How to Avoid a traffic ticket in New York City

Driving in New York City is like walking a thin line. One mistake can lead to a traffic violation, and the next thing you know, you are being pulled over for a ticket.

If you are new to the city or have recently started driving, you are highly likely to violate a traffic code and get yourself a ticket. But that can be avoided if you know what to do and what not to do.

So let’s jump right into it.

Street Parking

Let’s admit it. New York City has a parking issue and hence strict parking laws to keep the traffic moving. Parking on the wrong side of the street is common for most drivers. Before pulling up into a parking spot, make it a practice to stop and look around where other cars are parked and follow their lead.

If there’s no vacant spot, consider sitting double-parked until you get clearance, rather than risking a ticket by parking on the wrong side of the street.

When parked, make sure your car isn’t blocking access to a fire hydrant. Also, stay clear of the intersection and the designated bike lane.

Parking Meter

Respect the time limit on your parking receipt. If it says you should move the car by 5 PM, make sure you are back in your car at 4:55. That gives you enough time to deal with obstacles next to your car or a bad self-start motor. If you are caught in the spot a minute over the designated time, you will be in trouble.

Broken Meter

You pull up into a parking spot and walk up to the parking meter to get your receipt. The meter is broken. It’s not your fault, but you can’t get away with it either. The traffic law of New York City states that if the parking meter is broken, you must get your receipt from the next closest meter.

Most traffic offenders try to dispute their parking ticket on the basis of a broken meter, but that backfires as soon as they show up in court.

Disputing your ticket

Try as you might, you will end up getting a ticket at some point. And when you do, you should be prepared with the right knowledge to dispute your ticket in court.

A defective ticket is not admissible in court. This means that if the officer makes a mistake while writing you a ticket, you have the right to dispute it. Chances are you will walk away without paying any fine.

You can also dispute a ticket based on an unreadable parking sign, or that does not exist. Use the picture of the ticket and the parking scene as proof to plead ‘not guilty’ before the judge.

If you wish to avoid the courtroom drama and hassles, you can submit your ticket and evidence to WinIt and let them fight your ticket on your behalf.

Takeaway

Getting a parking ticket is not the end of the world, but it shouldn’t be taken lightly either. Whether it’s a parking offense, overspeeding or jumping a red light, you must respond to your ticket within 30 days to avoid additional fines and penalties. Also, if your ticket goes unresponded for more than 30 days, your vehicle will be immobilized (booted) or towed to the impound lot. And you must get even with those additional fines to have your vehicle released.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes