Auto Accidents

Published on: April 19, 2014

NYC Zero Vision to reduce traffic fatality and personal injury: After Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn last week, the Grand Concourse in the Bronx will be the second Arterial Slow Zone in the city with speed limited to 25mph

12 people including 7 pedestrians died in auto accidents and many others were injured in speed related crashes along the Bronx Grand Concourse in New York City between 2008 and 2012. Speeding is the main cause of accidents in this dangerous area but this is about to change extremely soon as as officials announced that the the 5.2 miles Bronx corridor will be the second of 25 planned NYC arterial slow zones. The first one was introduced last week on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn.

Starting this month, traffic signals will be synchronized to reduce dangerous speeding, new 25 mph signage will be installed and the NYPD will increase enforcement in this dangerous area of the Bronx.

The arterial slow zone program is one of the 63 measures included in New York Zero Vision Program launched by Mayor de Blasio at the beginning of the year. Throughout the city, arterial roads amount for 15% of the mileage but for 60% of pedestrian fatal accidents.

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Published on: April 19, 2014

In an effort to prevent pedestrian accidents on the Upper West Side NYPD cops will not issue jaywalking tickets anymore but will teach pedestrians how to respect traffic laws

By GGCRBHS&M

After several pedestrians died in traffic accidents on the Upper West Side in NYC, the cops have been cracking down on jaywalkers in sensitive areas such as W. 96th street and Broadway (picture). Earlier this year cops in the neighborhood were instructed to give tickets that could go up to $150 to pedestrians caught jaywalking. The cops went after the pedestrians in such an aggressive way that they ended up knocking down and roughing up an 84 year old man who tried to walk away when the cops were issuing him a ticket. The old man hired a personal injury lawyer who is now suing the city for $5 million.

Last week NYPD Commissioner Bratton told cops to use discretion with the elderly and handicapped and Marion Larin the Captain of the UWS 24th precinct replaced the ticket blitz by an information blitz campaign during which officers will teach jaywalkers to follow the law in order to protect themselves from dangerous traffic accidents.

Young female pedestrian dies after being struck by two yellow cabs in Uptown Manhattan

By GGCRBHS&M

Another pedestrian fatality happened last weekend in New York. A 22 year old woman who was crossing York Ave on the Upper East Side of New York was struck by cab that threw her in the opposite traffic lane where a second cab struck her. She was rushed to the hospital where she died. Read more in the New York Daily News

According to NYC Crash mapper over the last 31 months there were 21 collisions at the location of the accident (EAST 84 STREET and YORK AVENUE). As a results of these collisions 3 pedestrians, 1 bicyclist and 1 motorist suffered personal injury. According to locals, the visibility is limited for pedestrians and drivers as York Ave crests at 84th street and declines to 85th street.

Published on: April 17, 2014

Young man suffers severe personal injury in Brooklyn car accident

By GGCRBHS&M

A 32 year old man was critically injured in a bizarre car accident in Brooklyn, NYC, last night. The man was driving in the wrong direction on the road and while he attempted to make a left turn his car overturned.

Adequate tire pressure is essential in preventing motor vehicle accidents but many drivers are not familiar with the Tire Pressure Warning icon

By GGCRBHS&M

To prevent vehicle accidents related to inadequate tire pressure, since 2008 all vehicles in the US are equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). If the icon on the left is appearing on a car dash board it means that the pressure in the tires has reached a dangerous level and action is required by the driver. Unfortunately according to a recent consumer study 42% of drivers don’t know what this icon means, additionally 10% of drivers ignore the warning and continue to drive.

Published on: March 31, 2014

Speed cams cut out of final New York State budget deals a blow to vision zero plan to reduce traffic fatalities in NYC

By GGCRBHS&M

Speeding is the leading cause of traffic accident deaths in New York City but the 160 new speed cameras requested by New York City Mayor De Blasio as part of the Vision Zero action plan have been denied by Albany. Also denied were speed cameras for Nassau County, Long Island.

The installation of new speed cameras are part of De Blasio’s Vision Zero plan to reduce traffic fatalities. According to the Vision Zero action plan, previous studies in other cities such as Washington DC show that fatalities have been reduced by 20% at intersections where speed cameras were installed.

There is still hope that New York may get new speed cameras though. A bill from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver would make up for much of what was lost in budget negotiations, bringing speed cams to Long Island and expanding NYC’s automated speed enforcement program by 120 cameras. With Silver sponsoring this bill, it should pass the Assembly. The question is whether it will also find a champion in the State Senate majority. Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein led the push to create NYC’s school zone speed cam program after Senator Marty Golden stymied automated speed enforcement in last year’s budget.

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Published on: March 31, 2014

Only 90 days in jail for a hit and run driver who was drunk and had smoked marijuana when he struck a 23 year old pedestrian causing his death in the Bronx, NYC

By GGCRBHS&M

Seth Johnson was drunk and high on marijuana when he struck and killed 23 year old Thomas Riley, a pedestrian who was hailing a cab on the side of Fordham Road in the Bronx, NYC in 2011. He was initially charged with drunk driving, leaving the scene of an accident and criminally negligent homicide but a jury acquitted him of all charges except drunk driving for which he will receive 90 days in jail with 3 years probation.

Taxi and Limousine Officer suffers personal injury after being struck and dragged on the street by hit and run limo driver

By GGCRBHS&M

A TLC officer suffered cuts and lacerations after a limo driver who struck her and dragged her down the street before fleeing the scene near the Jamaica Station Long Island Rail Road. The lieutenant and a co-worker were hunting for limo drivers who illegally pick up passengers in this busy area. As the lieutenant approached a black limousine to question the driver, he just backed up with the passenger door open, striking the female lieutenant and dragging her on the ground before speeding from the scene. The police are still looking for the negligent driver.

Published on: March 28, 2014

Vision Zero Forum: better traffic crash data for New York will be available soon according to NYPD

By GGCRBHS&M

New York Motor vehicle accident data that are made available to the public are not detailed and difficult to analyze. Recently at a Vision Zero Town Hall at John Jay College, the NYPD Chief of Transportation Thomas Chan told Streetblog that better information regarding traffic accidents will soon be available on the Vision Zero website.

Other subjects discussed during the meeting included:

– collaboration between the police and the DOT to educate the public about street safety

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Published on: March 26, 2014

Several people injured after Brooklyn police officer who lost control of his vehicle in a car chase crashed into a van transporting other police officers

By GGCRBHS&M

Several people suffered personal injury in a Brooklyn car accident during which a police officer who was chasing another car lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a van. According to the New York Daily News, the van was transporting other police officers. The collision was so violent that both vehicles burst into flames. People living nearby who ran to the rescue were able to pull the officers out of the vehicles.

Police chases in a busy urban area such as NYC are very dangerous. At the beginning of the months 7 people were injured a car accident related to a police chase (see previous blog)

Photo: New York Daily News