If two politicians in New York have their way, drivers who repeatedly are cited with multiple violations by speed cameras would be ordered to install aftermarket speed limiter devices on their cars — but should devices be installed to limit speed on cars by the government?
Should Devices Be Installed on Cars To Limit Speed?
A bill was proposed by Andrew Gounardes and Emily Gallagher — who are respectively a senator and a member of the assembly of the state of New York — on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 to require the installation of a device that limits the speed of a vehicle that is operated by any driver who has accumulated eleven points on his or her driver license if it is not suspended.
Once installed, the device would limit vehicles to traveling no more than five miles per hour in excess of the posted speed limit. The devices would be required to be installed in cars caught a minimum of six times by an automated speed camera; and they would remain in the vehicles for a minimum of one year.
Points are issued against the license of the driver when speeding tickets are issued by a police officer during a traffic stop within the state of New York. More points are issued when higher speeds are cited in a police traffic stop; and state law in New York can lead to a license being suspended after a cumulative eleven points within a period of 18 months…
…but speeding tickets issued by automated systems — such as the network of speed cameras throughout the city of New York — do not result in points on a driver’s license because those systems cannot legally prove who is actually driving the motor vehicle.
“There is a persistent cohort of drivers who are getting five, six, seven, ten, 15, 20 speeding tickets — and driving on our streets recklessly without any consequences whatsoever,” said Gounardes, who represents the 26th senate district in southern Brooklyn. “There’s no consequences for speeders other than a fine. Just a slap on the wrist — $50.00 every single time. These are the most dangerous drivers on our streets.”
The speed limit in the city of New York is 25 miles per hour — which means that a vehicle equipped with a device to limit the speed of the vehicle will be unable to travel greater than 30 miles per hour for one year. The technology of global positioning systems would purportedly automatically adjust the device according to the location of the vehicle, depending on the official posted speed limit.
44 pedestrians have reportedly been killed in traffic incidents in the city of New York so far in 2023. How many of those deaths were the result of excessive speed was unclear at the time this article was written.
Final Boarding Call
The first thought that came to my mind is rental vehicles: will they be exempt from this proposal if it becomes law? If not, will they have a heyday with charging usurious fees to their customers?
As for the proposal itself, it is being compared to devices that are installed in the motor vehicles of drivers who find staying sober while driving difficult, as the vehicle becomes disabled when the alcohol on the breath of the driver exceeds a certain limit. I believe that other methods should be used to dissuade people from driving recklessly. Perhaps increase the fines for speeding — or throw in some incarceration time if the recklessness is unreasonably exacerbated to the point of threatening lives?
We need to be careful with government intervention and oversight — especially if it introduces additional issues. What if the installation of the device damages the vehicle? What if the device malfunctions? Could the rights of drivers be mistakenly abused?
Unless these and other questions are answered, I am opposed to this proposal.
All photographs ©2021 and ©2022 by Brian Cohen.
