Traffic Justice
Streetsblog Basics
Over Three Months Later, NYPD Still Withholding Raulston Crash Info
With at least six crashes leaving three injured and two pedestrians and a cyclist dead, it has been a particularly hellish week to walk and bike the streets of New York. And while information about such incidents is vital to making conditions safer and preventing future fatalities, NYPD continues to withhold crash reports from the public.
April 15, 2010
State’s Top Court Sets Precedent to Hold Dangerous Drivers Accountable
When does just plain bad driving cross the line and become criminally negligent driving? According to the State of New York, almost never. As advocates and legal experts will tell you, our laws make it notoriously difficult to bring appropriate charges against those who cause serious injury or death with their cars. But a decision [PDF] handed down by the state Court of Appeals should give prosecutors an important new tool.
April 12, 2010
On American Streets, “Freak Accidents” Are Freakishly Common
This week Sarah has pointed to two bloggers making the case for the removal of both "avid cyclist" and "alternative transportation" from the livable streets lexicon. When it comes to media write-ups of traffic crashes, we nominate "freak accident" to the list of terms slated for obsolescence.
March 23, 2010
NYPD Kisses the Blarney Stone After Ray Kelly Saves the Day
We couldn't help notice that, while police information czar Paul Browne was seemingly chatting up every media outlet in town about his boss coming to the aid of a fallen pedestrian this week, we were adding two letters to our stack of NYPD freedom of information rejections.
March 19, 2010
Bill Targeting Drivers With Suspended Licenses Gains Steam
Last January, Alexander Aponte struck and killed nine-year-old Ibrihim Ahmed in Ozone Park while driving with a suspended license. He was charged with a misdemeanor -- driving without a license -- that carried a maximum penalty of $500 and/or 30 days in prison. The Queens DA's office said prosecutors couldn't levy more serious charges unless Albany rewrote the laws.
March 15, 2010
Months After Traffic Deaths, NYPD Denies Access to Crash Information
At the beginning of the year, Streetsblog embarked on a project we hope will shed light on city pedestrian and cyclist fatalities that appear to have been written off as blameless "accidents." To date, we have filed freedom of information requests with NYPD pertaining to 10 pedestrian deaths, and will be reporting on the progress of those requests, along with those submitted in the future.
March 11, 2010
Albany to Drunk Drivers: We’ll Go Easy on You
While traffic safety proponents and law enforcers are pushing for measures to clamp down on unlicensed driving, some state legislators want to keep accused drunk drivers on the road.
February 25, 2010
Strict Liability: Civil Law for Civil Streets
Yesterday we highlighted a Bob Mionske column that eloquently lays out inherent biases common in U.S. traffic codes and proposes measures we can take to start correcting them. One of them is strict liability, which generally assigns responsibility for a collision to the operator of the vehicle likely to do the most damage (just as motorists are expected to look out for cyclists, cyclists must look out for pedestrians).
February 9, 2010
Mionske: Vulnerable User Laws a First Step Toward True Traffic Justice
In the second installment of his two-part "traffic injustice" series (here's part one), cycling attorney Bob Mionske covers a lot of ground. While much of it will lead Streetsblog readers to nod in knowing agreement, what struck us is the way Mionske exposes how a transportation system so dominated by multi-ton vehicles has basically absolved drivers of responsibility when it comes to interactions with actual people.
February 8, 2010
DA Begins Inquiry Into NYPD-Involved Pedestrian Fatality
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance's office is beginning an inquiry into the collision that killed Karen Schmeer last Friday,
and expects to review all circumstances leading up the crash, according to a spokesperson. Witnesses
cited by the Daily News say cops pursued three men suspected of petty theft at an Upper West
Side pharmacy before the getaway driver hit Schmeer at Broadway and 90th Street. The man suspected of driving the car that struck Schmeer has been charged with second degree murder.
February 5, 2010