Establishes demonstration program to enforce maximum speed limits by means of speed limit photo devices in N.Y. city

Justification

Speeding motorists are a pervasive problem in some areas of the City of New York. The New York City Police Department issues more than 118,000 summonses each year for speeding violations. These violations are often a significant factor in accidents which result in death or injury to motorists and pedestrians. Children and the elderly are often the victims. Under the present provisions of law, a police officer must be present at the scene of a speeding violation to observe the violation and serve the operator of the vehicle with a summons. There are of course not a sufficient number of police officers to observe every speeding violation. In fact, a motorist can rely on the odds that a speeding violation will not be detected.

The purpose of this legislation is to develop a system which will supplement the police effort by using recent technology to record speed- ing violations on film or other recording devices. The program will operate in the same manner as the Red Light Camera Program which has successfully reduced the incidence of red light violations in the City, ultimately preventing accidents and saving lives.

Technology presently exists which will photographically capture vehicles which exceed the maximum speed limit without the presence of a police officer. This technology combines speed sensing technology that deter- mines the speed of a vehicle and captures/records that data by photo- graphic, micro-graphic, video tape or other recording system and produc- es an image of a "motor vehicle at the moment that it exceeds the speed limit. This image can then be used as evidence in a proceeding to impose liability on the owner of the vehicle for the speeding violation. This

technology is presently in use in Utah, California, Arizona, and British Columbia, Canada. The equipment consists of mobile units which can be moved from neighborhood" to neighborhood as the need arises.

The enactment of this legislation which is modeled after the enabling legislation which authorized the Red Light Camera Program, will enable the City to continue to explore the use of new technology as a means of improving the quality of life in the City.

Prior legislative history

2007-08: A.7142 - Referred to Transportation 2005-06: A.5747A - Referred to Transportation 2003-04: A.4111A - Referred to Transportation 2001-02: A.7355 - Referred to Transportation

Fiscal implications

To be determined.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law and shall expire 5 years after such effective date when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed repealed; and provided further that any rules necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date shall be promulgated on or before such date.