Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dahlia Goldenberg, Associate Director of Families for Safe Streets, on Resolution 854 and Speed Limiters for Super Speeders
2:00:42
·
156 sec
Dahlia Goldenberg, representing Families for Safe Streets, testified in support of Resolution 854 calling for New York State to pass legislation requiring speed limiters for repeat traffic offenders. She emphasized the danger posed by "super speeders" and the need for more effective deterrents than fines or license suspensions.
- Only 1.5% of drivers in New York State are "super speeders," but they cause 21% of pedestrian deaths.
- Some vehicles in NYC have received hundreds of speeding tickets in a year without changing behavior.
- Speed limiters are already considered a best practice by the city's Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and have been implemented in other states.
Dahlia Goldenberg
2:00:42
Good afternoon.
2:00:43
My name is Dalia Goldenberg.
2:00:45
I'm the associate director of Families for Safe Streets, and thank you to the chair for holding this important hearing and for introducing resolution eight fifty four calling on New York State to pass a twenty two ninety nine s forty forty five, the stop super speeders bill as we like to call it.
2:01:02
Families for Safe Streets is an organization that brings together over 700 members, all of whom have either lost a loved one in a traffic crash or themselves been injured in a traffic crash.
2:01:14
At Families for Safe Streets, we work to advance proven safety measures like speed limiters and we're proud to testify for the chair's resolution in support of our Stop Super Speeders bill.
2:01:25
The data shows that a majority of drivers, after they receive one or two speeding tickets, they don't ever receive another one, they change their behavior.
2:01:33
But a small minority of speeders, what we call super speeders, tickets don't deter them.
2:01:39
Just one point five percent of drivers across New York State.
2:01:42
Fines don't deter them.
2:01:44
Even suspended licenses don't deter them.
2:01:47
As you heard in the case that Amber spoke of in South Brooklyn, a driver with a suspended license and who was a super speeder with multiple speeding violations.
2:01:58
These super speeders need speed limiters.
2:02:02
Transportation alternatives recently released a port that Amber also mentioned on the top 10 super speeders in New York City and found that some vehicles are getting hundreds of tickets a year without being forced to change their behavior.
2:02:16
In fact, the number one worst super speeder in New York City got a shocking five sixty three school zone speeding tickets in 2024 alone and owes thousands of dollars in unpaid tickets, and that's in South Brooklyn.
2:02:29
Our number two worst super speeder is along the West Side Of Manhattan.
2:02:34
And we can't continue to wait.
2:02:36
Just 1.5% of drivers, a small percentage that would be considered super speeders in New York state, they cause over twenty one percent of pedestrian deaths and we have an opportunity to slow these cars down.
2:02:48
If I can just put in one more line, speed limiters are a proven solution.
2:02:53
They're already considered a best practice by the city's own DCAS, and it's time to bring them to New York City.
2:03:00
This same legislation has been passed in Georgia and Virginia and Washington DC, and it's time for New York State to lead.
2:03:08
So we thank again the council the council for taking taking on this issue, and we urge you to pass the resolution immediately before the state session ends in June.
2:03:17
Thank you so much.