New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

New York Assembly Bill A07931

Introduced
4/15/25  

Caption

Enacts "Shawn's law"; requires persons driving on a state expressway route, state interstate route, or state thruway route to pull over and seek assistance if their vehicle is unable to exceed thirty-five miles per hour; requires the division of state police to conduct an accident reconstruction and create a report in the case of certain accidents resulting in a fatality.

Impact

In addition to the speed-pulling regulation, the bill introduces a requirement for the division of state police to conduct accident reconstructions involving fatalities that occur on designated state expressways and thoroughfares. This addition aims to provide a structured approach to understanding and documenting serious accidents, ultimately leading to better road safety statistics. The mandated reports could enable the revision of existing traffic laws, addressing any deficiencies and improving overall traffic enforcement policies.

Summary

Bill A07931, known as 'Shawn's Law', aims to enhance roadway safety by mandating that drivers on state expressways, interstates, or thruways who are unable to exceed a speed of thirty-five miles per hour must pull over to the right-hand shoulder and seek assistance. This requirement is designed to reduce accidents and ensure that vehicles traveling at significantly reduced speeds do not pose a hazard to other motorists. The bill seeks to address a critical safety issue by formalizing a protocol for slow-moving vehicles, thus promoting safer travel conditions on busy highways.

Contention

Some points of contention surrounding A07931 may arise from debates over the effectiveness and practicality of enforcing such a requirement, especially in various driving conditions or environments. Opponents might argue that the obligation to pull over could create additional safety risks, especially in heavy traffic or adverse weather conditions. Furthermore, there could be discussions regarding the financial implications of enforcing the accident reconstruction requirement, including the allocation of resources and personnel required to implement the new policy effectively.

Companion Bills

NY S07626

Same As Enacts "Shawn's law"; requires persons driving on a state expressway route, state interstate route, or state thruway route to pull over and seek assistance if their vehicle is unable to exceed thirty-five miles per hour; requires the division of state police to conduct an accident reconstruction and create a report in the case of certain accidents resulting in a fatality.

Previously Filed As

NY A08233

Enacts "Shawn's law"; requires persons driving on a state expressway route, state interstate route, or state thruway route to pull over and seek assistance if their vehicle is unable to exceed thirty-five miles per hour; requires the division of state police to conduct an accident reconstruction and create a report in the case of certain accidents resulting in a fatality.

NY S09437

Requires persons driving on a state expressway route, state interstate route, or state thruway route to pull over and seek assistance if their vehicle is unable to exceed thirty-five miles per hour.

NY A10635

Designates all that portion of the state and local highway system constituting route thirty-five between United States route two hundred two and state route one hundred as the "Purple Heart Trail".

NY A05876

Creates a New York state route 878, Nassau Expressway study to evaluate the costs of completing the construction of state route 878 in Nassau and Queens counties; makes related provisions.

NY S07310

Creates a New York state route 878, Nassau Expressway study to evaluate the costs of completing the construction of state route 878 in Nassau and Queens counties; makes related provisions.

NY A09809

Requires police reports of traffic accidents to include insurance information for the parties to the accident.

NY A00344

Authorizes the department of transportation to conduct a study pertaining to traffic flow and safety of State Route 35 and State Route 202 from the Hudson River to the border of Connecticut.

NY S04531

Authorizes the department of transportation to conduct a study pertaining to traffic flow and safety of State Route 35 and State Route 202 from the Hudson River to the border of Connecticut.

NY A01901

Enacts the "crash victims bill of rights"; requires accident reports to be delivered to victims of accidents or their next of kin; requires victim impact statements to be delivered at traffic infraction hearings by injured parties or their next of kin; requires employers to grant leave of absence to employees delivering a victim impact statement at a traffic infraction hearing; directs the superintendent of financial services to conduct a study and complete a report on certain automobile crash information.

NY S06278

Enacts the "crash victims bill of rights"; requires accident reports to be delivered to victims of accidents or their next of kin; requires victim impact statements to be delivered at traffic infraction hearings by injured parties or their next of kin; requires employers to grant leave of absence to employees delivering a victim impact statement at a traffic infraction hearing; directs the superintendent of financial services to conduct a study and complete a report on certain automobile crash information.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.