Rep. Deborah Glick said, “As the original sponsor of the school zone radar legislation, I am proud to have enhanced this rescue program in 2019 and again this year. By promoting safe driving at any time of the day, this proven, data-driven technology will make the roads around our schools safer and save lives. This is a great victory for road safety and it could not have been achieved without families` passionate advocacy for safe roads, transport alternatives and many more. I thank Governor Hochul for signing this important bill. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “Road safety is public safety, and speed cameras save lives – we can now use this proven tool 24/7. This Monday, we saw once again the reality of road violence in our city. If our streets are not safe, our city is not. This is how we protect our streets, save lives, and make New York safer. If a speeding or red light violation is detected, the vehicle owner will receive an email notification of the violation. The notification often contains photos of the car.
No matter who is driving, the vehicle owner receives the notification. Governor Kathy Hochul today signed a bill (p.5602B/A.10438) to authorize and expand the use of speed cameras in New York City 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The governor signed the bill today with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Senator Andrew Gounardes, Rep. Deborah Glick and safe streets advocates. But despite the best intentions, there were numerous speed camera errors and many drivers were wrongly convicted of speeding in the school zone. For example, drivers in Nassau County mistakenly collected $2.4 million in speed camera tickets from six schools. The reason for these errors was that the cameras recorded the speed of drivers on days off. The county declared amnesty for about 40,000 tickets involving drivers who received tickets in July and August 2014. Despite these initial technical problems, it is important to always pay attention to signs near schools and never cross school zones.
Not only do they avoid costly fines and penalties, but they also help keep New York City children safe. When area children returned to school this fall, New York City officials equipped school zones with radar cameras to measure the speed of passing vehicles. And radars aren`t just installed in New York. They occur in cities and towns across the state and across America. Albany city officials began adding 120 new cameras last January, and they`ve also appeared in the Long Island and Nassau County school zones. Most radars are mounted on Department of Transportation vehicles, which are parked in school zones on school days when classes are held. New York State plans to speed up the movement of its speed cameras in the school zone, adding even more cameras in the coming years to protect children. Eric McClure, Executive Director of StreetsPAC, said: “We are grateful to Governor Hochul for quickly signing this life-saving bill, and to Senator Gounardes and Representative Glick for their unwavering work towards the passage of the bill. Drivers will no longer have the green light to accelerate late at night or on weekends, and all New Yorkers will be safer to do so.
The data clearly shows how dangerous driving occurred when the cameras were turned off and how much the speed is reduced when the cameras are on. This sensible law will have a monumental impact on the safety of our roads. Queens County President Donovan Richards Jr. said, “School zone speed cameras are a documented deterrent to dangerous driving, with demonstrable success in saving the lives of New Yorkers of all ages. Expanding the use of these cameras will help prevent road violence and protect our families, which is an important step forward in ensuring that our roads truly belong to everyone who uses them. Thank you to our partners in the state legislature for passing such important legislation and to Governor Hochul for signing the bill. The NYPD also patrols school zones and enforces speeding. If you receive a yellow offence from a police officer for speeding in a school zone, this is considered a mobile offence.
Most New York drivers understand why they should slow down in school zones — to keep kids safe. However, many drivers are unaware or unaware of the speed cameras installed in school zones across the state. Here`s what you need to know about speed cameras in New York City school zones. If you look at a list of state laws on traffic cameras, you`ll be surprised to learn that few states have restrictions on installing municipal or local traffic cameras. In Oklahoma, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Vermont and other states, there are no laws regarding the use of speed cameras or red lights. On the other hand, other states have made any type of speed camera or red light illegal. The use of traffic cameras is prohibited in Wisconsin, New Jersey, Mississippi and Maine. Starting August 1, 2022, New York City`s speed cameras will operate 24/7. Previously, the city`s 2,000 traffic cameras were only in use at certain weekdays.
According to the city, before being approved to operate 24/7, cameras missed 59 percent of road fatalities that occurred between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and on weekends. Currently, violating New York`s few speed cameras and limited red light cameras results in a $50 fine and 0 points on your New York City driver`s license. However, there`s a good reason to fight a traffic camera ticket – it could impact your insurance and other vehicle ownership costs. In addition, all such tickets will be assessed against the owner of the vehicle, even if the owner was not the driver at the time of the violation. This can make it more frustrating to fight traffic camera tickets in New York City. At Scott Russell Law, we can help. Call our legal team of billetterists today to find out how we can help you with any type of moving offense or ticket in New York. NYC Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said, “Proper implementation of traffic monitoring mechanisms such as speed cameras and road infrastructure can save lives.
I commend my colleagues in the Council for adopting the rules of procedure to ensure the passage of Bills S5602/A10438. These laws send a clear message that New York is committed to curbing the increase in traffic deaths and incidents plaguing our city. Ken Podziba, President and CEO of Bike New York, said, “With road fatalities at record levels, especially overnight, we are encouraged that Governor Hochul and our leaders have taken steps to expand the speed camera program. Containing the traffic violence crisis must be the top priority for elected officials at the city and state levels, and we thank the governor for her leadership in fighting dangerous driving and ending preventable deaths. You can request the installation or removal of speed cameras. Second, it is often very difficult to tell whether the owner of the car that issued traffic camera tickets in New York was actually the driver at the time of the ticket. New York State decided it didn`t matter. When it comes to red tickets, the car owner is always responsible for paying for the ticket.
Mark Levine, president of the Manhattan borough, said: “More than ever, as the number of road deaths rises in Manhattan and New York, we need reasonable solutions, such as speed cameras in school zones, to protect New Yorkers. There is no denying that. Speed cameras protect New Yorkers and I`m thrilled that they can now be active at night, when speeding is most common and New Yorkers are most at risk. I commend the governor and our colleagues in the state legislature for strengthening and passing this important legislation, and I look forward to working with them, advocates, and ordinary residents to continue pushing for safer roads. Speed is an important factor in the severity of car accidents. For example, a car driving at a higher speed in an accident is more likely to result in physical injury.
