Data Analysis on The Rise in Traffic Tickets in New York
The skills the author demoed here are taught in NYC Data Science Academy's Data Science with Machine Learning bootcamp.
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Introduction:
Odds are good that if you've driven in New York City you have had at least one unpleasant experience and may have had to pay for a traffic ticket. As a driver in this city, I have learned that you must remain alert at all times. From looking for cyclists before you make a turn to making sure that pedestrians are paying attention, it can be quite a challenge to keep up with it all to avert an accident and traffic tickets.
Today, technology has become a huge part of society in which the use of mobile devices while driving has impacted so many lives. The use of technology has also benefited the police force. Through recent advance technologies in police vehicles, it is becoming easier to issue traffic violations. Using an R shiny dashboard, we will visualize the rise in traffic tickets in the years 2014 - 2017.
Data Set:
Traffic Tickets Issued: Four Year Window
Data Visualizations & Findings:
Prior to preparing the visualizations, I wanted to calculate an accurate total of traffic tickets issued each year. Above, we see that a substantial increase in traffic tickets from 2014 to 2017.
In 2017 the majority of traffic tickets were issued on Mondays and Fridays. Traffic tickets were mostly issued to males between the ages of 21 and 30 years old. Next, we looked at the top eight violation descriptions and found that drivers are continuously surpassing the speed limit in a particular zone.
How has recent technology and ideas impacted the increase of traffic tickets in New York?
Below are two of the many recent ideas created during these years that has helped police issue traffic tickets to drivers who are violating a traffic law.
- Today, you are more likely to see a cop driving a regular vehicle.
- Usually when one sees a cop car approaching, they tend to drive at a slower pace. Now imagine, you are driving 15 miles per hour above the speed limit and you hear sirens coming from a black ford behind you.
- License Readers
- Today, it is difficult for cops to lose you on the road. Once they have detected your vehicle, your license plate is automatically listed on their system. Also, if a cop sees that you are using your mobile device or violating a traffic law, it is not hard for them to stop and pull you over.
Summary:
We have visualized the increase in traffic tickets and have found the top eight traffic laws that many drivers are violating. Hopefully drivers continue to be more careful on the road. This will decrease the risk of receiving a traffic ticket and help keep the streets safe.
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