Undercover Cops Handing Out Seatbelt Tickets

A pair of police officers driving around in an unmarked vehicle are handing out tickets to motorists not wearing a seatbelt in the Crown Heights area, a concerned neighborhood resident told CrownHeights.info.

In the photos send to our inbox, the officers can be seen inspecting an elderly Jew’s seatbelt after he tells them that the reason he wasn’t using it was because it is broken.

Aside for the obvious physical dangers involved, driving without a seatbelt can lead to a hefty fine:

The fine for violating New York seat belt law depends on the age of the person not wearing the belt. If the unsecured party is over the age of 16, the fine is $50.00 plus court costs. However, if there was a child under the age of 16 in the car without a belt, the fine can range from $25 to $100, and the violation will add 3 points to your New York driving record.

If you do get stopped with a child under the age of 7 and no child seat, you can get your first offense dismissed if you rent or purchase an approved child restraint system before your court date. You only get one “freebie,” however. On a second offense, you will be fined and the points will go on your record.

New York law requires all drivers and front seat passengers to be buckled up, no matter how old they are. In the back seat, children under 16 must be buckled up at all times. Although adults in the backseat should always wear a seat belt for safety reasons, they are not legally required to in New York. Children under the age of 6 must be in an age-appropriate child seat. Merely buckling them up with an adult seat belt is not going to satisfy the requirements of the law.

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35 Comments

  • It can save your life!!!

    People! Wearing a seat belt can mean the difference between living and dying in an accident. You never know when it will happen. It’s not only in your control!
    Never even turn on the car without everyone confirming that they are wearing a seatbelt!

  • Good

    Sounds like the “concerned” resident who alerted Crownheights.info was more concerned with getting a ticket than the reason for getting a ticket.

    If I had a dollar for every frum driver/passenger I see every day not wearing a seat belt I wouldn’t have to work. Good for the city on this one; at least they’ll make some money for pointing out something that can SAVE YOUR LIFE!

  • Anonymous

    They are mostly seen on Eastern Pkwy between Brooklyn avenue & Nostrand avenue. And on empire blwd between New York avenue & Rogers.

    They drive a gold color ford crown Victoria.

    I was pulled over by these cops on Empire blvd turning onto Nosrtand avenue for not waiting for the oncoming traffic.

    • HUH?

      and why didn’t you wait? Hope you learned your lesson. Drive safe. The life you save could be your own.

  • Just a thought

    What is this crown heights resident concerned about, the fact the they are giving out tickets or that people are not wearing seat belts that save lives.

  • Good!

    Ticketing for not wearing seat-belts is a GOOD thing! Some people need the threat of a ticket in order to keep their kids safe. It’s a shame, but it’s important. I will never understand why sooo many people let their kids sit unbuckled.

  • anti semite

    I have no problem giving tickets but when they only stop jewish people it becomes a problem let them go to utica whre people are driving unsafe and give them tickets

  • any suggestions?

    I was driving with my 14 yr old in the front passenger seat, and the officer gave me a ticket even thought he was wearing a seat belt, cause my passenger had the cross belt behind him, not over his chest.
    HOW DO I FIGHT THIS?

    • I have a suggestion

      The way I see it, you have two options.

      Option 1: Make sure everyone in your car is PROPERLY buckled. This way the police won’t ticket you AND your passenger’s head won’t shatter the windshield when you crash, G-d forbid… Sort of a “win-win” situation.

      Option 2: Contest the ticket by claiming your son was actually wearing his seat belt. When the officer testifies that the cross belt was behind him, scream “anti-semite” at the top of your holy lungs. If the judge finds you in contempt of court, hire a loud and obnoxious lawyer to accuse the judge, officer and everyone else in the courtroom of virulent antisemitism. When the television crews show up at your doorstep, make sure to answer them with your black yarmulke prominently perched atop your head so the whole world will know how holy you are. Speak in hushed tones with well articulated pauses while decrying how the city of New York is worse than Nazi Germany in their persecution of innocent Jews. After months of litigation, thousands of chapters of Mishnayos said on your behalf, and millions of dollars in taxpayer money spent fighting the case, the city decides it’s no longer worth the effort and lets you off. At this point, I would suggest sponsoring a grand kiddush in shul with lots of expensive mashkeh so that everyone knows what an incredible mentch you are.

      The choice is yours.

    • Always wear seatbelt properly

      Not wearing the chest part in front of you is very dangerous.

    • Ezra

      Option #3: become a self-righteous ***** like commenter #10, who of course has never, ever tried to register a complaint, ask for advice, etc….

