The Department of Transportation hosted a citywide “Day of Awareness” on Wednesday to remind New Yorkers that speed cameras will be on 24/7 in the five boroughs starting next Monday.

Previously, speed cameras were only on between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays because of state law. But DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said that window misses most of the speed-related incidents in the city.

“We have 65,000 crashes every year in the city. Most of them are the result of reckless drivers,” Rodriguez said.

“In any location, when most crashes happen, it's from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. when the speed cameras were off,” he added.

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill that approved the plan to turn speed cameras on 24/7 last month.

It comes amid several overnight accidents due to speeding in the five boroughs, with one this month killing three teenagers in Staten Island.

Speed camera tickets are issued to those driving more than more than 10 mph above the limit and cost $50, regardless of speed or whether it was a repeat offense, according to the DOT. Summons issued by police officers, comparatively, depend on the driver’s speed and prior record, and can cost between $90 and $600 for first offenders speeding more than 10 mph above the limit in a school speed zone, plus an additional $88 state surcharge, the DOT said.

According to the DOT, more than half of vehicles that received one violation in 2021 did not receive a second. 

“We can be a role model to the whole nation,” Rodriguez said. “Still, today, New York City is the safest one for pedestrian and cyclist safety, but we are losing too many lives. So the message to the drivers is, ‘Please, be a part of the solution. Drive on the speed limit.’”