The holiday season has taken over New York. That means multitudes of people taking to the roadways to visit family members or attend holiday festivities. All those cars on the roadway makes it vital for all drivers to ensure they are driving in a safe manner. Failing to drive in a safe manner can lead to accidents that might cause injury or death. In order to maximize the safety of New York roadways, there are state laws that must be followed.
One important point in New York law serves to keep children who are in cars safe. Children must be properly restrained while riding in a car. Younger children should have a child safety seat or booster seat. Older children should be restrained with a lap/shoulder seat belt. Failing to ensure all children are properly buckled in can lead to points being added to the driver’s license and up to a $100 fine. It can also mean the child might be thrown from a vehicle in an accident.
Since drivers need to have their full attention on the road, New York instituted a ban on texting while driving and handheld cellphone use while driving. This means that if you must make a call or text, you should find a safe place to pull over.
Since holiday parties usually involve alcohol, it is a perfect time to remind readers that sobriety checkpoints are permissible in New York. This means that people who drive drunk run the risk of being arrested because of a checkpoint.
Even if you are the safest driver in the world, you can’t control the actions of other drivers. If you are injured in an accident caused by another driver, you have the right to seek compensation for your injuries. Doing so sends a message to the driver and helps to reduce the financial impact the accident has on you.
Source: Governors Highway Safety Association, “New York” Dec. 16, 2014.