'Super speeders' must be stopped from terrorizing us all

Bad drivers, a mere fraction of all motorists, impact us all.

Excessive and frequent speeders, unlicensed drivers, and those inhibited by alcohol and/or drugs represent a handful of those on the roads, yet they account for the majority of road fatalities.

About 1.5% of registered vehicles in New York State have received six or more speed camera tickets.

About 2% of Long Island drivers are unlicensed but are involved in 14% of fatal crashes.

It’s time to stop the slim minority from terrorizing the rest of us.

In March, a horrific crash on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn claimed the lives of a woman and her two young daughters and critically injured her son. Records reportedly show the driver was driving with a suspended license and had more than 99 violations including 20 speeding tickets. The tragedy was just one of many incidents that could have been prevented.

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, of Brooklyn, has been seeking backing for his 'Stop Super Speeders’ bill. It's gaining traction in the State Legislature but does not have enough support yet to become law. It would require a speed-limiting device to be installed in any vehicle issued six or more speeding or red light camera tickets within a year, and in the car of any driver who receives 11 or more points on their license in 2 years. State Sen. Monica Martinez, of Brentwood, is the lone co-sponsor from Long Island. More of our state lawmakers should join her.

The device mentioned in the Stop Super Speeders bill would prevent cars from going more than 5 mph over the posted speed limit. It uses GPS location to determine the speed limit on the road where the car is traveling. The device is a more practical approach than impounding vehicles, which is costly, or suspending a person’s license, which fails to physically prevent a person from driving. The bill targets the slim minority of repeat offenders while allowing them to still drive to work. They just won’t be able to drive at a reckless speed.

PASS SPEEDING BILL

Gounardes, who tested the technology in Albany and found no issues, told Newsday’s editorial board, "We are going to force you to drive safely." Asked what would happen if his bill isn't adopted this year, Gounardes said succinctly, "More people will die."

It's time Albany lawmakers rein in the drivers who make our roads so dangerous and pass this legislation. It's among a series of needed steps that includes improving driver education and training, and increasing enforcement of existing laws. 

Dahlia Goldenberg of Families for Safe Streets, a grassroots organization of people impacted by death and serious injury caused by traffic violence, endorses such a "Swiss cheese" approach utilizing multiple measures, including Gounardes' bill, redesigning roads that make driving more risky, reducing speed limits, and installing more speed cameras in places where speeding is a problem.

"No one policy is going to completely solve this crisis," Goldenberg said.

Part of that mosaic of safety measures includes dealing with people who drive with multiple license suspensions.

According to a Newsday's yearlong Dangerous Roads investigation, data from the New York State DMV and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows just 2% of Long Island drivers are unlicensed, but those drivers were involved in 14% of fatal crashes on the Island. Tickets issued to non-licensed drivers increased by 32% since 2020, according to Newsday.

Gounardes told Newsday’s board that 75% of people with suspended licenses continue to drive, a figure confirmed by the Driven by Justice statewide coalition.

Clearly, the state must do more to prevent people with suspended licenses or no license at all from driving, like setting earlier and stiffer penalties for driving with a suspended license.

MENU OF MEASURES NEEDED

The U.S. Department of Transportation encourages a Safe System Approach to road safety by "building and reinforcing multiple layers of protection." That's wise. No one single measure will be successful. A menu of innovative ideas is needed to make our roads safer. As far back as 1925, Scientific American reported on a proposal for a "signal plate" affixed to the outside of cars which would flash different colors depending on the vehicle's speed to make it easy to identify speeders. Even a century ago, the magazine recognized what has been an unending problem: "Something has to be done to make our streets safer."

According to NHTSA data, annual speeding-related fatalities nationally since 2011 have remained discouragingly constant. In a 2019 NHTSA survey, 82% of respondents said drivers "should keep up with the flow of traffic." If 4 in 5 drivers expect speeding to be the norm, the problem is deeper than any single action can resolve.

Drivers remain impatient and cars are faster, yet speeding generally doesn’t save more than a few minutes per trip. Sadly, speeding has become part of a glorified vision of Americana. But most drivers don’t use multi-point harness safety systems like race car drivers, our vehicles aren’t made to sustain crashes at high speeds, and our roads aren’t controlled environments like racetracks. It’s up to us to drive safely — and demand that those around us do the same.

For those worried that safety measures like the speed-limiter in the Stop Super Speeders bill would infringe on their freedom to enjoy the open road, Goldenberg has a clear message: "Our families want the freedom to walk down the street without getting killed, without losing loved ones," she said. "To me, that’s freedom."