Every driver needs to start somewhere to learn New York’s driving safety laws. Knowing these laws and following them while driving is the first step to preventing an accident. When you’re a safer driver, you help keep everyone safe from injuries on the road.
The laws also tell you the consequences of breaking those laws. Some of the penalties are very severe, even reaching felony status. Driving under the influence is one example of a traffic violation that can become a felony.
Sources for New York Driving Laws
We can find the law code for driving and vehicles in New York on the NY State Senate website. Chapter 71, linked above, has all the details. Thankfully, you do not need to know every one of these rules!
Many of them are quite specific and apply to things like commercial vehicle inspections, rules around snowmobiles, and many other topics you’ll probably never have to worry about. The rules you should worry about can be found in the New York driver’s manual.
The New York DMV has online and PDF copies of the driver’s manual. These are the fundamental road laws that every driver must know before they’re allowed to get a license. One of the most important sections for accidents is chapter 12, which tells you what you must do after you’ve been in an accident.
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What to Do After an Accident
Here’s a brief summary of the rules about what to do after a car accident. The first thing you must do is stop at the scene, no matter the level of damage to the vehicles. Then you must exchange these pieces of information with the other driver:
- Name
- Address
- Driver’s license number
- Vehicle registration
- Insurance information, including policy number and effective date.
You must give this information to all drivers and to the police, and show your car if requested. If the other driver isn’t on the scene, like if you hit a parked car, you must try to find the owner or notify the police.
You must also move your vehicle off the road if it’s safe to do so, notify the police if there’s an injury, and notify the DMV in certain cases within 10 days of the event. It is a violation of the law if you don’t file a Report of Motor Vehicle Accident within this deadline, and you could lose your license.
Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me (212) 540-2984
What These Rules Don’t Tell You
Unfortunately, the New York driving safety laws don’t tell you the importance of hiring a personal injury attorney after an accident to protect your claim. You can follow all the rules to protect you from the state, but that won’t protect you from a bad faith insurer that tries to keep the compensation you deserve.
If you’ve been in a car accident in New York, contact Dansker & Aspromonte LLP Associates for a free, no-obligation consultation about your car accident. We can make sure you follow all necessary state laws and protect your financial interests for compensation.