Today the sun sets on the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program (DVAP), the well-intentioned – but poorly implemented – program designed to hold reckless drivers accountable.

New Yorkers, we can’t just let it expire with no replacement. As my office recommends in our new policy report, we must strengthen and renew DVAP. Because if New York City has ever needed a program to increase street safety, it’s now.

Traffic fatalities have spiked dramatically in recent years, reaching a nine-year high in 2021. Reckless driving was a feature in many of these crashes. Just this morning, a pedestrian was killed in a traffic collision for the 73rd time this year.

I think it’s pretty simple: Reckless drivers should face repercussions for dangerous driving. Despite research linking vehicles with multiple camera violations to crashes, New York City drivers who chronically speed or run red lights face no consequences beyond a $50 fine for each offense.

That’s why I sponsored the Reckless Driver Accountability Act as a City Council Member in 2020. It was an attempt at introducing accountability for repeat offenders for the first time ever.

I’m proud that my bill created DVAP, finally establishing consequences for the city’s most dangerous drivers. It started with a course specifically developed to change driver behavior, followed by vehicle impoundment for drivers who failed to comply.

But the implementation of DVAP as designed turned out to be a real “wreck.”

Unfortunately, the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) commenced the program over a year late, declined to work with the Center for Justice Innovation on the course, and did not follow through on the legislated scale or key elements.

Originally intended to cover 5,000 vehicles, DOT only initiated consequences for 1,605 drivers. DOT then allowed nearly half of these repeat reckless drivers to simply ignore the program altogether. Come on!

This first iteration of the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program was a failure. It expires today, and the City has no back up plan. But I will never stop fighting to make our streets safer for our neighbors and every community in all five boroughs.

We have an opportunity here to build upon the lessons we learned from DVAP. My office just released a policy report with several recommendations on how to effectively improve street safety and reduce the number of traffic fatalities.

We must address capacity challenges, eliminate long delays, and improve the quality of safe driving courses in the process. And we must move forward with a targeted, justice-oriented approach to driver accountability.

In addition to the City renewing and strengthening DVAP, there is much that New York State can do to keep our roads safe. State leaders must work together to close loopholes allowing drivers with extensive records of reckless driving behind the wheel.

There are 5,972 miles of streets throughout New York City – streets that connect us, transport our livelihood, and weave our paths together. City Council and Mayor Adams: Let’s act to reauthorize and strengthen DVAP!

Thanks for reading,

Brad