New York Launched Its Second Speed Crackdown Of The Summer This Week

Have you noticed an increase in law enforcement agencies on our roadways, checking for speeding vehicles this week? I noticed a few patrol cars on my way to Elmira on August 3rd on Route 17/Interstate 86.

Some were specifically set up around construction zones. And several construction zones are set up as motorists head west from Vestal to Elmira. I counted six construction sections on my trip. Most were easy to get through, but each had a decrease in the speed limit.

Anyway, on Monday, August 3rd, New York State Police and local law enforcement agencies began increasing patrols for the week to crack down on speeding. The increased patrols will continue through Sunday, August 9th.

According to an announcement last week, this is the second NYS Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee-sponsored high-visibility statewide enforcement effort this summer to curb speeding and prevent avoidable crashes caused by unsafe speed.

The first Speed Week was conducted from June 8th through the 14th, resulting in a total of 56,578 tickets being issued. Of those, 14,005 were for speeding, 2,220 for distracted driving, and 1,386 for impaired driving.

These enforcement campaigns are crucial, as speeding continues to be a leading cause of fatal crashes each year in New York State. As always, we have zero tolerance for those who endanger others by driving recklessly, so I urge everyone to do their part to keep our roadways as safe as possible by following the speed limits, avoiding distractions and never driving while impaired.- New York State Governor Kathy Hochul

 

The Governor's announcement noted that in 2024, according to data from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research’s Traffic Safety Statistical Repository, there were 34,042 police-reported, speed-related crashes, 315 of which involved a fatality, and more than 12,000 of which involved a personal injury in the Empire State.

Preliminary data for 2025 notes over 24,000 police-reported, speed-related crashes, with 231 involving a fatality and 16,644 involving an injury in New York State.

Nationally in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 11,288 speed-related traffic fatalities, accounting for 29 percent of all traffic fatalities.

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The report notes that young drivers have a higher chance of being involved in speeding-related crashes. In 2024, 39 percent of male drivers and 20 percent of female drivers in the 15- to 20-year-old age group involved in fatal traffic crashes were speeding.

For more information on Speed Week 2 in New York State, visit the NYS Governor's website.