A recent study performed by the Transportation Alternatives recorded the speeds of 15,000 drivers and concluded that New York City motorists are speeding at a very high rate.
Almost 40% of New York City drivers ignore the 30-mph street speed limit. Most speeders were recorded going between 31 and 40 mph but some were clocked going as high as 66 mph.
The New York City Police Department issued more than 70,000 speeding tickets last year but the report urged the Legislature to permit speed enforcement cameras. The report also noted that speeding contributes to three times as many crashes as drunken drivers, that a pedestrian or cyclist is killed in New York City just about every other day, and that at 40 mph fatalities are much more likely to occur than at 30 mph.
Key stats from the report include:
* 88% of drivers on Rogers Avenue at Maple Street in Brooklyn speed
* 78% of drivers on Flatbush Avenue at Empire Blvd in Brooklyn speed
* 70% of drivers on E. Houston St at Avenue C in Manhattan speed
* 67% of drivers on the Central Park Transverse speed
For a list of New York City speed traps, visit www.nytrafficticket.com
3 Comments. Leave new
Yes, these statistics are surprising and troubling. Creating awareness is the first step. Enforcement and punishment are the other logical choices.
I am always amazed about the guy who has to weave in and out to “beat” everyone else, and with all that effort (and much danger) he is only gets a few seconds or so ahead. Clearly, not worth the risk.
Anyone who has ever attempted to drive in New York knows how dangerous it can be –even without speeding.
Mathew,
These statistics are frightening. I wonder whether stepping up speed limit enforcement is a sufficient deterrent without educating the public about these facts and figures.
I never realized that speeding is 3X more deadly than drunken driving. A cyclist every other day is horrible. Is there any publicity campaign about this problem? What action would you recommend?
Thanks for starting a conversation