GNYADA 2019 Membership Directory & Services Guide

AVOID VIOLATIONS – FOLLOW LICENSE PLATE LAWS

hot topics / 2019 membership directory & services guide

DEALERSHIP VEHICLES: LIABILITY FOR TICKETS Here are the best practices, and top three concerns, when it comes to installing license plates. Glass or Plastic Coverings Dealers should not offer to coat or cover license plates with any glass, plastic, or synthetic material. Providing such covers is considered a violation for concealing or obscuring part of the plate. TheVehicle andTraffic Law says that license plates must be kept clean, be easily readable, and cannot be covered by material that distorts recorded or photographic images of the plates. Front Plates New York law requires a set of distinctive number plates “conspicuously displayed, one on the front and one on the rear of such vehicle.”Dealers should attach both a front and rear license plate. License Plate Frames It is illegal to cover license plates in a manner that obscures the letters, numbers, or other markings. Dealers should examine their plate frames to ensure that any words, numbers, or letters on the license plate are not blocked or obstructed by the frame. Check with your supplier to make sure you receive compliant plate frames. Customers may ask you for reimbursement if they receive a ticket or fine, which ranges from $25 to $200. Dealership employees sometimes receive tickets for parking or moving violations, when operating dealership vehicles. Here is a breakdown of various vehicle violations, as well as dealers’responsibilities for each: Parking violations If an employee receives a summons for parking a dealership vehicle illegally, the dealer is prohibited from requiring the employee to reimburse the dealership as a condition of employment. A dealer may ask for reimbursement, while clarifying that the employee will not be retaliated against or disciplined should they choose not to. Moving violations Moving violations are usually issued to the driver of the vehicle, not the owner. Accordingly, if an employee is issued a ticket for a moving violation while operating a dealership vehicle, the ticket is the employee’s responsibility and the dealership does not have to reimburse them. Camera-issued tickets If a violation caught by a “red light camera” (for example) gets issued to the dealership as the owner of the vehicle, the dealer should follow the same procedure as for parking violations. Code violations Vehicle code violations such as a broken taillight or excess emissions are similar to“breakage”or“spoilage”and, therefore, must be paid only by the dealer. The employee may not be asked to reimburse the dealer for these tickets, unless the breakage resulted from a negligent act by the employee.

PG 76

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