NY bill would target reckless driving in private parking lots

NEW YORK (PIX11) — A New York bill would prohibit reckless driving in private parking lots — a problem residents say they have pushed lawmakers for years to address.

Currently, state laws do not include private parking lots when it comes to reckless driving. That means police cannot go onto lots to deal with complaints without the owner’s permission, which can be tough to get, especially late at night.

Now, legislation spearheaded by State Sen. John Liu and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic would amend that.

“A lot of time the antics, drag racing, the stunts, the donuts are done late at night and you can’t reach property owners at that time. Meantime, nearby residents can’t get a peaceful night’s sleep, and it’s not only a disturbance of the peace but it’s dangerous,” Liu said. “Our bill makes it clear that law enforcement can and will come onto private property such as this parking lot in order to enforce against reckless driving.”

The bill passed the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate a few months ago. Now, lawmakers are pushing Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign it into law. Hochul’s office said the governor plans to review the legislation.

Jill Harper, a resident of Fresh Meadows, Queens, is glad the issue is being addressed.

“It has been something like almost terrorizing residents — it’ll be something that jerks you awake in the middle of the night,” Harper said. “They do some erratic driving in the parking lot and then sit and play loud music or throw their trash out.”

Maria Deinnocentiis, with Community Board 8 in Queens, is in agreement.

“They start driving around doing wheelies, racing around the community,” Deinnocentiis said. “You have them driving up and down with boom boxes blasting, and a lot of them have cars with exhaust that spits out like gunshots.”

These residents are grateful their representatives heard their complaints and stepped in.

“We’re hoping the community will see a little bit of peace from the noise and the issues we’re having with these cars,” Deinnocentiis said.

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