New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced plans to introduce legislation aimed at addressing the issue of reckless driving by requiring the installation of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems in the vehicles of repeat speeding offenders. This initiative is outlined in Hochul’s State of the State book and seeks to enhance road safety for all New Yorkers.
The proposed ISA systems would use GPS technology to prevent vehicles from exceeding the speed limit by a predetermined margin. This approach mirrors existing measures in several states, such as ignition interlocking devices (IIDs) for driving under the influence. A pilot program for the ISA systems will initially be implemented in New York City’s municipal fleets, with the potential for broader adoption across the state if the program proves effective.
Current penalties for speeding in New York include substantial fines and the possibility of incarceration. For instance, exceeding the speed limit by up to 10 mph can result in a maximum fine of $150 and up to 15 days in jail. More severe infractions, such as driving more than 30 mph over the limit, carry fines up to $600 and potential jail time of up to 30 days. Despite these stringent penalties, the issue of repeat offenders remains significant, with some drivers accumulating over 500 tickets.
In 2024, data revealed a reduction in speed camera violations in New York City; however, the presence of repeat offenders persisted. One particularly egregious case involved a driver who received 562 speeding tickets, highlighting the inadequacy of fines and potential jail time as deterrents for certain individuals.
The current proposal is not the first attempt to address this problem through technology. In 2025, State Senator Andrew Gounardes of Brooklyn introduced Senate Bill S4045C, which also aimed to mandate ISA devices for individuals with a documented history of speeding violations. Gounardes’ bill sought to implement the technology statewide rather than through a pilot program. It defined “repeat offenders” as those with 16 or more speed camera tickets within a year or those who received 11 or more points on their driving record within an 18-month span. Unfortunately, the bill did not advance past the state’s Assembly Committee and was returned to the Senate on January 7, 2026.
Governor Hochul’s initiative represents a renewed effort to leverage technology in the fight against reckless driving. By targeting repeat offenders specifically, the administration hopes to create a safer driving environment for all state residents. Should the pilot program yield positive results, local communities may have the option to adopt similar measures, potentially reshaping how speeding violations are managed across New York.
