Traffic violence claimed the life of a 9-year-old child in Brooklyn, New York last week, when the driver of an SUV turned into a driveway and hit the boy, Young An Li, on the sidewalk. According to the New York Daily News, the incident occurred in Sheepshead Bay at approximately 2:35pm on Friday, September 16th. […]
Wrongful Death
Brooklyn Construction Worker Killed by Falling Excavator Arm
A tragic construction accident in Brooklyn took the life of a 46-year-old worker last week. According to a report by the New York Post, the worker “was standing” at the worksite, at 1 Java Street in Greenpoint, when a 2,000-pound excavator arm fell on top of him. Police told reporters that the worker was found […]
Report: SUV With 168 Violations Hits, Kills Bronx Woman
A New York City woman died last week after the driver of an SUV jumped the curb and struck her, impaling her on a metal fence. According to media reports, the 59-year-old Bronx resident, Paulina Nrecaj, was taken to a local hospital, where she died after surgery. “She was a good, sweet woman,” her daughter […]
New York Lawmakers Propose New Drunk Driving Penalties
Newly proposed legislation in both New York’s Assembly and Legislature would require people convicted of drunk driving incidents that resulted in the death of a custodial parent to make child support payments until the victim’s child (or their children) reach 18 years old. According to a recent report by Streetsblog, New York State Senator Andrew […]
Report: Maternal Deaths 4-5 Times More Common Among Black Mothers
Black mothers are significantly more likely to die from “pregnancy-related causes” than white, Hispanic, and Asian women, according to a recent report by Newsday. Citing an analysis of data provided by the New York State Department of Health, the report states specifically that Black mothers are “four to five” more times likely to die of such […]
Construction Industry Leaders Discuss Fall Prevention
Data provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the US Department of Labor, shows that out of 1,008 construction worker fatalities in 2020, 351 resulted from fatal falls to a lower level, making falls the leading cause of construction worker fatalities. However, OSHA stresses, “These deaths are preventable.” In a recent webinar described […]
NHTSA Launches Car Heatstroke Prevention Campaign
A new campaign by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, a division of the US Department of Transportation, encourages parents and other caregivers to make sure they don’t leave young children in their cars during the hot spring and summer months. As a press release by the NHTSA explains, the “Look Before You Lock” initiative coincided with […]
Does Highway Safety Signage Actually Reduce Car Crashes?
A new study suggests that some measures intended to reduce traffic accidents may have the counterintuitive effect of increasing them. According to a recent report by the Los Angeles Times, researchers at the University of Minnesota and the University of Toronto looked at the impact of highway safety signage in Texas—specifically, signs displayed every January notifying drivers of […]
Data: 2022 Another Deadly Year on NYC Streets
The first three months of 2022 were the deadliest on New York City’s street since former mayor Bill de Blasio launched the Vision Zero plan to eliminate traffic violence in 2014, according to data analyzed by Transportation Alternatives. During those months, 59 people lost their lives in motor vehicle accidents, a figure that represents a 44% […]
How Can Pedestrians Stay Safe on Increasingly Dangerous Roads?
