New York’s traffic has decreased, but more drivers are speeding

New York’s normally congested streets are empty because of the coronavirus pandemic—and some drivers are taking this as an invitation to speed.

Data from the Department of Finance shows that tickets issued by speed cameras jumped in the month of March, even as traffic dropped dramatically. According to Streetsblog, which first reported on the data, there were 180,718 tickets issued on the weekdays from March 5 to March 24, representing a jump of more than 12 percent over the same period in January.

Meanwhile, the number of cars on the road is down considerably; data from Sam Schwartz Engineering, first reported by the New York Post, shows that traffic has dipped by 35 to 50 percent since the start of March. Streetlight, which tracks mobility data, found that vehicle miles traveled throughout the five boroughs is also down—in Manhattan on April 3, for example, VMT was down by a whopping 92 percent.

While the number of collisions has decreased from the same time last year—and even from the previous month—the increase in speeding is cause for alarm, particularly at a time when hospitals are overburdened, and fewer police officers are available to issue summonses. (The NYPD recently shifted its policy on crashes without an injury, and drivers will not be required to call the police if a collision does not result in someone getting hurt.)

Other cities have experienced similar problems with speeding as fewer cars are on streets; in Los Angeles, the city has responded by making changes to traffic signals, and stationing cops along roadways that have proven especially problematic. (We’ve reached out to the NYPD about enforcement for speeding, and will update as more information becomes available.) A spokesperson for DOT said the agency encourages all drivers to continue following the city’s posted 25 mile per hour speed limit, but many are clearly flouting that role.

Some advocates have called for an even more drastic solution: banning all nonessential driving. Families for Safe Streets, an advocacy group whose members have lost loved ones to traffic crashes, has asked Mayor Bill de Blasio to consider banning any vehicular travel that isn’t related to mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic (emergency vehicles, for example).

“A ban on non-essential driving will reduce the number of crashes that take place, free up hospital beds, reduce 911 call loads, and expedite ambulances,” Hsi-Pei Liao, one of the group’s members, said in a statement. “Without this step, reckless drivers will continue to place undue burden on a healthcare system which is already operating at capacity.”