As the number of traffic accident fatalities and injuries continues to increase in
New York City, the calls for better legislation to make our roads safer are growing louder. Last week, Mayor Bill de Blasio voiced his support for the Crash Victims Rights and Safety Act – a bundle of eight bills making its way through the state legislature and designed to curb the number of injuries and fatalities from traffic accidents in New York.
The mayor’s support comes at a time when traffic accident fatalities are on the rise across all city boroughs. The bills were announced after the funeral of NYPD Officer Anastasios Tsakos who was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver on the Long Island Expressway last month. So far, in 2021 alone, the city has seen 70 traffic fatalities, which is a 27% increase over the 55 deaths recorded by this time in 2020.
What is the Crash Victims Rights and Safety Act?
Here are some of the highlights of what is included in the Crash Victims Rights and Safety Act:
Victim Bill of Rights: This bill would make it relatively easier for crash victims and their families to get access to police reports, attend and testify at DMV hearings and receive support following a devastating crash. The rights awarded to crash victims would be similar to those granted to victims of crimes through the federal Crime Victims’ Rights Act. If passed, the bill would require that victims receive timely police reports and are guaranteed the right to attend and submit statements at crash-related hearings.
Sammy’s Law: Named after 12-year-old Samuel Cohen Eckstein who was killed by a reckless driver in 2013, this law would allow New York City to lower existing speed limits below the currently-mandated 25 mph or 15 mph in school zones.
Speed cameras: This bill would expand New York City’s school zone speed camera program and allow the city’s speed cameras to operate 24/7 as opposed to the current law that allows the cameras to only be on from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays. The bill would also increase penalties, including a potential license suspension for “extreme repeat offenders.”
Vehicle safety rating: The bill would require the New York State Department of Transportation and the DMV to create a safety rating system accounting for the risks each vehicle poses to pedestrians and bicyclists. These new ratings would be required to be prominently displayed when purchasing a vehicle and would be listed on a state website.
“Rule of two”: Right now, for prosecutors to prove that a driver acted recklessly in a fatal crash, they must prove that the driver committed at least two moving violations, for example, speeding and failure to yield. This bill would eliminate this “rule of two” and would replace the term “reckless driving” to “dangerous driving.”
Lowered BAC: The bill would lower the legal blood alcohol (BAC) content limit from 0.08% to 0.05% while also lowering the standard for aggravated driving while intoxicated from .18% to .12%. Proponents of the bill have cited prior research, which shows that the risk of dying in a single-vehicle crash is 21 times higher if the driver had a BAC between 0.05% and 0.079%.
Safe passage for bicyclists: If passed, this bill would require all drivers to provide at least 3 feet of space when passing cyclists and would give prosecutors a clear mechanism to hold drivers accountable should they fail to comply.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
A New York personal injury lawyer who has routinely litigated or settled car accident cases will be an invaluable resource to victims. In such cases, victims may be able to receive compensation including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, cost of rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident or pedestrian accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For nearly 50 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://www.silive.com/news/2021/05/as-traffic-fatalities-climb-whats-in-the-crash-victims-rights-and-safety-act.html