In 2019, a pedestrian was killed in a motor vehicle accident every 85 minutes in the US, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A resource provided by the agency, a division of the US Department of Transportation, offers information, analysis, and essential tips regarding pedestrian safety. The NHTSA maintains safety recommendations for both drivers and […]
Reports: NYPD Van Driver Strikes, Kills Pedestrian in Brooklyn
An NYPD driver struck and killed a pedestrian in Brooklyn last week, according to a recent report by the New York Post, which states that the 53-year-old pedestrian “was believed to be homeless and panhandling” in the painted central median of Eastern Parkway. The driver was at the wheel of a police van that was reportedly […]
Report: NYC Construction Incidents Fall, Deaths Rise
The New York City Department of Buildings released its second annual Construction Safety report last week. Among other things, the DOB revealed that building construction-related incidents fell for the third year in a row in 2021; at the same time, construction-related injuries and fatalities slightly increased. As the report explains, building construction-related incidents fell 10% in 2021 […]
NHTSA Launches Automated Safety Tech Media Campaign
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a federal agency that writes and enforces motor vehicle safety standards, has announced a new media campaign to educate drivers about “the safety benefits of advanced driver-assistance technologies in newer vehicles.” According to a press release issued by the agency, the yearlong campaign will involve $1.25 million in spending […]
Report: Last Month was the Deadliest February in NYC Since 2008
A new report by safe streets advocacy group Transportation Alternatives found that February 2022 was “the deadliest February in New York City since at least 2008,” with 23 car crash-related fatalities. The organization’s analysis of traffic violence data show that reckless driving is still on the rise in New York City by multiple metrics, in particular red […]
Suspect Arrested in Fatal Brooklyn Hit-and-Run
The driver who allegedly struck and killed a Brooklyn schoolteacher while speeding in May 2021 had two driving-related incidents in his past. As Streetsblog reported last week, the New York Police Department has said it arrested and charged the suspect, Tariq Witherspoon, a 30-year-old EMT “who hit and seriously injured a cyclist in 2017,” two years after he allegedly “allowed an […]
After Deadly Accident, City Plans to Make Queens Intersection Safer
The New York City Department of Transportation has pledged to make improvements to a Queens intersection that has seen numerous violent and even deadly car crashes in recent weeks. As the Queens Daily Eagle reported, the intersection of Cooper Avenue and Cypress Avenue in Glendale, Queens was the site of a February incident in which a […]
New Yorker Killed by Driver with a Record of Speeding
The SUV driver who stuck and killed 99-year-old Holocaust survivor Jack Mikulincer in Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn earlier this month was the recipient of “10 school-zone speeding tickets and four red-light tickets since 2016,” including six such speeding tickets in 2021, according to a report by Streetsblog. The incident raises questions of what state and city authorities are […]
New York City Traffic Violence Roundup
As reckless driving rises across the nation, New York City has been no exception to the deadly trend. Below is a roundup of recent traffic violence injuries and fatalities in the city. In Park Slope, Brooklyn, a 44-year-old pedestrian was struck while crossing Fourth Avenue near Bergen Street, according to police. The victim was taken […]
Advocates Call for New NYC Mayor to Double Down on Road Safety
A new analysis by Streetsblog identified five “dangerous neighborhoods” for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users for New York’s new mayoral administration to focus on. Noting that there were more traffic fatalities in New York in 2021 than in any other year during the Bill de Blasio administration, the report stressed the need for Mayor Eric […]
Bill de Blasio Leaves Office After Deadliest Year for NYC Streets
Despite his “Vision Zero” campaign to eliminate car crash deaths in New York City, former mayor Bill de Blasio departed office last week with “more traffic fatalities than any other year” in his eight-year administration, according to a report by the New York Post. A total of 266 people lost their lives in traffic violence incidents […]
New York Traffic Violence Roundup
Recent reports by the New York Post highlight a raft of deadly car crashes in New York City in the last few weeks, emphasizing the need for safer streets and more vigorous traffic enforcement. A December 12 notice, for instance, describes a car crash in Long Island last weekend in which the driver of a pickup […]
Study Suggests Car-Caused Ammonia Pollution Worse Than Thought
Recent research suggests that safety regulators may have drastically underestimated the severity of the ammonia emissions produced by cars and other vehicles. According to a report by Streetsblog, it turns out that vehicles may release five times more ammonia than previously believed, a level of pollution primarily affecting cities like New York. As the report describes, ammonia […]
NY Gov. Hochul Endorses Local Speed Camera Control
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently expressed support for measures that would allow New York City to add speed cameras without permission from the state legislature—a move that transit activists and city policymakers have long been advocating for. According to a recent report by StreetsBlog, the governor’s comments came during an event with local publication City & […]
New York City and State Authorities to Huddle over Reckless Driving
A letter obtained by New York City local news publication StreetsBlog reveals that the city’s Department of Transportation Commissioner is pursuing a meeting with the head of the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to discuss solutions to the city’s fatal reckless driving problem. The letter, from DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman to DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder, was sent on October […]
Investigation Raises Questions about NYC’s 311 Program
A sweeping new investigation by StreetsBlog uncovered apparently widespread misconduct connected to New York City’s 311 program, with dangerous and potentially fatal traffic violations left unaddressed by authorities. Drawing on analysis of 26 million complaints filed through the 311 program since 2010, as well as interviews with a range of stakeholders and experts, StreetsBlog found that the New York Police Department […]
