The New York state Department of Motor Vehicles is cracking down on motorists that violate traffic regulations near railroad crossings.
In August 2016, the DMV increased the points assigned to automobilists from three to five for infractions made near railroad crossings in an effort to prevent train crashes at the nearly 2,700 crossings statewide.
The announcement was made recently during a state legislative budget hearing on transportation on Feb. 15.
“If you are knowingly reckless at railroad crossings, you are putting yourself, those around you, and those in the train at risk for a catastrophe,” said state Assemblyman David Buchwald, a White Plains Democrat. “I’m pleased that the state government is taking seriously the concerns of Westchester residents by showing how important it is to be careful at these crossings.”
Prior to the change in the rules of the road, a traffic infraction near a railroad crossing only warranted a fine and a three-point penalty, which is the same value for speeding one to 10 mph above the speed limit anywhere else.
In New York, the DMV may suspend drivers’ licenses if a motorist accrues 11 points in an 18-month period.
According to Theresa Egan, the executive deputy commissioner of the state DMV, the new rule aims to protect motorists rather than punish them. “It’s very difficult to change behavior, [but] saving lives is certainly [our] main priority,” she said.
The change in the DMV regulations comes just two years after the deadly Metro-North Harlem Line train crash in Valhalla in which six individuals were killed as a result of a train’s collision with an SUV.
The crash was the deadliest in Metro-North history; it was also the deadliest crash in the country since the Washington Metro train collision in 2009, in which eight passengers were killed.
“In my mind, the rule change comes directly from the unfortunate tragedy [in Valhalla],” Buchwald said.
Initially, changes to increase the points for railroad crossing violations were rejected by the DMV, according to Buchwald, who introduced legislation in 2015 for a law change related to traffic infractions near railroad crossings; that proposal was made before the DMV changed the rule.