  • EMT

    I never put my car in drive without my seat belt on. It’s just the way I was taught. It comes natural to me. People that don’t wear their seat belts even in the back seat are a danger to other passengers in the car. In the event of an accident even if only 1 person is not wearing a seat belt they can be thrown around inside the car like a rag doll injuring themselves and others.

  • Ch'er

    FOLLOW THE LEW, ITS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD
    FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS TOO..

    SEAT BELTS, TEXT, PHONE… ALLL OF EM’

  • To 8

    You make sure that in the future your child wears it properly. The seat belt being just over the lap won’t prevent a persons head from crashing into the dashboard or windshield in case of a shortstop or accident CH”V.

  • to #7

    Call me mean but maybe the know us yiddin are something special! and they wish to protect us by keeping us from getting hurt or killed Hv”S

  • moshe

    Thank you NYPD for giving tickets to those that are not wearing a seat belt which saves lives.

  • You're in trouble

    If you get caught, you’re in trouble because you may get a ticket, and have to pay MONEY – oh yeah – money to get out of that one.

    If you don’t get caught, you may be in WORSE trouble, CH”V…!

  • c h

    i see a different problem. I have seen so many many many times people on cell phones while they are driving, HERE IN CROWN HEIGHTS. Maybe they were only on for just under 1 minute, but if i get a dollar for everyone holding a phone, i would be sitting and dining in restaurants. No joke. HANG UP THAT FUN WHILE YOUR AT THE WHEEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Concerned?

    “A pair of police officers driving around in an unmarked vehicle are handing out tickets to motorists not wearing a seatbelt in the Crown Heights area, a concerned neighborhood resident told CrownHeights.info.”

    I’m sure they were concerned that people weren’t wearing seatbelts, kudos to the police for stopping people who aren’t wearing them.

    Sheesh.

  • I Agree with #23

    if you are wearing a seat belt you wont get a ticket! it is as simple as that and i don’t get it it saves lives what is everybody getting so pesky about?

  • New hiding spot for speeding

    77 precinct nypd now park their vehicle right infront of the Kingston subway catching people speeding on eastern parkway!

  • Mother

    1 drove for decades before everyone started wearing seat belts. I was probably driven home from hospital as a newborn on my mothers lap. No seatbelt and she smoked. I rode my bicycle w/o a helmet because they didn’t exist. I swam a river not a pool and I didn’t wear sunscreen because it didn’t exist. I played outside all day and came home to eat.

  • Mother

    of course I wear a seatbelt now and I don’t smoke. my kids wear helmets and instead of playing inside they are hooked to technology. But I hate all of you self righteous people who make it sound like not wearing a seatbelt is wholly immoral. The truth is that you can also die k”h trepped inside your vehicle by your seatbelt.

  • to#7

    you must be one of those that drives without a seatbelt, and are just looking for stupid cop outs. anyone who drives and allows their children to ride without seatbelts deserves not just a fine but points on his license.This is for the safety of your stupid narrow minded life. and has nothing to do with anti semitizm, my proof; this very same cop let me go twice for minor infractions and did not ticket me. As a matter of fact the first time he said he would excuse me if I had him in mind when I lit Shabbos candles. (turns out his wife is Jewish).

  • my sister died..

    she wasn’t belted, and was thrown through the windshield R”L. Her husband was belted and only got scrapes and minor bruises.
    Buckle up.

  • to #8

    You are really raising the anti-semetic card here? Where in this article does it say they are stopping Jews?

    Again and again when you throw around the anti-semetic card so freely, you weaken its strength. Ever hear of the story of the boy who cried wolf?

  • BullShlaha

    It is boarder line unconstitutional to enforce a law that forces an individual to wear a seatbelt against their will.

    What’s next, you have to wear a helmet at a baseball game incase a ball flys into the crowd? You need to wear a goggles when you swim at the beach, you could get an eye infection from floating debris and such. This is insane. Yes it’s a safer option and should be offered to everyone, but it should not be mandatory. It infringes on our rights to make decisions.

  • COPS = REVENUE GENERATORS - THAT'S IT

    COPS = REVENUE GENERATORS – THAT’S IT

    HOW ABOUT GETTING RID OF THE ****** COPS BECAUSE THEY DON’T REALLY PROTECT YOU ANYWAY (THE COME AFTER THE CRIME).

    WITH THE MONEY THEY SAVE, THEY WON’T NEED TO GIVE OUT THESE F************** TICKETS.

    THEY’RE DOING THE SAME THING IN QUEENS TOO.