Two state lawmakers are pushing a bill to force bad drivers to install tech on their cars that would stop them from going faster than 5 mph above the speed limit.
The proposed law would target reckless drivers who either rack up at least six speed or red light camera tickets in a year or get 11 points on their licenses over two years, its sponsors said at a news conference at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Monday — two days after a disturbing Brooklyn crash that took 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 driver Miriam Yarmini.
Gounardes said the tech could’ve prevented the tragedy as he and others called to advance the bill, cosponsored with fellow Democrat Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher and first introduced in late January.
The tech – which operates similarly to breathalyzer ignitions – is known as intelligent speed assistance technology, and is being installed in virtually all new cars sold in the European Union.
Virginia became the first US state to pass similar legislation earlier in the month to stop dangerous drivers, and New York state has already tested the technology thoroughly.
“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.
One concern among proponents for road safety is that he proposed law does not allow cars to be impounded for repeated speeding offenses. Under laws today, cars in NYC can only be impounded if the driver has acquired $350 or more in parking or red light camera tickets.
City Comptroller Brad Lander, who attended Monday’s news conference, had backed law as a City Council member coined the “Reckless Driving Act” in 2018 that gave the government power to seize cars from repeat speeders.
In 2022, the Adams administration let it expire.
“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 running against Adams in a Democratic Party primary for mayor in June. “So we are heartbroken, and we’re angry.”
Republican Assemblyman (R-45) Michael Novakhov said he wouldn’t back the bill because six violations aren’t enough.
“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.
Gournardes and Gallagher are fighting to get the bill passed in this legislative session, which goes until June.
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