Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – Think you've seen a lot of cars pulled over on the side of the road by NY State Troopers? It's not your imagination. Speeding tickets are up 30% in 2009.
Using the Freedom of Information Act, we got our hands on ticket information from State Police troop D, which covers all of Central New York.
From January 1st to May 1st of this year, local troopers wrote 12 percent more seat belt tickets than the same time last year, 15 percent more child restraint tickets, 27 percent more equipment violations - things like broken tail lights, license plate covers and expired inspections - and a whopping 32 percent more speeding tickets.
“We’re not some bunch of Gestapo riding around in blue and gold cars" said Captain Jay Pristash. But if you've been ticketed lately, you may feel differently.
When everything is said and done, it’s a 21 percent increase from last year to this year. 6,400 more tickets have been issued in Central New York.
You have to wonder whether it comes down to money. The state is in a financial mess and each ticket written by a trooper typically has an $85 state surcharge attached.
“Never once in my nearly 26 years have I ever been told that the state needs more revenue so go out and write more tickets,” Captain Pristash said. “There is no quota, per say. But certainly we pay as a state taxpayer for troopers to go out and work the road and to produce something during their tour.”
Troop D Captain Jay Pristash attributes most of the increase to a new traffic management team of 10 troopers and one sergeant.
“These troopers are solely directed to go out in problem areas in the troop, car accident areas and enforce vehicle and traffic laws” Pirstash said.
During the first four months of this year, when troopers wrote so many more tickets, they say the number of overall traffic accidents they investigated, dropped by 8 percent, personal injury accidents fell by 10 percent and fatalities were down by 20 percent from the previous year. State police say that's evidence of a direct correlation between increased enforcement and decreased accidents.
