2022 NYC Traffic Tickets Statistics
Written By: Benjamin Goldman, Esq.
The days before the New Year are always a time for reflection. As we prepare to enter 2023, it’s nice to look back on the most frequent traffic stops and citations in New York City in the 2022 NYC Traffic Tickets Statistics.
Speeding
By far the most popular, 105,775 speeding tickets were issued in New York City as of November 2022. The speeding range of a ticket can be anywhere from 5 to 50 miles over the speed limit. Points and fines are assessed by the severity of the speed. For example, going 5 miles an hour over will put you in the 3-point category, while going 25 over will put you in the 6-point category.
Certain situations can aggravate a speeding ticket, such as speeding in a school or work zone. New York City is an obviously dense city, so drivers might not even realize they are in these zones when they get pulled over. Unfortunately not knowing you were in a restrictive zone is not a defense and will not get you out of the higher fines and penalties.
Disobeying a Traffic Control Device
Second on the list is “Disobeying a Traffic Control Device”, with 89,912 citations being issued as of November 2022. This is understandable, as the statue is incredibly broad. A “traffic control device” can be stop signs, yield signs and traffic lights, but also pavement markings such as no passing lanes and double-yellow lines. It is not unusual for this to be given in conjunction with other tickets, such as speeding or the criminal charge of reckless driving.
Failure to obey a traffic control device is a 2-point ticket with fines and inevitable insurance rate increase. It is given freely to NYC commuters and other New York State residents. In certain cases it is also granted as a “roadside reduction”, which would actually be beneficial to drivers.
While it carries only 2 points, it should not be pled guilty too under the assumption that it is not a serious ticket. It is also not an unwinnable ticket, as certain defenses can be raised as to the validity of whatever traffic device was violated.
Red Light Ticket
Red light tickets are somewhat specific to New York City. As previously mentioned, there are multiple ways to receive a ticket for failing to stop at a red light. If you received a ticket by a police officer, then you are facing three points and a high fine. If you received the ticket in the mail, from a camera, then there are no points.
Reference for 2022 NYC Traffic Tickets Statistics: