New York City drivers and pedestrians navigate some of the busiest and most congested streets in the country on a daily basis. Cab drivers, bus drivers, commercial trucks, cars, bicyclists and a slew of pedestrians must share the roads as safely as possible. New York traffic law is firmly in place to guide behaviors and keep people safe.
Upon entering office, New York’s new mayor announced his vision for a city free of traffic-related fatalities. Known as Vision Zero, the goal is to completely eliminate deaths on area streets due to traffic accidents. Residents are now getting a view of how this plan may look as it is implemented. In the mayor’s first 40 days in office, a total of 215 tickets have been issued for jaywalking alone. That number is eight times more than the number issued in the same time period a year prior.
Overall traffic tickets appear to be given out at the same rate as a year ago with close to 91,000 tickets being issued in 2014 so far. An article reporting on the city’s traffic ticket status indicated that Manhattan and Brooklyn are taking strong approaches against both scofflaw drivers and jaywalkers in the wake of three pedestrian deaths in only 10 days. One of the deaths involved a person who was jaywalking.
As the city’s effort to reduce vehicular deaths continues, all drivers should be aware while behind the wheel. A ticket can not only result in fines but points on a record and even insurance surcharges. Anyone facing these penalties could discuss them with an attorney to get help.
Source: New York Times, “De Blasio’s Vow to End Traffic Deaths Meets Reality of New York Streets,” David Goodman and Matt Flegenheimer, February 14, 2014