Press Releases
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2023
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov
Speeding, Injuries, and Traffic Fatalities Declined in Areas With Speed Cameras During First Year of 24/7 Enforcement
Speeding dropped an average of 30%, building on prior success of speed camera program
Sharp declines in injuries recorded on corridors across City
New York — NYC Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced that speeding, injuries, and traffic fatalities declined in areas with speed cameras during the first year of 24/7 enforcement. Speed camera violations dropped an average of 30%, with the most dramatic drop occurring on Houston Street in the East Village, where speeding declined by 96%. In addition to the reduction in speeding, injuries also declined along corridors across the city.
“One year ago we launched 24/7 speed camera enforcement, and the results are in: the program has reduced speeding, decreased the number of injuries, and made our streets safer,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “Speeding happens most often on nights and weekends, and expanded enforcement has been a highly effective tool to keep New Yorkers safe.”
One of the biggest benefits of expanded speed camera enforcement has been in the reduction of traffic fatalities in previously unprotected times. Since Mayor Eric Adams “flipped the switch” to kick off 24/7 speed camera enforcement, traffic fatalities on city streets dropped by 25% in speed camera zones during expanded hours. Previously, speed cameras were only legally permitted to operate on weekdays between 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Speeding dropped the steepest at the following locations*:
- 96 percent on Houston Street (Manhattan)
- 84 percent on Cropsey Avenue (Brooklyn)
- 74 percent on North Conduit Boulevard (Brooklyn)
- 79 percent on Seagirt Boulevard (Queens)
- 83 percent on Union Turnpike (Queens)
- 68 percent on Bruckner Boulevard (Bronx)
*Data as of 6/30/2023
Following 24-hour operations, NYC DOT also recorded steep declines in traffic injuries during overnight and weekend hours at camera locations across the city, including a*:
- 45 percent injury reduction on Tremont Avenue (Bronx)
- 33 percent reduction on Kings Highway (Brooklyn)
- 19 percent reduction on Hylan Boulevard (Staten Island)
- 16 percent reduction on Queens Boulevard (Queens)
- 18 percent reduction on Amsterdam Avenue (Manhattan)
*Data as of 7/31/2023
Around-the-clock speed camera enforcement began August 1, 2022, thanks to a change in state law enacted by Governor Kathy Hochul. The new law, Chapter 229 of 2022, was sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member Deborah Glick.
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, cities across the nation saw an increase in speeding, with a notable uptick overnight and on weekends. In New York City, motor vehicle occupant fatalities far outpaced all other travel modes, with speed cited as a major contributing factor in most crashes. To address the rising instances of speeding, the Adams administration called for state legislative action to permit 24/7 speed camera enforcement.
NYC DOT is committed to using all available tools to prevent reckless driving. Last year, several of the corridors with the most significant reductions in speeding and injuries also received safe street redesigns to calm traffic and improve safety for all road users.
Despite alarming national increases, New York City remains one of the safest cities to travel by foot. Excluding the anomaly of 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic forced New Yorkers to shelter in place, the first half of 2023 has thus far been the safest ever year for pedestrians on record. With pedestrian fatalities down by nearly 20 percent through the first seven months of 2023, New York City is seeing historic declines in pedestrian deaths.
“The numbers don’t lie: my bill to turn speed cameras on 24/7 has saved lives,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “The 30% decrease in speeding we have seen is 30% more New Yorkers who make it home safely to their families, and a 30% rise in traffic safety on our streets. This progress towards Vision Zero is significant, and I look forward to working further with my colleagues in Albany, Mayor Adams, and Commissioner Rodriguez to continue this momentum.”
“I was pleased to work with Families For Safe Streets and the NYC Department of Transportation and Mayor Adams to expand the use of school zone speed cameras to a 24/7 operation. I’m thankful that my bill enabling this change was signed into law as it has had a dramatic impact on street safety,” said Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick. “Motorists are getting the message that speed kills and that reckless driving will not be tolerated in New York City. With nearly a decade of data supporting the effectiveness of these cameras in reducing crashes, along the Department of Transportation's new findings, we see that the reduction in violations demonstrates that this program is modifying driving behavior to save lives, and is not simply a way to collect fines. I look forward to working with my colleagues in government on additional sensible measures to ensure safety from traffic crashes.”