What's happening
This bill suspends a vehicle's registration for six months if it is caught five times in a year running red lights by photo enforcement, excluding rental vehicles.
Why it matters
Targets repeat offenders. By suspending vehicle registrations after five red-light photo violations in a year, the bill aims to address chronic dangerous driving, potentially reducing repeat traffic violations and improving safety.
Impacts car owners directly. The suspension applies to the vehicle itself (not just the driver), meaning owners—regardless of who was driving—could face real consequences, which could increase pressure for better oversight of who uses their vehicles.
Creates stronger deterrents than fines. Moving from monetary penalties to a six-month registration suspension raises the stakes for habitual offenders, signaling a tougher stance and possibly changing driver behavior more effectively.
Excludes rental vehicles. By specifically exempting rental vehicles, the bill avoids penalizing rental companies and their broader customer base, focusing enforcement on personally owned or leased vehicles where responsibility is clearer.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Suspend Cars for Repeat Violations
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
11 Co-sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Suspend Cars for Red Light Violations
In Senate Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Michael Gianaris
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4443
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. DenDEKKER, D'URSO, ORTIZ, RIVERA, MOSLEY, BLAKE, GOTTFRIED, RAIA, GLICK, LAVINE, COOK, LAWRENCE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CROUCH, GALEF -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to suspending the registration of a vehicle which has been documented five times by a photo violation monitoring device for failure of an operator thereof to comply with traffic-control indications
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 1118 to read as follows:
§ 1118. Failure to comply with traffic control signal. The registration of a vehicle which has been documented five times within a twelve month period by a photo violation monitoring device for failure of an operator thereof to comply with traffic-control indications shall be suspended for a period of six months commencing five days after the notice of liability for the fifth violation has been mailed; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to a rental vehicle, as defined in section one hundred thirty-seven-a of this chapter.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04473-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.