The New York City Department of Transportation (NYDOT) recently announced that it would be joining forces with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to launch the “LOOK” Safety Campaign targeting distracted drivers.
Our New York City accident lawyers understand just how serious the distracted driving problem has become. And it only seems to be getting worse. Officials with the USDOT say that there were close to 3,100 people killed and another 420,000 injured in distracted driving car accidents in 2010 nationwide.
New York City alone saw more than 40 of these fatalities. Many of these fatalities could have been prevented with more driver awareness. Not only is talking on a cell phone and text messaging illegal, but it’s dangerous. Drivers are asked to keep the phone calls and the text messages out of the driver’s seat. If you have business to attend to, you better pull over to a safe spot and then handle it.
These kinds of accidents persist even though using a cell phone behind the wheel is illegal in the State of New York. If you’re busted doing so, you face a fine of up to $100 and points on your driver’s license. To say nothing of your increased risks for a traffic accident.
The new campaign will help to put “LOOK” pavement markings on crosswalks to remind pedestrians to look both ways for vehicles before crossing the street. And to remind motorists to watch for pedestrians at these marked intersections.
For pedestrian traffic it’s critical that you are aware of your surroundings, especially when walking through the city.
There will also be ads located on MTA and NYC buses. The ads will have eyes plastered on the sides of buses and will remind drivers to “Drive smart/LOOK!” Also included on these ads is the frightening statistic that more than 55 percent of traffic accident deaths in New York City involve pedestrians. As a matter of fact, about 50 percent of all New York walkers that died in traffic accidents were hit by cars in a crosswalk when they had a green light.
The campaign was officially kicked off at the intersection of 42nd Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan. This is one of the dozens of areas where the ad with the displayed. They will also appear in more than 100 intersections around the city.
“New Yorkers are driven to distraction with their smart phones, and the simple act of looking can prevent thousands of crashes and injuries every year,” said Sadik-Khan, the NYCDOT Commissioner.
Last year, more than 9,000 pedestrians were injured in New York City accidents. A majority of these accidents were caused by distracted drivers.
The campaign started back in 2006 to help to keep all travelers safe, but focuses on pedestrian and bicyclist traffic.
If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Rose, PLLC for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call 1-877-313-7673.
More Blog Entries:
Bad Drives in NYC Don’t Need a Cell Phone, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, September 9, 2012
More Slow Zones for NYC, Helping to Protect Pedestrians, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, August 26, 2012
