With fewer vehicles on the road, there should be fewer accidents. As it turns out, however, one traffic violation may be affecting those statistics here in the Big Apple.

There’s been a big shift toward remote work this year, but that’s done nothing to combat the problem of deadly traffic accidents in New York City. In fact, officials say that speeding has become somewhat epidemic this year.

traffic cameras really do reduce speeding

Stats from the Department of Transportation show that speeding does drop an average of 70% when there’s a speed camera around.

Some injuries from car wrecks also dropped 17%, and two-thirds of the drivers nailed with a ticket from a speed camera don’t re-offend within the same year, officials found.

That’s good news if you’re concerned about traffic safety. In 2020, 36% of non-highway traffic deaths happened in school zones during the hours that speed cameras have to be turned off. Under the current law, cameras can only operate in school zones — and then only between the hours of 6 a.m. and 1 p.m. during the week.

speed cameras will be popping up everywhere in nyc

More than 720 new cameras were installed in 2020, and the city plans to install 60 more each month until there are 2,000 cameras in place by the end of 2021. If successful, NYC will have more speed cameras than any other part of the country.

consequences of increased surveillance

If the mayor has his way, there may be even more cameras around very soon. There are plans to ask the state legislature to amend its law so that cameras can operate in more areas and around-the-clock.

For motorists, the news is a mixed bag: While cameras could make the roadways safer, it can also lead to unnecessary (and expensive) tickets for minor mistakes.

Consider this a friendly reminder that someone is always watching when you’re on the road. If you end up with a ticket for speeding in New York, find out more about your options. You don’t want to pay the ticket until you’ve spoken to an advocate with experience handling traffic issues.