STATEN ISLAND, NY — Worried you might be driving over the speed limit? Soon, you may not need to.
Earlier this month, the state. Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) introduced legislation that, if passed, would require all vehicles built after January 1, 2024 that are registered in New York to include advanced safety technology, including speed-limiting capabilities .
Speed limit technology, officially known as Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA), is widely used in European countries and can be programmed to prevent drivers from exceeding the posted speed limit.
The bill references the recent increase in traffic fatalities in New York, citing the increase in deaths as justification for requiring new vehicle safety features.
“Traffic violence in New York City skyrocketed in 2021 to levels not seen in years. There were over 270 traffic-related deaths on city streets in 2021 — the deadliest year of Mayor de Blasio’s tenure. Unfortunately, it was not a strange thing. There have also been record deaths in 2020, with 243 confirmed traffic deaths. The unfortunate trends we are witnessing add up to a crisis. Every death is preventable. A multifaceted approach to road safety is needed to keep pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and all road users safe,” the legislation states.
In addition to speed-limiting technology, the law would require all new vehicles to come equipped with other advanced safety features, including advanced emergency braking (AEB), emergency lane keeping systems (ELKS ), Blind Spot Information Systems (BSIS), Drowsiness and Distraction Recognition Technology, Rear View Camera Sensor Systems and Event Data Recorders (EDR).
“Vehicle technology has advanced significantly in recent years, with advanced safety features now available that have the potential to greatly reduce injuries and deaths on our roads. We must use every tool at our disposal to keep New York safe,” the law continues.
EFFORT IN NYC
Earlier this month, Mayor Eric Adams announced that intelligent speed assist technology had been installed in a select number of vehicles in the city’s fleet.
As of June 30, smart speed assist technology has been installed in 50 of the city’s vehicles as part of an $80,000 pilot program that limits speed based on an area’s speed limits.
“If this is a successful pilot, we want to see this roll out to every vehicle we use in our city fleet,” the mayor said at the time. “Although the speed limit varies from highway to road, we will ensure that vehicles stay within the speed limits.”
Emergency vehicles are currently excluded from the pilot program, including those used by the mayor to get around town.
The initial rollout of the technology involved several city agencies, including the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the City of New York. Tax and Limousine Commission (TLC).
The system uses in-car telematics and sensors to limit a driver’s speed based on the area’s speed limit.
Within the first few weeks of using the technology, city agencies logged more than 10,000 miles and still had no problems, said DCAS Deputy Commissioner and New York City Fleet Chief Keith Kerman.
As part of DCAS’ efforts to implement vehicle safety retrofits, the department has installed over 65,000 safety upgrades in the city’s fleet, including driver alert systems, telematics, truck side guards, automatic braking, backup alarms , cameras and heated mirrors. , according to the mayor’s office.
“Using telematics alerts, New York City has already cut excessive speeding by fleet units by more than half,” Kerman said. “DCAS will now implement active and passive intelligent speed assist technology inside each pilot vehicle to further reduce illegal speeding and help keep New Yorkers safer.”