Earlier this week, the NYPD announced it would increase enforcement of local speed limits for 48 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. Following the two day crackdown, police have announced that the borough with the most jerk drivers (or most cops looking for them) is Brooklyn, closely followed by Queens.
According to the NYPD, "Officers issued a total of 4,814 speeding summonses during the initiative." If only they could do that every day! Anyway, here's the borough-by-borough breakdown:
- Brooklyn 1,249
- Queens 1,219
- Manhattan 1,175
- The Bronx 782
- Staten Island 389
According to the NYPD: "The initiative is a part of the NYPD’s effort to reduce traffic collisions and conditions that cause death and injury" and comes days after a two-day distracted driving crackdown.
The NYPD urges the public to obey the speed limit. Studies have shown that a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 40 mph has an 85 percent chance of dying. At 30 mph, the likelihood of dying drops to 45 percent. When a vehicle is traveling at 20 mph, the chances of dying are just 5 percent.
The speed limit in New York City is 30 mph on local streets unless otherwise posted. There is no speed limit greater than 50 mph in New York City.
The NYPD also emphasizes that there are newly created arterial slow zones in the city where the speed limit decreases to 25 MPH and newly created School Zones where the speed limit decreases to 20 MPH. Drivers should be mindful that speed cameras are in operation on many New York City Streets.
Fines for speeding range anywhere from $90 and can be as high as $600. Drivers may also be penalized from 3 to 11 penalty "points" on their respective Driver's Licenses’ for speeding infractions.
The speeding crackdown began six hours after two young people were killed when their car crashed in Marine Park; witnesses said the car appeared to be going over 100 mph.
