Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced an inter-agency project that’s working to implement “Vision Zero”, a plan to help to prevent traffic fatalities in New York City.
According to the City of New York, the Department of Transportation, the New York Police Department, the Taxi & Limousine Commission and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene have all been charged with creating a comprehensive blueprint to help reduce the risk of traffic collisions for everyone. Thus far, this year, there have been more than 10 people die in New York accidents — seven of them pedestrians.
The report will ultimately get released to the public and will be used to form the “Vision Zero” initiative. The plan will work to reduce traffic accident fatalities over the next decade. Unfortunately, being hit by a vehicle continues to be the number one cause of death among children under the age of 14 and also the second-leading cause of fatalities related to injuries for senior citizens.
“From tougher enforcement to more safely-designed streets and stronger laws, we’ll confront this problem from every side–and it starts today,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The group is working to solidify plans to:
-Make sure that enough New York Police Department (NYPD) personnel and resources are used to fight dangerous driving behaviors, focusing on drivers who speed and those who fail to yield to pedestrians.
-Help to improve the conditions to at least 50 of the city’s most dangerous intersections and corridors.
-Expand the number of zones across the city with a 20 mile per hour speed limit.
-Push a traffic safety agenda, including a new home rule on the use of traffic cameras so the cit can help to enact more red-light and speed-enforcement cameras based on which areas need them the most.
Immediate measures:
-Speed cameras in the city will start issuing tickers to help to enforce the current speed limits.
-Officials with the NYPD will be increasing its number of personnel who are assigned to the Highway division. It’s this division that works to fight dangerous driving habits. Since Mayor de Blasio took office, he has increased this division already by 10 percent, with an overall increase goal by 50 percent.
-Mayor de Blasio will also be meeting personally with victims’ families who have lost their loved ones in these kinds of accidents to help to recruit their support for the new plan.
Traffic crashes cost the City’s economy $4.29 billion annually. Pedestrians are some of the most vulnerable travelers out there. As a matter of fact, pedestrians are 10 times more likely to die than a motor vehicle occupant in the event of a crash.
For several years now, DOT has been out ahead of other city agencies on traffic safety policy. Now we’re seeing the beginnings of the multi-agency collaboration that will be needed to achieve major, sustained reductions in traffic deaths.
The Law Offices of Nicholas Rose, PLLC offers free consultations to accident victims. Call 1-877-313-7673 to speak with someone about your case!
More Blog Entries:
WalkNYC Stepping in to Reduce Pedestrian Injuries, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, October 15, 2013
Pedestrian Risks in NYC an Urgent Safety Focus, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, September 26, 2013
