Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. has co-sponsored a bill that would permit cities, towns, and villages to reduce maximum speed limits on local roads from 30 to 25 miles per hour, he announced on Tuesday.
Lowering the speed limit by 5 miles per hour reduces the incidence of speeding and the potential for collisions with pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists, Mr. Thiele said, citing a 2018 study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The organization found that after lowering the speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour, the odds of a vehicle exceeding 35 fell by more than 29 percent. The odds of vehicles exceeding 30 and 25 miles per hour fell by 8.5 and 2.9 percent, respectively.
“This proactive step will help to decrease fatalities and the severity of injuries that can result from speed-related accidents,” Mr. Thiele said of the bill, which is co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin of Westchester County. “Reducing speed limits is an efficient, simple solution to protect the public and prevent tragedies.”