By Chris Genovese, “the Marketing Guy”
Reckless driving is not just a nuisance—it’s a danger that threatens every person who uses our roads. Motorcyclists know this truth better than most, as do the members of our team at the Kantor Gullo Law Firm. When drivers speed, text, or disregard work zones, the consequences can be devastating. So, as Legislative Coordinator of ABATE of New York, I’ve made it a priority to push our state legislators to strengthen the laws around reckless driving.
At our ABATE chapter’s “Cash for Bikes” Ride in September, we circulated letters for members and supporters to sign, addressed to state senators and assembly members, urging their support for New York Assembly bills A1788 and A3172 and Senate bill S2061. These measures aim to do three important things: increase penalties for reckless drivers, expand education about topics like road rage, motorcycle safety, school bus safety, and work zone safety, and modernize New York’s driver’s license test to better prepare motorists for the realities of today’s traffic.
While our effort involved sharing pre-drafted letters for riders and supporters to sign and then be sent by the law firm to their legislators, the bigger story here is why these laws matter. To put it simply: with the way folks drive these days, reckless driving has become far too common in our state.
One of the clearest examples recently came from Operation Hard Hat, an enforcement initiative where NY State Troopers cracked down on dangerous driving in construction zones. Last August, during a four-hour period on I-81 in the town of Chenango, officers dressed as road workers helped to issue 109 tickets. That’s 36 for speeding—including one driver caught at 87 mph in a 55 zone—27 for phone use, 27 for not wearing seatbelts, and 19 for other violations.
Those numbers should make every New Yorker stop and think. If more time and resources had been available, how many additional tickets might have been written? More importantly, how many lives were put at risk during that single afternoon on a single stretch of highway?
For motorcyclists, the danger is amplified. A car drifting into your lane because the driver is looking at a phone, or a truck flying through a work zone well above the speed limit, can mean the difference between a safe ride and a tragic crash. Riders don’t have the protective structure of a vehicle around them. When someone else drives recklessly, we pay the highest price.
That is why ABATE’s advocacy matters. We’re not only speaking up for ourselves as riders, but also for every vulnerable and legal road user—pedestrians, bicyclists, highway workers, and school children waiting for the bus. Reckless driving does not discriminate in who it endangers, and stronger laws can help create a culture of accountability.
Of course, enforcement remains a critical piece. Our State Troopers and law enforcement officers are doing their best, and Operation Hard Hat proves how effective focused efforts can be. But enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. Our state’s laws must give our officers and court system sharper tools to hold reckless drivers accountable.
Riders know the road is a shared space. By pushing for legislation that toughens penalties, expands safety education, and improves driver testing, we’re working toward a future where riders can feel safer every time they head out. ABATE’s campaign against reckless driving is perhaps an uphill battle, but together—with lawmakers, law enforcement, and riders raising their voices—we can make New York’s roads safer for all.
