Traffic Accidents

August 26, 2021

Electric Scooters Come to the Bronx, with Safety Concerns in Tow

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

Concerns emerge for the safety of motorists and pedestrians in New York City as scooter companies begin to launch their new electric scooter sharing program.

The launch of a new electric scooter sharing program in New York City has raised concerns about safety issues for motorists and pedestrians. According to a report by The Verge, scooter companies Bird, Lime, and VeroRide have installed one thousand scooters per company in the East Bronx as part of a pilot program to see how micromobility fares in New York City. As the report notes, however, the city itself may not be prepared. Continue reading

August 25, 2021

New York Officials Call For Increased Speed Camera Enforcement

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

Officials in New York City push for speed cameras to be on 24 hours a day as reckless driving and traffic fatalities continue to increase.

New York City officials are ramping up their advocacy for increased automated traffic enforcement by the city’s speed cameras, according to a recent report by Gothamist. As reckless driving and traffic fatalities increase throughout the city, officials like Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Transportation Commissioner Hank Gutman are arguing that speed cameras be turned on 24 hours a day. Continue reading

August 10, 2021

As Impaired Driving Rises in NYC, Enforcement Drops

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

A report by the New York City Independent Budget Office found that injurious or fatal DWI crashes are rising.

A new report by the New York City Independent Budget Office found that even though impaired driving arrests have decreased in NYC in recent years, there’s been an increase in fatality- or injury-causing crashes by impaired drivers. According to the report, “DWI crashes with injuries or fatalities” increased from a total of 942 in 2015 to a total of 1,234 in 2019. In the same period, arrests for impaired driving declined 40% between 2013 and 2019, from 9,879 to 5,339. Continue reading

August 4, 2021

Study: SUVS May Be Connected to Rising Pedestrian Deaths

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

A new study suggests rising pedestrian deaths are correlated with the increasing popularity of heavy vehicles like SUVs and pickup trucks.

A new study published in the journal Economics of Transportation finds that the rise of “light trucks”—SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks—in the US may be correlated with increases in pedestrian deaths from traffic crashes. According to a report by StreetsBlog, the study found that “as the number of SUVs on the street tripled from 2000 to 2019, pedestrian deaths surged nationwide by 30 percent.” Continue reading

August 3, 2021

Lawmakers Call for National Vision Zero to End Car Crash Deaths

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

A Senator and a House member have introduced a non-binding resolution calling for a national Vision Zero campaign.

Two lawmakers have introduced a resolution that would call for a “National Vision Zero” campaign, according to a recent report by StreetsBlog. Vision Zero is an effort to eliminate traffic fatalities. The resolution, introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Representative Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, calls on Congress and the Department of Transportation to “commit to working together to 6 achieve zero roadway fatalities by the year 2050.” Continue reading

July 27, 2021

Data Shows Drastic Increase in Deadly NYC Traffic Violence

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

New data by Transportation Alternatives shows just how deadly New York City’s streets have been in 2021.

This year may go down in history as one of the most lethal for New York City’s road users. According to recent news reports, the first six months of 2021 have seen more road user deaths than any previous first six months of the year since the beginning of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration.

July 26, 2021

New NYC Bill Would Increase Penalties for E-Bike Hit-and-Runs

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

A new bill proposed by a New York State Senato would increase the penalties for e-bike hit-and-runs.

New York State Senator Liz Krueger, who represents the Upper East Side of Manhattan, has introduced a bill that would “make it a felony for electric-vehicle riders to crash into someone and leave the scene,” according to a report by Steetsblog. The bill joins another proposal by State Senator Brad Hoylman of the Upper West Side which would increase penalties for hit-and-run incidents that involve e-scooters; one chief difference between the two is that Krueger’s bill includes pedal-assist Citibikes.

June 29, 2021

Studies Reveal Sobering Traffic Violence Stats

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

New research shows that deadly traffic violence disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.

New data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Governors Highway Safety Association revealed that Black and Indigenous road users are disproportionately affected by traffic violence. According to a recent analysis by StreetsBlog, GHSA research found that from 2015 to 2019, “per-capita traffic death rates for American Indian and Alaskan natives were more than two and a half times those of the population overall — and nearly three times those of White people across all modes.” The research also found that Black road users (a term that encompasses motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians) experience “the second highest rate” of per-capita traffic deaths, or roughly 18% more than the rest of the population. Continue reading

June 21, 2021

Reports Describe Hit-and-Runs in New York City

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

A cyclist was recently killed in New York City in an accident near the Bronx River Parkway.

Recent news reports describe two hit-and-runs in New York City in the last few months, one of which killed a cyclist in the Bronx. According to StreetsBlog, the cyclist was on Southern Boulevard in Bronx Park when he was hit by the driver of a Mercedez Benz apparently attempting to overtake him “at an apparent high rate of speed” near the Bronx River Parkway on-ramp around 11:20pm last Friday. StreetsBlog reports that the driver struck the cyclist from behind, “sending him flying backwards, first into the windshield of the Benz, and then onto the pavement.” Continue reading

June 16, 2021

Car Crash Legislation Stalls in New York Assembly

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

New York’s State Assembly declined to vote on several pieces of street safety legislation before ending their session.

The New York Sate Assembly failed to pass street safety legislation before ending its legislative session last week. As StreetsBlog reports, even though the State Senate passed a bill empowering New York City to determine its own speed limits, the Assembly declined to hold a vote on the bill. State lawmakers could still call a special session to vote on the legislation.

The bill that passed the State Senate, “Sammy’s Law,” did so by a 54-59 vote. The legislation is named for Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old “killed by a reckless driver in Brooklyn in 2013,” according to StreetsBlog. Senator Brad Hoylman sponsored the bill, which would reassign power to set New York City’s speed limits from the state government to the city government. If the bill is passed, New York City would join municipalities like Portland and Cambridge in gaining control over their own speed limits. In a statement about the bill, he said: “Sammy’s Law is a monumental piece of legislation that will make our streets safer for decades to come. As New York City is in the midst of a crisis of vehicular violence, it makes absolutely no sense that Albany has control over the City’s speed limits.”