New York bill mandates speed limiters for passenger vehicles

One New York state lawmaker is again pursuing advanced safety technology to be mandated for all new passenger vehicles registered in the state.

Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan, is behind a bill that would require any passenger vehicle manufactured beginning in 2024 and registered in the state to be equipped with technology intended to improve roadway safety.

The same speed-limiter pursuit failed to gain any traction at the statehouse during the previous legislative session.

Bill details

Starting on Jan. 1, 2024, all new passenger vehicles would be required to have the safety technology, including “intelligent speed assistance” (or flexible speed governors), advanced emergency braking, emergency lane-keeping systems, drowsiness and distraction recognition technology, and rear-view cameras.

The following year, passenger vehicles weighing more than 3,000 pounds would be required to limit blind spots. Standards would be required to address direct visibility of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users from the driver’s position.

Focus on New York City

Although the focus of the safety requirements is to address the more than 270 traffic-related deaths in New York City over a recent one-year period, the safety technology mandates would apply to vehicles throughout the state.

“The unfortunate trends we are witnessing add up to a crisis,” Hoylman wrote in a bill memo. “Each death is preventable. A multifaceted approach to street safety is necessary to keep our pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and all road users safe.”

The lawmaker highlights studies that have shown intelligent speed assistance alone can reduce traffic fatalities by 20%.

“We must use every tool available to us to keep New York safe,” Hoylman wrote.

Critics say that adding such safety technology systems could raise the base price of many vehicles by thousands of dollars at a time when vehicles are becoming prohibitively expensive. Additionally, they say there is growing evidence that technology included in newer vehicles actually encourages distracted driving.

The bill, S1952, is in the Senate Transportation Committee. An identical Assembly bill is being considered in the Assembly Transportation Committee. LL

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