Epidemic of don’t give a damn drivers

MORE THAN 1,100 times a day, cars with five or more traffic camera violations blow through red lights or race through school zones in the Big Apple, a city controller’s report says.

The sickening stats included in the analysis of speed and red-light camera violations illustrate an epidemic of menacing drivers who have little regard for traffic laws and public safety.

In the past 26 months alone, more than 121,000 cars have received more than five tickets for speeding near schools and running red lights, according to Controller Scott Stringer’s report, which will be released on Tuesday.

There are 24 cars that have more than 50 camera violations — and 488 that have between 26 and 50 infractions, the report says. “This analysis is shocking, outrageous, and almost unbelievable,” Stringer said. “If your car has more than 50 violations near a school, or dozens of tickets for running red lights, you shouldn’t be on the road. Yet our government is letting it happen.”

The Daily News reported last week that the car with the most violations since 2016 is a gray 2008 Hyundai with 75 — 74 of them for racing through school zones. Yet the Hyundai’s owner — like the owner of any other car that gets a red-light or speed camera violation — only has to worry about paying a $50 fine because of a loophole in the law.

The cameras snap pics and issue tickets to owners of the cars, but the city doesn’t log the violation with the state Department of Motor Vehicles. In contrast, a police officer who pulls over a car for a traffic violation can ticket the driver. The DMV can suspend the driver’s license after two or three tickets.

In the past 26 months, 99,896 camera violations went to passenger vehicles, according to Stringer’s report. For-hire cars received 11,905 and commercial vehicles have gotten 4,525, the controller’s report said.

Stringer called for a unified standard for scofflaw drivers, by making camera violations lead to points on the licenses of drivers listed as the owners of vehicles. He also called for more red-light and speed cameras.

“These gaps must be closed,” he said. “This report must serve as a clarion call for change, because if we fail to act on these findings, we will no doubt experience more tragedy.”

The News reported last week that several bills in the state Legislature aim to end the loophole.

Mayor de Blasio also called on Albany on Thursday to crack down on bad drivers.The mayor made the plea to the Legislature after driver Dorothy Bruns plowed into two families in Park Slope, killing a 1-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl. Previously, Bruns’ car blew four red lights and sped through four school zones.

Investigators say she suffered a seizure before the crash.