Governor Okays More Speed Cameras in New York City, Long Island

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.

The cameras will operate during and immediately before and after school activities. Speeders caught by the devices would be mailed a $50 ticket, but the infraction would not affect their auto insurance rates.

Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island will get 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 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 miles per hour faces a 70 percent chance of dying, while a child struck by a vehicle going 30 miles per hour faces a 20 percent chance of death.

The governor, a Democrat, said the cameras should “send a message to all drivers – slow down and obey the speed limit, especially when passing by a school.”