NYC speed cameras reduce speeding by 94%, new report says


Speed cameras have reduced speeding by 94 percent at locations across New York City, according to a new report from the Department of Transportation. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Thursday released the report on the city’s speed camera program, which highlighted the critical role of speed cameras in improving street safety. The report found that locations with speed cameras installed in 2022 saw a 14 percent decrease in injuries and fatalities compared to areas without them.

The comprehensive report provides an in-depth analysis of the speed camera program’s efficiency, including data from its expansion to 24/7 enforcement in 2022. However, the program is set to expire this year unless lawmakers vote to extend it during the current legislative session.
The report also highlights a nearly eight percent reduction in injuries during overnight and weekend hours at speed camera locations, comparing the year before and after the 24/7 enforcement expansion.
Additionally, 74 percent of vehicles that receive violations get no more than one or two per year, underscoring the program’s effectiveness in changing driver behavior.

While most drivers receive only one or two violations, over 12,000 drivers were cited more than 20 times in 2023. According to the report, these repeat offenders are five times more likely to be involved in a crash resulting in death or serious injury compared to the average driver.
“One in four traffic fatalities involves speeding, and speed cameras are one of the most effective tools we have to change reckless driver behavior and prevent tragedies from happening,” Rodriguez said.
“It isn’t a coincidence that locations with speed cameras have seen massive reductions in speeding, fewer deaths, and fewer injuries. We look forward to working with our partners in Albany this session to renew a critical law that allows us to use these life-saving tools.”
Speeding remains one of the most dangerous driving habits, contributing to about a quarter of the city’s traffic deaths each year. Between 2021 and 2023, speeding was a major factor in crashes that resulted in over 200 fatalities across the city.
About half of all speed camera violations in NYC are issued to vehicles registered outside the five boroughs, ensuring the program targets reckless driving behavior while local communities reap the safety benefits.
The cameras are strategically placed at locations with high crash and speeding rates, with no correlation between the number of cameras in an area and the racial demographics of the location, according to a press release.
Currently, more than 2,400 cameras are installed across the five boroughs, with drivers charged $50 per violation—a fee designed to encourage safer driving without burdening them with heavy fines. Additionally, these violations don’t carry major consequences like points on a driver’s license, increased insurance rates, or criminal court involvement.
From January 2014 through June 2023, the city allocated nearly $2.4 billion in capital and expense funds to Vision Zero initiatives—six times the revenue generated by speed camera fines during the same period.
In 2013, the state legislature enacted Section 1180-b of New York State’s Vehicle and Traffic Law, authorizing NYC to pilot an automated speed enforcement program in 20 school speed zones.
After additional legislative authorization in 2014, the program quickly expanded to include another 140 school speed zones within six months. In 2019, legislation was passed allowing the city to expand the program to 750 school speed zones.
In August 2022, in response to increased speeding and fatalities in the wake of the pandemic, the city’s speed cameras began operating 24 hours a day for the first time. Previously, the cameras were authorized by the state to operate only on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., missing “59 percent of traffic fatalities” that occurred when the cameras were inactive.
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