Cuomo OKs More Speed Cameras Near NYC, Long Island Schools
ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- More than 200 new speed cameras are authorized for school zones in New York City and Long Island under legislation signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
As WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs reported, Cuomo signed the legislation during an event at Bethpage High School.
"If you don't break the law, you don't have anything to worry about," the governor said. "And if you're speeding in front of a school, you should have something to worry about, because it is reckless.
"These cameras will save lives."
Cuomo OKs More Speed Cameras Near NYC, Long Island Schools
The cameras will operate during and immediately before and after school activities. Speeders caught by the devices will be mailed a $50 ticket, but the infraction would not affect their auto insurance rates.
Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island will receive up to 125 cameras; New York City already has 20 of the devices and can now add up to 120 more.
While local governments stand to raise millions of dollars in revenue from the cameras, supporters said they are primarily meant to increase safety around schools. In New York City, the automated devices are a part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's "Vision Zero" campaign to reduce traffic fatalities.
"We're one step closer to putting in place an important safeguard to keep our children safe," Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said Wednesday during Cuomo's signing ceremony in Bethpage. "Speed cameras send a simple message to drivers: If you go over the speed limit, you will receive a ticket. The answer is, quite simply, don't risk it."
Cuomo's office cited data showing that a child struck by a car traveling at 40 mph faces a 70 percent chance of dying, while a child struck by a vehicle going 30 mph faces a 20 percent chance of death.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories
(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
