NYC's lowered 20 mph speed limit the latest money grab

You knew this was coming.

Because when it comes to anti-motorist Vision Zero efforts in New York City, nothing is ever enough.

And now the State of New York is enabling it.

As part of the state budget, Gov. Kathy Hochul last week signed off on allowing New York City to lower its default speed limit to 20 mph.

But, wait. Didn't New York City already lower its speed limit?

Indeed it did.

The default speed limit was lowered from 30 mph to 25 mph a decade ago, when Mayor Bill de Blasio foisted Vision Zero and its ever-expanding network of speed cameras upon the five boroughs.

Advocates say that vehicles traveling at lower speeds means less human carnage and vehicular damage when there are collisions. And nobody, including myself, is rooting for more deaths and injuries on our roadways.

But ever-lowered speed limits also mean that it's easier to catch people speeding and hit them with a revenue-generating speed camera ticket.

And that's where the whole speed camera thing gets really diabolical.

Because it's one thing to install a bunch of speed cameras. You can plausibly argue that it's being done for purposes of safety. And we all want safe roads. Too many people drive too fast or too recklessly. There should be a deterrent.

But the argument falters when at the same time you lower speed limits. Because then you're making it harder for even good-intentioned motorists to stay within the law.

You're no longer targeting truly dangerous drivers. You're treating everyone as if they're a dangerous driver, even those who are putt-putting along at truly slow speeds.

And now New York City is doing it again by looking to lower the speed limit even further, even if certain roads of three lanes or more will be exempt.

I don't know about you, but I find it tough to keep my vehicle at 20 mph. It's like the car is barely moving. It actually feels unsafe sometimes with other cars zipping around me.

It's also an effort to keep an intermittent eye on the speedometer to make sure that I never go more than 10 mph over the speed limit. I don't want that speed camera ticket.

We as drivers also have to be aware of what the various speed limits are in each area as we're driving from place to place. The speed limit can change a couple of times depending on how long we're on the road.

It's a lot of keep track of, especially when you've got the threat of a speed camera ticket looming over you.

I was driving on Hylan Boulevard the other day, and keeping in the vicinity of that lowered 30 mph speed limit when traveling south of Richmond Avenue ain't easy. It actually turned me into a distracted driver because I was so concerned about driving too fast.

Well, not actually fast. Just faster than our Vision Zero overlords want me to go.

But motorists shouldn't be surprised. New York City has never dealt fairly when it comes to speed cameras.

The devices have gone from being in school zones only to being everywhere. They were only on during certain times, now they're operating 24/7/365.

And now the speed limit is set to be lowered yet again. All the better to ring you up as a bad driver and take your money.

It truly never ends.