Hard-to-Trace ‘Ghost Cars’ Cost NYC Over $100M in Annual Revenue

A report from the New York City Council reveals that drivers using illegal out-of-state license plates, or those with no license plates at all, are more likely to engage in dangerous driving behaviors. 

Andrew Giambrone outlines the report’s findings in Gothamist, noting that those vehicles have “significantly more” speeding violations in school zones and blocking fire hydrants, and owe roughly 2.5 times more in unpaid fines.

“The report found these ‘ghost cars,’ as they’re commonly called by city officials, make it difficult for authorities to enforce the law because of their harder-to-trace nature. The vehicles also occupy limited parking space and cost the city millions of dollars in lost revenue each year.” Local officials say they are ramping up enforcement efforts, but the problem has proliferated. “The Bronx had the highest concentration of ghost cars, at 30%, followed closely by Brooklyn and Queens, at 28% each. Staten Island and Manhattan had far lower concentrations, at 15% and 1%, respectively, investigators found.”