A teen’s first driver’s license: It’s one of the happiest moments in their lives and one of the scariest for their parents. Those first few years behind the wheel are among the most dangerous. Statistics show that drivers aged 16 to 19 are three times more likely to be in a fatal accident than any other age group.
Fortunately for New York parents, the Empire State was ranked as the No. 1 best state for teen drivers by WalletHub. In order to get their results, every state was examined based on three factors: safety conditions, economic climate, and traffic laws. In total, 23 different criteria were included, such as number of teen driver fatalities, average cost of car repairs and presence of impaired-driving laws.
New York was in the Top 10 in most major categories and ranked No. 1 for safety, including having the fewest teen fatalities in the nation and the fewest instances of teens driving drunk. It also boasted one of the lowest premium increases after adding teen drivers to insurance policies.
According to 2017 data, just 13.5% of speeding tickets in NY went to drivers ages 16 to 20 (the data could not be broken down to include just teenagers). For seat belt violations, young drivers were issued just 4.6% of tickets. They also received just 6.5% of tickets for texting while driving and 3.7% of tickets for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
New York State restricts drivers under the age of 18 with a junior license from driving without a supervisor or guardian who is at least 21 years old, with certain exceptions. Junior license holders are also not permitted to drive in the five boroughs of New York City under any circumstances. In addition, a teen driver with a junior license who is convicted of a serious traffic offense, including speeding, texting or cell phone violations, or passing a school bus can have their license suspended for 60 to 120 days. This is in addition to the fines, points, and mandatory state surcharges associated with the offense.
If you or your teenage driver have been issued a traffic ticket in New York, contact a skilled attorney right away to help avoid the consequences. The lawyers of the Rosenblum Law Firm are skilled traffic ticket attorneys with offices in New York and New Jersey. Email or call 888-883-5529 for a free consultation about your case.
