It’s not just the winter conditions that make driving difficult. Law enforcement leaders in Niagara County say people behave badly behind the wheel all year round.
According to statistics from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, 25,195 traffic tickets were issued in the county last year, outside of the cities of Niagara Falls, North Tonawanda and Lockport, and townships with their own police forces. This is an increase of 600 tickets over the 2023 total. The sheriff’s office cited a total of 3,600 speeding tickets in 2024, including speed that was not reasonable.
Violations include 2,104 charges of aggravated unlicensed operation; 1,709 for driving without a driver’s license; and a total of 2,221 without valid registrations. More than 3,000 citations were written for lack of vehicle inspections.
“We are receiving a large number of complaints about reckless and erratic driving,” said Sheriff Michael Filicetti. “I made an effort to pull over more cars.”
The sheriff said the top violations were leaving the roadway in an unsafe manner; speed not reasonable and careful; and failure to stop at stop signs. A map on the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office website shows violation hotspots on Niagara Falls Boulevard, the city of Tonawanda, South Transit Road, Wright’s Corners, Newfane, Burt and Route 425 in Cambria and Wilson. The sheriff said if a deputy is within city limits on business and sees a violation, he won’t hesitate to issue a ticket.
On rural state roads, Filicetti says drivers often push the limits in 90 km/h zones, assuming it’s all safe. “The most serious accidents happen on these high-speed roads.”
Lockport Police Chief Steven Abbott also called speeding a problem.
“There are a lot of people out there who drive terribly and are in a hurry,” he said. “Speed is a big problem.”
“The tickets are definitely on sale,” added Chief Roland Johnson of the Middleport Police Department. “The number of complaints about reckless drivers is increasing. There are more accidents. It seems that people no longer want to obey any traffic laws.”
Johnson said his department has written nearly 1,700 tickets, including traffic stops in Royalton and Hartland, where the Middleport Police Department has law enforcement contracts. Common problem areas include Route 31, Chestnut Ridge Road and Hartland Road, he said.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a 55 zone or a 45 zone, people are just speeding,” Johnson said. “Once a month we write a card for someone who goes above 100.” The chief said passing in restricted zones, passing school buses and going through stop signs were also mentioned.
Collisions with deer are not uncommon, Filicetti said, and can be dangerous at high speeds. “Last year I was near a car-deer accident when the animal went straight through the windshield. The deer was in the passenger compartment,” he said.
Chief Abbott said he has seen drivers try to jump yellow lights and drive through traffic stops at intersections. Pushing the limits while driving in winter is another cause of collisions. Abbott said four-wheel drive drivers often assume snow and ice won’t be a problem. “People don’t adapt to weather conditions or traffic,” the chief said.
Law enforcement leaders agree that onboard communication is a factor. “I think there are a lot more distractions in our vehicles today than there were 30 years ago,” Filicetti said, mentioning dashboard screens and indicators and cell phones. “I would say to people, please be responsible on the roadway. We know that the way you drive a vehicle directly impacts accidents.”
