Senate Bill S486

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                   486

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  LANZA  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes

AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to  creating  the  crimes  of
  dangerous  driving  in  the  fifth,  fourth,  third,  second and first
  degrees

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  The  penal  law  is  amended  by adding five new sections
120.71, 120.72, 120.73, 120.74 and 120.75 to read as follows:
S 120.71 DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE FIFTH DEGREE.
  A PERSON IS GUILTY OF DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE FIFTH DEGREE,  WHEN  HE
OR  SHE,  HAVING  BEEN CONVICTED WITHIN THE PRECEDING EIGHTEEN MONTHS OF
ANY TWO VIOLATIONS OF SECTION FIVE HUNDRED NINE,  FIVE  HUNDRED  ELEVEN,
SIX HUNDRED, ELEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO, ELEVEN HUNDRED NINETY-TWO, ELEV-
EN  HUNDRED  NINETY-TWO-A  OR  TWELVE  HUNDRED TWELVE OF THE VEHICLE AND
TRAFFIC LAW, OPERATES A MOTOR  VEHICLE  IN  VIOLATION  OF  ANY  OF  SUCH
SECTIONS OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, AND IN DOING SO CAUSES PHYSICAL
INJURY TO ANOTHER PERSON.
  DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE FIFTH DEGREE IS A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR.
S 120.72 DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE FOURTH DEGREE.
  A  PERSON IS GUILTY OF DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE FOURTH DEGREE, WHEN HE
OR SHE, KNOWINGLY HAS IN EFFECT THREE OR MORE SUSPENSIONS, IMPOSED ON AT
LEAST THREE SEPARATE DATES FOR FAILURE TO ANSWER, APPEAR, OR PAY A  FINE
PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX OF THE
VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW OR PARAGRAPH A OF SUBDIVISION  FOUR  OF  SECTION
FIVE  HUNDRED  TEN  OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW AND WHILE OPERATING A
MOTOR VEHICLE CAUSES PHYSICAL INJURY TO ANOTHER PERSON.
  DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE FOURTH DEGREE IS A CLASS E FELONY.
S 120.73 DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE THIRD DEGREE.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01691-01-9
              

S. 486                              2

  A PERSON IS GUILTY OF DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE THIRD DEGREE,  WHEN  HE
OR SHE:
  1.    KNOWINGLY  HAS  IN EFFECT TEN OR MORE SUSPENSIONS, IMPOSED ON AT
LEAST TEN SEPARATE DATES FOR FAILURE TO ANSWER, APPEAR, OR  PAY  A  FINE
PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX OF THE
VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW OR PARAGRAPH A OF SUBDIVISION  FOUR  OF  SECTION
FIVE  HUNDRED  TEN  OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW AND WHILE OPERATING A
MOTOR VEHICLE CAUSES PHYSICAL INJURY TO ANOTHER PERSON;
  2.  HAVING BEEN CONVICTED WITHIN THE PRECEDING EIGHTEEN MONTHS OF  ANY
TWO  VIOLATIONS  OF  SECTION FIVE HUNDRED NINE, FIVE HUNDRED ELEVEN, SIX
HUNDRED, ELEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO, ELEVEN  HUNDRED  NINETY-TWO,  ELEVEN
HUNDRED  NINETY-TWO-A, OR TWELVE HUNDRED TWELVE OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAF-
FIC LAW, OPERATES A MOTOR VEHICLE IN VIOLATION OF ANY SUCH  SECTIONS  OF
THE  VEHICLE  AND  TRAFFIC  LAW, AND IN DOING SO CAUSES SERIOUS PHYSICAL
INJURY TO ANOTHER PERSON; OR
  3.  KNOWINGLY HAS IN EFFECT THREE OR MORE SUSPENSIONS, IMPOSED  ON  AT
LEAST  THREE SEPARATE DATES FOR FAILURE TO ANSWER, APPEAR, OR PAY A FINE
PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX  OF  THE
VEHICLE  AND  TRAFFIC  LAW OR PARAGRAPH A OF SUBDIVISION FOUR OF SECTION
FIVE HUNDRED TEN OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW AND  WHILE  OPERATING  A
MOTOR VEHICLE CAUSES SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY TO ANOTHER PERSON.
  DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE THIRD DEGREE IS A CLASS D FELONY.
S 120.74 DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE SECOND DEGREE.
  A  PERSON IS GUILTY OF DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE SECOND DEGREE, WHEN HE
OR SHE:
  1.  KNOWINGLY HAS IN EFFECT TEN OR MORE  SUSPENSIONS,  IMPOSED  ON  AT
LEAST  TEN  SEPARATE  DATES FOR FAILURE TO ANSWER, APPEAR, OR PAY A FINE
PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX  OF  THE
VEHICLE  AND  TRAFFIC  LAW OR PARAGRAPH A OF SUBDIVISION FOUR OF SECTION
FIVE HUNDRED TEN OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW AND  WHILE  OPERATING  A
MOTOR VEHICLE CAUSES SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY TO ANOTHER PERSON; OR
  2.   HAVING BEEN CONVICTED WITHIN THE PRECEDING EIGHTEEN MONTHS OF ANY
TWO VIOLATIONS OF SECTION FIVE HUNDRED NINE, FIVE  HUNDRED  ELEVEN,  SIX
HUNDRED,  ELEVEN  HUNDRED  EIGHTY-TWO, ELEVEN HUNDRED NINETY-TWO, ELEVEN
HUNDRED NINETY-TWO-A, OR TWELVE HUNDRED TWELVE OF THE VEHICLE AND  TRAF-
FIC  LAW, HE OR SHE OPERATES A MOTOR VEHICLE IN VIOLATION OF ANY OF SUCH
SECTIONS OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, AND  IN  DOING  SO  CAUSES  THE
DEATH OF ANOTHER PERSON.
  DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE SECOND DEGREE IS A CLASS C FELONY.
S 120.75 DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE FIRST DEGREE.
  A  PERSON  IS GUILTY OF DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE FIRST DEGREE, WHEN HE
OR SHE, KNOWINGLY HAS IN EFFECT TEN OR MORE SUSPENSIONS, IMPOSED  ON  AT
LEAST  TEN  SEPARATE  DATES FOR FAILURE TO ANSWER, APPEAR, OR PAY A FINE
PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX  OF  THE
VEHICLE  AND  TRAFFIC  LAW OR PARAGRAPH A OF SUBDIVISION FOUR OF SECTION
FIVE HUNDRED TEN OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW AND  WHILE  OPERATING  A
MOTOR VEHICLE CAUSES THE DEATH OF ANOTHER PERSON.
  DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE FIRST DEGREE IS A CLASS B FELONY.
  S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.