Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Transportation Alternatives, and Families for Safe Streets Rally for Resolution in Stop Super Speeders Legislation
The resolution is in support of the Stop Super Speeders legislation in Albany that would require speed limiters for repeat offenders.
Just 1.5% of drivers in New York State cause 21% of pedestrian deaths.
A super speeder with 29 red light and school zone speeding tickets hit and killed a mother and her two children in Midwood, Brooklyn a few weeks ago.
NEW YORK — Today, in City Hall Park, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine held a rally with Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets in support of the resolution calling on Albany to pass the Stop Super Speeders legislation. The resolution is being heard on Monday at the City Council’s Public Safety Committee meeting.
This resolution comes just weeks after a new report from Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets on the top ten worst super speeders in New York City. While most drivers who receive one or two tickets never receive another, a small number of super speeders are racking up hundreds of tickets a year. Read more about the top ten worst super speeders in New York City and where they’re terrorizing New Yorkers.
This session, the New York State legislature has a chance to pass the Stop Super Speeders bill (A2299 / S4045) — which would require drivers with repeat school zone speed camera violations to have a speed limiter installed on their car, automatically limiting their vehicle to within 5 mph of the speed limit of any given road. Similar bills were recently enacted in the District of Columbia and Virginia, and passed the state legislature in Georgia and Washington.
“Universal daylighting will make our city safer for everyone — regardless if you’re driving a car, riding a bike, or crossing the street,” said Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “When we repurpose parking closest to the intersection, we can dedicate that new space to new resources like wider sidewalks, greenery, benches, or bus shelters. Intro 1138 will make New York City not only safer, but greener, more accessible, and better — and we hope to see the City Council pass this transformative legislation without delay.”
Suspending licenses alone isn’t enough to prevent fatal crashes. 75% of drivers with suspended licenses drive anyway, including the driver in the deadly Midwood crash. Vehicles with 16 speeding violations are twice as likely to be involved in a crash that leads to a fatality or serious injury, and vehicles with 30 speeding violations are more than fifty times more likely.
Senate Transportation Chair Jeremy Cooney said, “Slowing down saves lives! With the implementation of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), we can prevent thousands of deaths per year. This technology will curb repeat super speeders from excessive speeding, reducing traffic-related fatalities and enhancing road safety. As chair of the NYS Senate Transportation Committee, I’m proud to co-sponsor Senator Gounardes' bill to ensure safer streets for all New Yorkers.”
"As a proud and longtime co-sponsor of S.4045-B, I commend Councilmember Salaam for introducing this Resolution. Sadly, both the data and real life experiences demonstrate that repeated instances of speeding are a critical Public Safety issue because lives are on the line when someone chooses to disregard the law. In New York City we deserve to live in a metropolis where people come before cars and where everyone can walk and cross the streets in peace,” said State Senator Cordell Cleare.
"A place is only as livable as its streets are safe. So many of the crashes caused by super speeders are predictable and preventable — we have the technology to slow them down, and states around the country have already passed laws like this. New York should follow the lead of Washington, Virginia, and Georgia and pass this law to slow down our most reckless drivers and save lives, said Assemblymember Emily Gallagher.
"Last month's deadly crash in Brooklyn was yet another painful reminder of the danger that speeding drivers bring to our streets," said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF - Manhattan). "Because of the foolish and selfish actions of a speeding driver, a mother and two children were killed and a third was severely injured. Speed assistance technology can save lives and it is time that we utilize this technology when drivers continually rack up speeding and red-light tickets. As a proud co-sponsor of the Stop Super Speeders bill, I look forward to working with Families for Safe Streets and the bill sponsors to help bring this bill over the finish line."
Persistent speeders pose a significant threat to the safety of all New Yorkers and show no signs they are willing to adjust their reckless behavior. despite the many speeding tickets they have received," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "Aggressive action needs to be taken to stop these Super Speeders before they hurt or kill more innocent people. That's why I strongly support Council Member Salaam's resolution in favor of mandating the installation of speed limiters on vehicles belonging to persistent speeders. If these speeders don't choose to slow down, we should make them slow down."
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “State lawmakers have the opportunity to save lives by passing the Stop Super Speeders Act. This legislation targets the most dangerous drivers with a clear pattern of reckless speeding and uses proven technology to prevent future harm. I urge the Legislature to pass this commonsense measure to make our streets safer for everyone.”
"No family should have to experience the unimaginable pain of losing a loved one because of a reckless driver who repeatedly endangered our streets. The tragedy we saw in Brooklyn — and the heartbreak felt by families like the McCroreys — could have been prevented. The Stop Super Speeders legislation is a commonsense step to protect lives by making sure those who refuse to slow down are no longer a threat to our communities. I’m proud to stand with advocates and my colleagues in calling for Albany to pass this vital bill and help make our streets safer for every New Yorker,” said Council Member Yusef Salaam.
"As the representative of neighborhoods that have long been plagued by reckless driving, including the dangerous behavior of repeat offenders, I’m proud to stand with Council Member Salaam, Transportation Alternatives, and Families for Safe Streets in support of the Stop Super Speeders legislation," said Council Member Gale A. Brewer. "Every day, residents of my district, including families with young children, walk to school, work, and parks, all while fearing for their safety because drivers continue to violate the law with impunity."
“This legislation will help address the tragic public health and safety crisis on our roads, which has seen a 20% increase in roadway deaths over the past decade, largely due to speeding, drunk driving, and failure to wear seatbelts,” said Paige Carbone, Regional Executive Director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. “The link between speeding and substance-impaired driving is clear and undeniable – 38% of speeding drivers involved in fatal crashes were alcohol-impaired in 2022. MADD thanks Public Safety Chair Salaam for introducing this resolution urging the state legislature to pass S4045/A2299. Senator Gounardes and Assemblymember Gallagher's bill will make New York a leader in a growing movement to deploy safety technology for drivers who repeatedly choose to break the law.”
“AARP applauds Senator Gounardes and Assemblymember Gallagher for championing this commonsense legislation that can make New York’s streets safer by requiring repeat speed limit violators to have intelligent speed assistance technology in their vehicles,” said Wilson Guzman, AARP New York Associate State Director for Community Outreach and Advocacy. “Older New Yorkers shouldn’t have to worry about ‘super speeders’ every time they go for a walk in their neighborhood. This measure can help curb dangerous driving behaviors and reduce traffic fatalities on our streets and roads. In particular, it can improve safety for older pedestrians, who are overrepresented in deaths involving people walking.”
“The Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY) supports measures that reduce speeding to save lives on streets in New York City. CIDNY wants to ensure that all streets are safer and accessible for both people with and without disabilities. Acquiring a disability via a traffic accident caused by speeding is life-changing for the injured individual. As a society, we must be accountable to ensure that every woman, man, and child can utilize our streets in a safe and accessible manner,” said Sharon McLennon Wier, Ph.D., MSEd., CRC, LMHC, Executive Director of CIDNY.
“When it comes to limiting car crashes and unnecessary police interactions on our roads, enforcement alone has its limits. Jurisdictions nationwide are wisely considering a suite of common-sense measures – including technological solutions – to prevent the most extreme dangerous driving before it can actually happen in the first place. With careful implementation, we believe that intelligent speed assistance technology has the potential to decrease crashes and end cycles of ineffective ticketing or license suspensions. Legislation such as S.4045, in concert with legislation that limits non-safety traffic stops like S.3662A, will lead to better road safety for all New Yorkers, and we encourage the Council to support them,” said Scarlet Neath, Senior Advisor, Policing Project at NYU School of Law.
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