Memorial Day weekend, symbolizing the arrival of summer, is here. The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) have reminded New Yorkers on the 23rd of this month to not drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs during this holiday weekend. The transportation department also announced its support for the city and the New York State prosecutors in urging the prompt passing of legislation to add red light cameras and prohibit drug-impaired driving before the end of the legislative session.
Ydanis Rodriguez, the Commissioner of the NYC DOT, stated at a press conference that with the Memorial Day weekend approaching, the police department will crack down on violations of traffic laws such as drunk driving, reckless driving, and speeding. Philip Rivera, Chief of the NYPD Traffic Division, emphasized that extra law enforcement will be deployed to enhance enforcement efforts. There will also be targeted efforts to combat unlicensed driving and “ghost cars” that evade tolls by obscuring their license plates, using a variety of tools to identify violators.
This year, several legislative proposals have been put forward by state legislators to enhance traffic safety, and this legislative session will end on June 6th. Rodriguez urged the state legislature to extend and expand New York City’s “Red Light Camera” program and hold accountable all individuals who choose to drive while under the influence of drugs.
Last year, the number of fatalities in New York City due to running red lights reached a record high of 29 people, all of which occurred at locations without red light cameras installed. According to data from the transportation department, instances of running red lights decreased by 73% at intersections with cameras installed, but currently, only 1% of intersections have these cameras.
Current state laws restrict the number of red light cameras that can be installed, allowing only 1% (approximately 137 intersections) out of the 13,700 traffic lights citywide to have cameras. Rodriguez hopes to increase the installation to 1,325 intersections to more effectively deter running red lights, reduce traffic accidents, and lower the number of fatalities.
Under current New York state law, individuals driving under the influence of certain drugs not listed under “Public Health Law Section 3306” cannot be arrested or prosecuted. This means that in order to prosecute someone for drug-impaired driving, law enforcement must first identify the specific drugs the driver consumed and ensure that these drugs are listed in the public health law. However, hundreds of drugs are not listed in the public health law.
To close this legal loophole, State Senator John Mannion and Assemblyman William Magnarelli introduced bill S.3135/A.174, known as the “Deadly Driving Bill,” to address a significant gap that allows drug-impaired drivers to evade responsibility.