Traffic Justice Legislation gains momentum

A flurry of legislative activity is taking place in Albany, to improve safety or ensure proper penalties for careless driving – not a minute too soon.

• S7481-2011 & A7737A-2011 has been introduced in the Senate. This bill would allow the installation of Speed Cameras to enforce the speed limits in New York City . These cameras would work like the red light cameras currently installed. A 10 miles per hour increase in speed  reduces the chances of survival from 50% to 10%.  Speed is the number one cause of traffic severe injuries or deaths in New york City, more that drunken driving.  CHEKPEDS is part of the city wide  “Stop Speeding Coalition”  lead by Transportation Alternatives which has been working tirelessly on this issue for more than one year.

•  S2918/A3350 introduced  by Senator Golden  has passed the Senate: This law would increase the penalties for drivers who leave the scene of an accident without stopping and/or reporting it from a Class A Misdemeanor to a Class E Felony.This legislation would also increase penalties from a Class E Felony to a Class D Felony for repeat offenders and hit and run drivers who injure others. Drivers who flee from the scene of an accident where someone was killed would face Class C Felony charges under the proposed law. This legislation was passed by the State Senate last year but failed in the State Assembly. Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn) is the Assembly sponsor.
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• Legislation pending in Albany would amend Hayley and Diego’s Law by making clear that officers may issue tickets for careless driving whether or not they observe an infraction. Meanwhile, thousands of pedestrians and cyclists are injured in traffic every year with barely any repercussions for motorists. Though the department’s prohibition on careless driving citations does not apply to the Accident Investigation Squad — the 19-officer unit assigned to conduct full-scale investigations in instances where someone dies or is believed likely to die — NYPD rarely employs VTL 1146 to assign responsibility to drivers who injure and kill. Read the full article