, such as New York City’s (NYC) comprehensive automated system. First installed in 2014, by 2018, the City had seen more than a 60% decrease in speeding violations in the area. NYC is often cited as a case study for effective integration of automated cameras, with many other states following its lead.

This mistake will cost New York drivers over $250

This month, the New York Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee updated penalties for speeding are set to go into effect statewide, including penalties for driving just 1mph over the speed limit. The changes come following New York’s complete revamp of its driving penalty point system, with the following being the biggest ones New Yorkers must watch out for:

  • Speeding one to ten miles per hour over the speed limit: penalty increases from three to four points
  • Using a cell phone while driving: penalty increases from five to six points
  • Failure to yield to a pedestrian: penalty increases from three to five points
  • Reckless driving or passing a stopped school bus: penalty increases from five to eight points
  • Failure to move over for emergency vehicles: three points

Speeding up to ten miles per hour over the speed limit carries a minimum fine of $45, but can be as high as $150. The maximum speeding fine New York drivers can receive is $600 for speeding 30mph over the speed limit, and drivers face fines of $250 for repeat parking violations after four convictions. 

Increased fines for safer roads: The point is road user safety

New York’s major revamp of its point system, including changing the license suspension threshold to ten points within 24 months, joins similar measures across states that are ensuring harsher penalties for drivers who continue to ignore the safety of their fellow road users. 

Some major new laws that are going into effect in California include an extension of the “Stop and Move Over” law to include highway maintenance vehicles, as well as approval to begin lowering the speed limit in school zones from 25mph to 20mph by 2030. Additionally, drivers now face a fine of $1,000 should they be convicted of manufacturing and selling a device that intentionally obscures license plates from authorities. The act is now also considered an infraction.