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Safety on the Roads, by Dave Werner

New traffic pattern on US 11 in Malone

Since Sept. 20, approximately one mile of U.S. Route 11 on the east side of Malone is one lane in each direction with a two-way left turn (TWLT) lane (also called a center turn lane) in the middle. For at least 50 years, this section had been four lanes, essentially two lanes eastbound and ...

Tinted windows causing enforcement attention

New York state’s Department of Motor Vehicles reports an increase in the number of vehicles on the road with tinted windows that exceed legal standards for light transmittance. Some even have a full windshield tint. While in some cases DMV will issue a medical exemption and certificate, it ...

Senior research scientist pleasantly surprised by ISA

Ian Reagan, a safety researcher at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, recently drove a vehicle with Intelligent Speed Assistance 35 miles, from his home in Annapolis, Maryland, to his office in Arlington, Virginia. That commute runs smack through Washington, D.C. “If I’m lucky, ...

Obstructed license plate sanctions get tougher

For many years it has been a violation of New York state Vehicle and Traffic Law, section 402, to cover a vehicle’s license plate with basically anything, including a clear plastic cover. Effective Sept. 1 of this year, this section and subsections of VTL have been revised to increase ...

Slow Down, Move Over laws reviewed

The next several weeks are a great time for car trips, especially during the peak of the fall foliage season. So, it is time to review the main points of Vehicle and Traffic Law (VTL) section 1144-a, commonly referred to as the “Slow Down — Move Over” law. The history of this law began ...

Traffic lights out from storm? Here’s what to do

A recent article in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle caught my attention. The article described what drivers did on July 16, when a tornado and winds from a related thunderstorm knocked out several traffic signals in the Rome, New York area, including on busy Erie Boulevard. According to ...