New York Senate Bill S07669

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/28/25
• Refer: 4/28/25

Caption

Permits villages located in counties with a population between one million and one million five hundred thirty thousand to adopt local laws to implement a demonstration program imposing monetary liability not to exceed fifty dollars on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator to comply with stop signs; permits such villages to install and operate stop sign photo violation monitoring systems as part of such demonstration program.

Impact

Through this act, villages will be allowed to establish a framework for monitoring and penalizing violations of stop sign laws, thereby enhancing traffic safety and compliance. By using photographic evidence, the legislation aims to reduce accidents and improve pedestrian safety, especially in high-traffic areas. However, the financial penalties imposed will not exceed fifty dollars per violation, providing a non-draconian approach to enforcement. This represents a significant change in the approach to managing traffic violations, moving towards a more systematic and technologically-assisted enforcement method.

Summary

Bill S07669, known as the 'Protect Our Pedestrians (POP) Act', seeks to amend New York's Vehicle and Traffic Law regarding owner liability for traffic violations related to stop signs. The bill empowers certain villages, specifically those in counties with populations between one million and one million five hundred thirty thousand, to adopt local laws that would impose monetary liability on vehicle owners when operators fail to comply with stop signs. This will allow these villages to implement a demonstration program that includes the use of stop sign photo violation monitoring systems to document violations and enforce penalties.

Contention

There are various considerations surrounding the bill; proponents argue that it will significantly improve compliance with stop sign laws, reduce traffic-related accidents, and enhance the overall safety of pedestrians. Critics, however, may raise concerns regarding privacy implications related to the use of photo monitoring systems as well as the fairness of imposing liability on vehicle owners who are not the operators at the time of the violation. The bill does acknowledge this by allowing owners to contest liability under certain conditions, including if the vehicle was stolen at the time of the violation.