What's happening
This bill suspends a vehicle’s registration for six months if it receives five photo-monitored red light violations in one year, excluding rental vehicles.
Why it matters
Targets repeat red light offenders. By setting a clear threshold (five violations in a year), the bill focuses on habitual offenders rather than those who make occasional mistakes, aiming to deter repeated risky driving behavior.
Uses automated enforcement data. The reliance on photo violation monitoring devices means enforcement is based on objective, camera-captured evidence, potentially reducing disputes over citations and increasing accountability.
Affects vehicle owners directly. Suspension of vehicle registration holds owners responsible for the actions of anyone operating their vehicle, which could encourage owners to be more selective about who drives their car, or to address problematic driving by regular users.
Excludes rental vehicles. By not applying the suspension to rental cars, the bill recognizes the practical difficulties in holding rental companies or temporary drivers accountable through registration penalties, focusing enforcement on private and commercial vehicle owners.
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Who cares
Vehicle owners
The bill would suspend a vehicle’s registration for six months after five camera-documented traffic-signal violations within twelve months, starting five days after the fifth notice of liability is mailed.
Drivers of affected vehicles
The suspension would apply to the vehicle’s registration based on violations by its operators, rather than to an individual driver’s license.
Rental vehicle companies
Rental vehicles, as defined in the vehicle and traffic law, would be exempt from the registration suspension.
Headline styles
Suspend Cars for Red Light Violations
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
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 Repeat Violations
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Michael DenDekker
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3668
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 12, 2019
Introduced by Sens. GIANARIS, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed 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.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
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
Purpose
To suspend the registration of persistent offenders of traffic cameras
Summary of provisions
Section 1 - The vehicle law and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 1118 to suspend the registration for those who have been cited 5 times in a 12 month period by traffic photo violation monitoring devices.
Justification
This bill aims to get dangerous drivers off the road. A vehicle's regis- tration will be suspended after a fifth traffic violation has been photographed by a traffic monitoring device within a twelve month peri- od. Currently, there these violations are treated like parking tickets, despite being of an altogether different nature. Statistics have shown that while it is not uncommon for drivers to incur a single photo violation, there are some unsafe drivers putting lives in danger by habitually being cited by these cameras. This bill will attempt to get these drivers off the road and make our streets safer.
Legislative history
2018: Died in Transportation
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.