Technology to Limit Speeds on New York City Fleet Vehicles
Getty Images/Mlenny
The city is piloting intelligent speed assistance technology on 50 of its vehicles across nine agencies to prevent cars from going over posted speed limits.
New York City is piloting the use of intelligent speed assistance technology on 50 of its fleet vehicles across nine agencies to reduce driving speeds, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Dawn Pinnock announced this week.
ISA technology limits a vehicle’s maximum speed, and so prevents it from exceeding local speed limits. At an event to discuss the technology, Keith Kerman, chief fleet officer and deputy commissioner at DCAS, said the cars already use telematics that trackGPS location, speed and driving behaviors. When speed limit data is overlaid across those telematics, the technology prevents cars from exceeding a street’s posted speed limit. The pilot will cost $80,000 in retrofits and installations.
Kerman said the technology is being tested on 16 makes and models of city-owned vehicles, including trucks. Emergency vehicles will be exempt from the ISA technology, as will the mayor’s car, which Adams said during the event is necessary as an incident could occur “that may cause us to move at a non-traditional rapid speed.”
The ISA pilot comes as part of DCAS’ Safe Fleet Transition Plan for city fleet vehicles, which Kerman said total approximately 29,400, including off-road equipment like light towers, generators and forklifts. The SFTP notes that the pilot program will use active ISA, which restricts a driver’s speed, as opposed to the passive version that merely provides drivers with audio and visual warnings of their speed.
The SFTP added that the European Transport Safety Council, which has praised ISA as “the single most effective new vehicle safety technology currently available in terms of its life-saving potential,” found that 64% of drivers rate the technology favorably.
"This new pilot program by DCAS should serve as a model to other cities and states, showing how we can utilize technology to make our streets and roadways safer," First Deputy Mayor Lorraine Grillo said in a statement.
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