State Sen. Peralta
Sept. 29, 2016 By Hannah Wulkan
Several politicians announced new legislation today that would target drivers who speed in school zones.
State Senator Jose Peralta and Assembly Member Deborah Glick announced the proposed legislation outside of PS 41 in Manhattan this morning, explaining that under the proposed law, drivers convicted of three or more speeding violations in school zones during school days within an 18-month period would lose their license for 60 days.
“This is one more step to keep our children safe,” Peralta said. “Last year, more than 1,000 schoolchildren under the age of 17 were injured in crashes, and nine children were killed. So, this proposal is aimed at improving schoolchildren and pedestrian safety, especially in and around school zones. Every day, more than one million children travel to and from schools in the City so we must ensure that our students are safe at all times.”
According to a study by the Department of Transportation, three out of four drivers exceeded speed limits within a quarter mile of 100 surveyed schools, and between 25 and 75 percent of drivers exceeded the speed limit in 306 other school zones that the DOT looked at.
“We have a speeding problem in one of every three schools in the City,” said Peralta. “If passed, this legislation will punish offenders by taking away their driver’s licenses for 60 days. We have a responsibility to hold reckless drivers accountable for their actions. Schools zones are slow zones. Period.”
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