Killing a Pedestrian Warrants Nary a Slap on the Wrist in NYC

Michael Powell looks at the penalties facing drivers that strike pedestrians and cyclists in New York City, and finds depressingly few repercussions.

1 minute read

September 12, 2012, 6:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj

"In this city of walkers, where we take pride in hoofing it with such a
manic intensity that researchers often find us moving faster than
crosstown buses, striking a pedestrian - or a biker - and driving away
carries few consequences," notes Powell.

"The State Department of Motor Vehicles recorded about 3,000 serious
nonfatal accidents last year in New York City. The city Police
Department's Accident Investigation Squad investigated only 63, or 2
percent of these nonfatal serious crashes, according to the state."

Even as the city continues with one of the most ambitious pedestrian and bicycle safety campaigns in its history, "Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, characteristically, claims to see
no problem. His department is state of the art; the streets get safer
all the time; pedestrian fatalities have dropped 30 percent in the past
decade."

FULL STORY: Reckless Drivers Who Hit People Face Few Penalties in New York

Monday, September 10, 2012 in The New York Times

Government / Politics Transportation New York New York City Bicycle Safety Pedestrian Safety View More

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