These drivers from New York City (NYC) have seen these new speed limits introduced this year. Keeping the roads safe remains a top priority for both local and national authorities, and coming down hard on excessive speeding is a pervasive problem that lawmakers need to continue to work to end. While speeding is entirely preventable, it relies on the responsibility of drivers to not break these road traffic laws. However, with drivers persisting in not following speed limits, authorities need to change legislation to force drivers to slow down.
Changing speed limits and convictions to keep the roads safe
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding drivers were the cause of nearly one-third of road accident fatalities in 2023. While often not considered as serious an offence as other unlawful driving behaviors, such as driving under the influence, the evidence remains clear that it is a leading threat to the safety of road users.
Despite well-documented evidence that speed increases correlate with an increased risk of serious injury in a road accident, drivers continue to break these road traffic safety laws regularly, with many not recognising that even minor increases over the speed limit can cause a road accident. As such, without drivers taking on this personal responsibility, lawmakers and authorities are forced to crack down with harsher legislation and convictions relating to speed limits and associated penalties.
In order to counteract speeding, across the country, states have not only increased the severity of penalties related to speeding convictions but have also, in some cases, changed the speeding laws themselves. While harsher penalties may make some drivers think twice about breaking the speed limit, by also reducing the speed limit, authorities create safer road environments as opposed to merely punishing drivers who break the law.
NYC drivers see these speed limit drops
NYC authorities this year have been particularly proactive in adjusting road traffic legislation to make the roads a safer place. In an official statement from the New York City Government, the Village of Briarcliff Manor Board of Trustees approved legislation last year, which went into effect in May of this year, whereby the Village roads speed limits were reduced from 30MPH to 25MPH.
“Reducing the speed limit from 30 MPH to 25 MPH may seem incremental, but the implications for pedestrian safety are substantial. According to studies referenced in the DTS Provident report, the likelihood of pedestrian survival in a vehicle collision is significantly higher at lower speeds,” describes the Village of Briarcliff Manor website. “At 25 MPH, both the reaction time of drivers and the stopping distance required are reduced, allowing for quicker responses to unexpected situations.”
On top of these speed limit changes, citywide, NYC recently passed legislation that requires e-bike drivers to not surpass 15MPH. Previously, these drivers did not have restrictions on the speeds at which they could drive. These changes were implemented in light of accidents that e-bike riders were causing with pedestrians.
Citywide speed limits drop even further
By the end of this year, NYC plans to reduce speed limits even further, with locations seeing a speed reduction from 25MPH to 20MPH. The law was passed after a decade of lobbying following the death of Sammy Cohen, who was killed by a speeding driver in 2023.
Not just limited to road traffic safety interventions, NYC remains committed to implementing sustainable solutions for the extensive public transportation system in the city. As part of the city’s ‘Vision 2040,’ officials plan on transforming NYC’s entire bus fleet to be made up of 100% emission-free vehicles. The pilot phase of this project began in 2017 and concluded in 2021, with the implementation stage of the process currently underway in order to see a sustainable future for all.
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