Governor Cuomo Announces State Police Speed Week Crackdown Public Safety

LongIsland.com

Governor Cuomo announced the State Police will conduct a week-long enforcement initiative to crack down on speeding and aggressive drivers across the state.

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Photo by: Governor's Press Office

Albany, NY - August 5, 2015 - Governor Cuomo announced the State Police will conduct a week-long enforcement initiative to crack down on speeding and aggressive drivers across the state. The Speed Week campaign runs today through August 11.

“Speeding and reckless driving is unsafe and the cause of far too many avoidable tragedies,” Governor Cuomo said. “I urge all New Yorkers to drive responsibly, stay within the speed limit and join us in helping to keep our roads safe for motorists, passengers and pedestrians alike.”

Speeding is listed as a contributing factor in nearly one third of all fatal crashes in New York State. In 2013, 352 people were killed and nearly 19,000 injured in speed related crashes statewide.

New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico said, “Our goal during this campaign and our year round enforcement efforts is to get dangerous drivers off New York’s roads. Obeying the speed limit and driving defensively will reduce the number of fatal crashes and increase safety for everyone on the highway.”

During this summer’s “Speed Week”, Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) vehicles as part of the operation. The CITE vehicles allow Troopers to more easily identify motorists who are violating laws while driving. These vehicles blend in with every day traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.

Troopers will also be watching for other traffic violations, including distracted or impaired drivers, vehicle occupants who are not properly buckled up, and drivers that are violating New York’s Move Over law.

During the August 2014 Speed Week campaign, State Police issued more than 22,000 traffic tickets. More than 10,000 of the tickets were for speeding, and more than 600 were for violations of the Move Over law.

Tickets issued during Speed Week August 6 - August 12, 2014

Troop

Region

Speed Tickets

Move Over Law

Distracted Driving

Total Tickets

A

Western New York

912

25

135

2,212

B

North Country

564

22

49

1,466

C

Southern Tier

869

125

67

1,762

D

Central New York

926

53

103

2,134

E

Finger Lakes

980

69

99

2,534

F

Upper Hudson Valley

1,549

112

67

3,067

G

Capital Region

902

55

94

2,035

K

Lower Hudson Valley

1,404

64

71

2,634

L

Long Island

537

2

70

1,397

T

New York State Thruway

1,623

95

101

2,935

Totals

 

10,266

622

856

22,176

Funding for the Speed Week initiative is provided through a grant from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

The fines for speeding on 55 mph highway or posted 65 mph zones are as follows:

10 mph or less over the limit - min $45/max $150
11- 30 mph over the limit - min $90/max $300
31 mph or more over the limit - min $180/max $600

Second Conviction
10 mph or less over the limit - min $45/max $300
11 - 30 over the limit - min $90 /max $450
31 or more over the limit - min $180/max $750

Third Conviction
10 mph or less over the limit - min $45/max $525
11 - 30 over the limit - min $90 /max $675
31 or more over the limit - min $180/max $975

Court Surcharges are as follows:
Town or village courts - $93
Other Courts (city traffic courts, etc.) - $88

Violation Point Structure:
1-10 mph over limit = 3 points
11-20 mph over limit = 4 points
21 - 30 mph over limit = 6 points
30 - 40 mph over limit = 8 points
More than 40 mph over limit = 11 points (triggers suspension)