DMV, Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Announce Innovative Speed Awareness Billboard After Nearly 60,000 Tickets Issued During Statewide ‘Speed Week 2’ Enforcement

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) today announced that law enforcement across New York State issued nearly 60,000 tickets during the “Speed Week 2” enforcement campaign, including more than 16,000 for speeding and more than 1,500 arrests for impaired driving. GTSC is the state’s highway safety office, coordinating traffic safety activities among DMV and 12 other member state agencies whose missions involve transportation and safety.

The enforcement campaign, which ran August 3 – 9, was a collaboration of law enforcement agencies throughout New York State to stop speeding and prevent avoidable crashes caused by unsafe speed. During that time, state and local law enforcement increased patrols to target speeding and other reckless driving behaviors.  

The announcement came as NYS DMV Acting Commissioner and GTSC Chair Christian Jackstadt joined traffic safety partners and law enforcement to introduce a new billboard in Halfmoon, Saratoga County that includes a camera that shows drivers going by how fast they are traveling. The billboard is part of a larger, coordinated campaign going on statewide to raise awareness about the dangers and consequences of speeding.  

“I thank our law enforcement partners for their unwavering commitment to keeping our roadways as safe as possible and those motorists who made responsible choices behind the wheel,” said New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Acting Commissioner Christian Jackstadt. “Governor Hochul has been on the forefront of making our roadways more safe and this is yet another example of a whole-of-government approach to make New York a better place. Our message is simple: Speed kills! Slow down!”

Below is a breakdown of the total tickets that were issued August 3-9:

In 2024, according to data from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research’s (ITSMR) Traffic Safety Statistical Repository (TSSR), there were 34,042 police-reported, speed-related crashes in New York State, 315 of which involved a fatality, and more than 12,000 of which involved a personal injury. Preliminary TSSR data for 2025 shows more than 24,000 police-reported, speed-related crashes with 231 involving a fatality and 7,267 involving an injury.

New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “Speeding remains one of the most dangerous behaviors on our roadways, and these enforcement efforts send a clear message that it will not be tolerated. The New York State Police, together with our law enforcement partners across the state, will continue to target speeding, impaired driving and other reckless behaviors that put everyone at risk. Our goal is not simply to issue tickets, it is to change dangerous driving habits, prevent crashes and save lives. I urge every driver to slow down, stay alert and make responsible choices every time they get behind the wheel.”

Ulster County Sheriff and President of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association Juan Figueroa said, The results are in: most people were safe and courteous drivers during Speed Week. Unfortunately, there were still thousands of drivers who put us all at risk by speeding and driving recklessly. The Sheriffs of New York State want you to enjoy the rest of summer while obeying the speed limits and being safe on the roads.

Town of Brighton Police Department Chief and President of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police David Catholdi said, “Thank you to all our officers. Thank you to all the men and women out there working to keep our communities safe. We continue to see too many crashes related to speeding and aggressive driving, and keeping our roads safe is a responsibility we all share. Everyone can do their part. Slow down, take your time, stay focused, and drive safely. Let’s all do our part to make sure everyone gets where they’re going safely. Safe roads start with all of us.”

The prior speeding crack down, “Speed Week 1,” was conducted from Monday, June 8, through Sunday, June 14. During that period, state and local law enforcement statewide issued a total of 56,578 tickets including 14,005 for speeding, 2,220 for distracted driving and 1,386 for impaired driving.  

During both the June and August crackdowns, Nassau and Suffolk on Long Island led among counties in the number of tickets issued. During the most-recent enforcement, 6,665 tickets were issued in Nassau and 5,434 in Suffolk. Similarly, in June, 6,158 tickets were issued in Nassau and 5,367 in Suffolk. Last year, GTSC launched the “Drive Safe Long Island” campaign to specifically address speeding and other dangerous driving issues in the region. That effort includes a partnership with the Long Island Ducks baseball team to promote traffic safety at their games.

Speeding-related fatalities affect communities nationwide every year. In 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 11,288 speed-related traffic fatalities, accounting for 29 percent of all traffic fatalities. NHTSA also says young drivers have a higher chance of being involved in speeding-related crashes. In 2024, 39 percent of male drivers and 20 percent of female drivers in the 15- to 20-year-old age group involved in fatal traffic crashes were speeding.

Learn more about DMV or follow the DMV conversation on DMV's Facebook, DMV's X, DMV's Instagram and LinkedIn.  

Learn more about GTSC and follow the GTSC conversation on GTSC's Facebook, GTSC's X and GTSC's Instagram.

###