A bill to help stop reckless drivers passed the New York state Senate on Thursday, though critics say it’s weaker than when it was first introduced.
The Stop Super Speeders bill, introduced by state Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, both of whom represent Brooklyn, received full approval in the state Senate, but only after it was tweaked to address concerns from New Yorkers around the state.
The legislation originally applied to drivers with 11 or more points on their licenses in a two-year period or who receive six speed camera or red light camera tickets in a 12-month period. These drivers would be mandated by law to have speed-limited devices installed in their vehicles for at least a year.
However, after concerns from state politicians and constituents, the bill was adjusted to increase speed-camera tickets from six to 16 in the same period. Also, the revised bill nixed red-light camera tickets, but included a threshold of 11 points within 18 months.
Gounardes, the bill’s prime sponsor, explained on WNYC Radio that the changes were made to help ensure its passage.
“I think it was reflective of concerns that people had that six felt really low,” he explained. “When we looked at the city’s speed camera data, we saw that hundreds of thousands of cars had six or more tickets.
He said that the speed limiters are part of a new program that is a different strategy for minimizing speeding, adding that it was “important to get this right” and start with a more manageable universe of reckless drivers.
Nonetheless, he told amNewYork that the bill will still slow down drivers and highlighted the city’s use of speed limiters in some of its own vehicles.
“We’ve seen this approach work in other places and in New York City’s own municipal fleet, and we’ve crafted the law to ensure it creates accountability for the small percentage of drivers who pose the greatest risk,” Gounardes said. “It shouldn’t be controversial to enforce the speed limit. I’m proud to have passed this bill in the Senate, and I’ll continue to fight until we make it law. We owe nothing less to all those who have lost a loved one to reckless driving.”
Gallagher, who is championing the bill in the Assembly, said it is more challenging to pass legislation through the state Assembly than the state Senate due to more members being in her chamber. She added that she is continuing to “fight hard” to get the bill passed.
“That said, I am confident in the bill’s viability, given it is a common-sense piece of legislation with strong support from advocates, legislators, and key stakeholders like the NYC Department of Transportation,” she explained. “Similar legislation passed in Virginia and Washington this year, and it’s actively being considered in a number of other states, including California, Arizona and Maryland.”
How does a speed limiter work?
Essentially, the devices know a street’s speed limit through GPS. They use a technology called intelligent speed assistance (ISA) to control how fast a car can go.
The approach is similar to state law that can put an ignition interlocking device in vehicles of people convicted of drunk driving.
“The solution presented in this bill is modeled after the ignition interlock devices—in-vehicle breathalyzers—already mandated in New York state law in the vehicle of anyone convicted of drunk driving,” Gallagher explained. “It is a noncarceral, deeply practical solution that will ensure people are still able to get to work, take their children to school, and otherwise carry on their lives. I’m going to fight hard for it in the year to come, and I’m confident we can move it forward.”
According to city data, there were 252 traffic fatalities in 2024. Traffic deaths declined from 65 during the first quarter of 2024 to 41 during the first quarter of 2025, city officials said, attributing much of the decline to safety measures, including automated camera enforcement.
“This bill will save lives,” Gallagher said of the Stop Super Speeders bill. “The top 20% of pedestrian deaths from vehicular crashes are caused by just 1.5% of drivers, and crashes get exponentially deadlier the faster someone is driving.”
What New Yorkers and transit safety advocates say about the bill
New Yorkers and transit advocacy groups that spoke with amNewYork said they either support the bill, even though it has been adjusted with a higher ticket threshold, or had serious concerns about how the law would fairly work.
“When we look at the super speeders that this bill is targeting, they have so many more than 16 tickets,” Alexa Sledge, communications director at Transportation Alternatives, explained. “If you look at the report we put out earlier this year on the worst super speeders in NYC, they were getting 500 tickets. Also, when you look at the data, 16 tickets is that magic number when a driver becomes substantially more dangerous.”
She said the bill targets people who do not change their driving behavior, no matter how many tickets they receive.
“For most people, it’s a deterrent. It makes them slow down,” Sledge said. “But there’s clearly a very small percentage of people for whom speed tickets aren’t a deterrent, and those people are getting way more than 16 tickets.”
Michael Pannunzio of Staten Island has concerns about the bill, citing difficulties with proving who is behind the wheel when a vehicle blows through a speeding camera.
“Keep in mind when the vehicle is involved in a speed camera incident, the ticket goes to the registered vehicle’s owner, not an operator,” he said. “You can’t prove who’s operating the vehicle at the time of the incident.”
Another NYC driver said the law, while a “great idea,” can expand from a safety measure to an overreach.
“It’s a great idea in that circumstance,” the driver said. “However, it can quickly go from that to every car has one.”
Darnell Sealy-McCrorey, a member of the traffic safety group Families for Safe Streets, tragically lost his daughter in 2024 due to a reckless driver in NYC. He supports the bill.
“Last year, my daughter was killed by a reckless driver in New York City, and for the past several months, I have dedicated myself to fighting for the Stop Super Speeders bill and ending traffic deaths,” he said. “I know this bill will save the lives of New Yorkers just like my daughter, and I’m counting on our leaders in the state Assembly to move this bill now. No other parents should have to experience my family’s pain.”
