Requires navigation systems which utilize GPS technology to provide the legal clearance of bridges or elevated structures along proposed routes.
Summary
A03536 would amend New York’s General Business Law to require electronic maps and GPS-based navigation systems offered for use or sale in the state to provide the legal clearance of bridges and elevated structures along a proposed route when a user requests route information. “Legal clearance” is tied to the existing Vehicle and Traffic Law concept used for posted bridge-clearance signs, meaning the navigation product would need to display height information for overpasses and bridges that could affect vehicle passage.
The bill is aimed at reducing the risk that drivers, especially those operating tall vehicles, are directed onto routes with insufficient clearance. It applies to GPS navigation systems and electronic maps, but it includes a compliance standard that allows a system to avoid violation if it provides accurate and updated clearance information to the greatest extent practicable and clearly instructs users that they remain responsible for obeying vehicle height, weight, and other road restrictions. The bill would take effect 180 days after becoming law.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would create a new consumer-protection and navigation-technology requirement in the General Business Law, adding section 390-f. It would affect providers of GPS navigation software, electronic mapping services, and potentially device manufacturers or app sellers operating in New York, requiring them to incorporate bridge and overpass clearance data into route guidance where available. The measure also cross-references existing Vehicle and Traffic Law standards for legal clearance, linking the new requirement to current roadway signage rules and height-restriction enforcement.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill. It advanced unanimously in the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, received favorable action in the Assembly Rules Committee, and passed the Assembly floor by a wide margin with only one dissenting vote. No committee transcript is available, but the vote pattern indicates the proposal was generally viewed as a practical safety measure rather than a controversial regulatory change.
Contention
The main policy issue is the burden placed on navigation-system providers to supply accurate, updated clearance information and the extent to which they can be held responsible for route guidance errors. The bill addresses this concern by allowing compliance when information is provided to the greatest extent practicable and by expressly stating that users remain responsible for obeying vehicle height and weight restrictions. Any opposition appears limited, given the overwhelming floor vote, and likely centers on implementation feasibility, data accuracy, and liability concerns for map and GPS companies.
Same As
Requires navigation systems which utilize GPS technology to provide the legal clearance of bridges or elevated structures along proposed routes.