Planning on boarding a domestic or international flight, or crossing a border by land or sea with Canada, Mexico or some countries in the Caribbean?  If so, you have until October 1, 2020 to visit your local DMV and obtain the federally mandated and far more secure REAL ID driver’s licenses.

The “Buckle Up New York, Click It Or Ticket” enforcement campaign reminds New Yorkers to buckle up.

Have you ever found yourself driving at the corner of 39th & 3rd?  During rush hour, this is the main route heading into the 59th Street Bridge.  It's also the #1 location for tickets in the Big Apple, where agents handed out more than 10,000 violations in 2017.  Ouch!

This past week the Suffolk Police Department put students through a series of simulations meant to deter risky driving behavior and teach them about law enforcement work.

This past Tuesday, a new federal rule went into effect making backup cameras standard equipment in all new cars, which adds all vehicles under 10,000 pounds, including buses and trucks.

Yesterday on a Michigan freeway overpass, the life of a man in distress intersected with several quick thinking police officers and 13 random truckers.

Tired of sitting in NYC traffic?  This remarkable mint condition video "produced only three years before the outbreak of World War I, [shows] the everyday life of the city recorded here — street traffic, people going about their business — [and] has a casual, almost pastoral quality."

I love this minute and a half film because it depicts a beautiful, instead of violent, way to show the importance of seat belt safety.  Take a look and let me know if you agree.

There aren’t many people that can say a cancer diagnosis hasn’t touched their life in some way...

Good News For Bicyclists But NYC Drivers Be On The Lookout!

At many intersections throughout New York City bicycle operators are being given the opportunity to cross intersections before motorists get the green light.

Even though the snow looks beautiful, it’s the second day of Spring and we here at MarciLaw have had just about enough! How about you? 

Today is a perfect day to surf the web and dream about, or if you are really lucky actually plan, a summer trip. If so, here is a great article about how to get an international driver’s permit (IDP).  IDPs are really easy to get, they are not expensive and they could save you a lot of headaches.  A foreign country may not accept your U.S. license as valid unless you also carry an IDP. 

Here’s what’s FUN in NYC this weekend! 

Spring is around the corner, (I saw daffodils!) and everyone’s talking about it. There are some great things to do this weekend in NYC, including celebrating St. Paddy’s Day! So get outside, pretend it’s already warm, and enjoy all that our great city has to offer. 

As we posted last week, NYC in implementing a new program to aggressively enforce block the box violations.

The attached article has a map and lists 50 key intersections that will have new or improved signage to raise driver awareness and 50 newly hired uniformed officers to enforce the law.

More news about those pesky traffic cameras! 

If you live and/or drive in New York City you have probably heard about "blocking the box" tickets, the ones given out to drivers who get caught in intersections. 

A lawsuit has been filed alleging that millions of tickets that have been automatically issued by New York City speed cameras are invalid. 

Youth Traffic Court.  What Is It and How Can It Help?

There is a new Youth Court in Suffolk County that will hear cases of teens under the age of 18 who receive tickets for traffic law violations.  The purpose is further education rather than punishment for these new drivers. It is an exciting proposition that hopefully will be able to deliver, because after all don't we all want safer roads for ourselves and our children? 

Can you imagine your world filled with cars that no one drives? 

It seems this is what the horizon looks like, with many car companies researching and building driverless cars or their prototypes and many companies testing the first models in a variety of uses.  

We've all heard the stories, but did you believe them? 

While the NYPD may be giving us traffic tickets at a pace faster than a Kentucky Derby winner, we should try to remember all the great things they do to protect us and keep us safe.

Is NYS fining you for not paying tolls for crossing the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo (Tappan Zee) Bridge? Do you have unpaid overdue tolls? Is the state threatening to suspend your registration? 

If so, you are in luck! The state is implementing an amnesty program!  There are many drivers who say they were never notified of their bill until they received fines and threats of suspension.

Vision Zero is a safety program that is being credited for drastically reducing traffic fatalities in New York State over the past 4 years.

How does it work? With lower speed limits, increased use of speed cameras, tougher enforcement and improved street design.

What have the results been? According to Reuters.com “the most striking decline was in the number of pedestrian casualties, which fell 32 percent last year to 101, and for the first time comprise less than half of the city’s overall traffic fatalities. Since 2013, pedestrian deaths have fallen by 45 percent.”