| | Pacific highway speed camera debate, they are not. That's not to say they are not effective at catching drivers who would rather be caught speeding in the middle of town. A 2015 study at Cornell University found that in New York City alone, there were 9,000 fewer speeding tickets issued for a total of 4,200 fewer traffic violations from 2005 to 2014, compared to a year earlier. But because fewer tickets were issued, there is less incentive for the city to issue tickets to those who are the most likely to be caught:
The researchers showed that New York City had more tickets issued to drivers who were 15 times more likely to be caught speeding, relative to drivers who were never caught speeding, than those who were arrested. The greater number of tickets issued to the 15 times more likely drivers also meant drivers were more likely to pay more attention to their surroundings before speeding, and were more likely to speed themselves to avoid a ticket.
But the researchers noted that the difference in speed citations was much greater for drivers who were 15 times more likely to be caught speeding and 15 times more likely to be ticketed, than those who were never ticketed:
"This disparity was significant in every age range, but was especially relevant for high school students, for whom the impact was greatest," they write. "Across all age groups, the odds that a student would receive a citation were threefold greater if the traffic violation was a speeding ticket, compared to if the ticket was not issued."
And yet despite the fact that people who are least likely to get a ticket are those who can least afford it, New York City is paying $1.6 million in tickets per month to drivers who aren't even speeding.
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According to the report, the "failing" tickets include many who weren't involved in the collision at all:
The drivers who were actually cited paid an average $2400 fine but earned a total of $9,955 in fines. In addition, a number of drivers in that age group were issued tickets for operating a vehicle in a manner not expected of them by police. In these circumstances, the drivers were either not driving as intended or had already paid the tickets to their insurer and the vehicle was a total loss. One driver was issued more than two times the average fine for a motor vehicle violation: $1460 for failing to comply with city traffic rules and a $2,500 fine for failing to yield. Another driver whose license was suspended at the same time received three times the normal fine for the same violation.
The New York State Department of Transportation doesn't release statistics on citations issued to drivers who haven't gotten their drivers licenses yet, but the agency's data show that of the roughly 6,500 drivers who weren't registere
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