Establishes the offense of aggravated reckless driving and allows for the seizure and forfeiture of vehicles used in connection with reckless driving or aggravated reckless driving.
Summary
S00979 creates a new crime of aggravated reckless driving in New York and ties that offense to several aggravating circumstances. A person would commit aggravated reckless driving if they commit reckless driving and also have a recent reckless driving conviction, know their license is suspended or revoked, cause physical injury while driving, commit three separate traffic-law violations during the same driving episode, or operate a vehicle they know or should reasonably know is unregistered or uninsured. The offense is classified as a class E felony.
The bill also expands vehicle seizure and forfeiture provisions. It amends existing law so that vehicles used in reckless driving or the new aggravated reckless driving offense may be seized and forfeited under specified procedures, and it updates related abandonment, notice, and intervention rules for owners and lienholders. The bill expressly excludes rental vehicles and vehicles owned by rental vehicle companies from the aggravated reckless driving provision and related forfeiture consequences.
Impact
The bill would amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law by adding section 1212-a and by revising section 511-c to include aggravated reckless driving in the state’s vehicle seizure and forfeiture framework. It would increase criminal exposure for certain repeat or especially dangerous reckless driving conduct by elevating it to a felony, and it would give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools to seek forfeiture of vehicles used in these offenses. Owners, operators, and security-interest holders would be affected by the updated notice, claim, and burden-of-proof procedures in forfeiture cases.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the bill has at least some support in the Senate Transportation Committee, where it passed 12-1 on May 13, 2025. The bill’s framing indicates a public-safety focus on deterring dangerous driving and repeat offenders, which likely explains the favorable committee vote. No committee transcript is available here, so the record does not show detailed debate, but the near-unanimous committee result suggests broad agreement on the need to strengthen penalties for reckless driving.
Contention
The main points of contention are likely the expansion of felony liability and the use of vehicle seizure and forfeiture as enforcement tools. Critics could object that the bill may sweep in conduct beyond the most extreme cases, especially the provision covering three separate traffic-law violations during one driving episode or operation of an unregistered or uninsured vehicle. Others may raise concerns about forfeiture affecting vehicle owners, lenders, or innocent third parties, although the bill includes procedures for owners and security-interest holders to intervene and an explicit exemption for rental vehicles.
Same As
Establishes the offense of aggravated reckless driving and allows for the seizure and forfeiture of vehicles used in connection with reckless driving or aggravated reckless driving.