Two state legislators are advocating for new legislation that would require repeat traffic offenders to install speed-restricting technology in their vehicles, preventing them from exceeding the speed limit by more than 5 miles per hour.
The bill is aimed at drivers with a history of traffic violations, such as those who accumulate at least six tickets from speed or red light cameras within a year, or who amass 11 points on their licenses over a two-year period, according to lawmakers who introduced the proposal during a press conference at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Monday. The announcement came just 48 hours after a tragic car crash in Brooklyn that claimed the lives of a mother and her two children.
“The driver who took their lives, had 21 speeding tickets in the last two years – had six red light camera violations in the last six months and had 70 plus other violations in the last two years and was still able to get behind the wheel of a vehicle,” state Sen. Andrew Gounardes said of the motorist, Miriam Yarmini.
Gounardes, alongside supporters, argued that this type of crash might have been prevented had the technology already been in place. The legislation, which he cosponsors with Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher, was originally introduced in late January.
The proposed solution is a form of intelligent speed assistance, a system comparable in concept to ignition interlocks used for DUI offenders. This technology is already being installed in nearly all new vehicles sold across the European Union.
Earlier this month, Virginia became the first state in the U.S. to adopt similar legislation targeting habitual reckless drivers. Meanwhile, New York has already conducted an extensive trial of the system.
“New York City did a pilot of 500 vehicles and they found that every single vehicle was able to drive within the limit and it did not impede the delivery of city services,” Gounardes explained.
However, some traffic safety advocates have voiced concern that the legislation doesn’t go far enough. One major gap is the bill’s lack of provisions for impounding vehicles tied to repeated speeding offenses. Currently, in New York City, a vehicle can only be seized if the driver has unpaid red light or parking violations totaling at least $350.
City Comptroller Brad Lander, who attended the event Monday, was a strong proponent of a 2018 City Council initiative known as the “Reckless Driving Act,” which authorized the city to impound vehicles from repeat traffic offenders.
That law was allowed to lapse in 2022 under Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.
“We passed (the act) in New York City to give us the power to impound the cars of reckless drivers, but unfortunately, that legislation was allowed to expire, and would have applied to this car,” said Lander, who is now challenging Adams in the upcoming Democratic primary for mayor. “So we are heartbroken, and we’re angry.”
Not everyone is on board with the new proposal. Assemblyman Michael Novakhov, a Republican representing the 45th District, expressed opposition to the bill, arguing that the threshold for violations is too low.
“What I don’t like about the bill is it says six red-light or speed violations in one year [triggers the installation of the speed-limiting device]. I think this is too little,” Novakhov told Streetsblog.
“Any driver can get much more than six … Sometimes you don’t see the camera. Sometimes there are situations where you have to speed up a little bit. To be honest with you, I’m against the cameras because we have too many.”
Gounardes and Gallagher are determined to get the legislation approved before the current session ends in June.
{Matzav.com}

The post Brooklyn Lawmakers Rally for Speed Limiters on Cars of Reckless Drivers After Ocean Parkway Deadly Crash first appeared on Matzav.com.