As traffic has almost vanished on New York City streets during the coronavirus pandemic, The New York Times reports that some drivers have responded by speeding on open roadways. The article states that the empty streets have also brought out motorcycle gangs and extreme bikers doing wheelies and stunts in lanes of traffic. Neighbors say the sounds of racing cars and motorcycles on the Belt Parkway in Bay Ridge have become a scary reality.
The numbers back this up. Even with far fewer vehicles on the streets, New York City’s automated speeding cameras have issued almost twice as many speeding tickets daily. On March 27, there were 24,765 speeding tickets sent out compared to the 12,672 tickets issued a month earlier, city data shows. Rush-hour traffic speeds have increased significantly on the city’s highways as well.
Cause for Concern
The average speed from to 4 to 7 p.m. increased 85 percent in Brooklyn to 46 mph, the Times reports. In Queens, it rose 84 percent to 49 mph and in the Bronx, 58 percent to 45 mph. These numbers came from INRIX, a transportation analytics company. The fastest average speed in Staten Island was 58 mph and even the slowest average speed, 25 mph in Manhattan, was up 49 percent.
City officials say they have been extremely concerned by a spate of high-speed traffic accidents. With emergency rooms that are already crowded with COVID-19 patients, officials say drivers should give more thought to their fellow New Yorkers and slow down. In Midtown Manhattan, fast luxury cars have been seen speeding, running red lights and weaving recklessly along empty stretches, residents in these neighborhoods told the Times. One driver almost totaled his sports car after crashing into several parked vehicles in Hell’s Kitchen.
Citywide, three more people have been killed in car accidents this year as of April 14 compared with the same period last year. NYPD officials say they have increased patrols and speed-radar enforcement along some highways and have deployed hundreds of officers to locations known for speeding drivers. They have also posted highway safety signs. Officials say they are focusing on combating speed on highways and roadways where vehicles are most likely to encounter pedestrians and bicyclists as well as first responders, food delivery workers and other essential employees.
Reckless Driving and Car Accidents
Reckless driving is the most common cause of car accidents in New York City that result in major injuries and fatalities. Drivers who speed, or drive while distracted and/or impaired, drivers who fail to yield the right of way or run red lights and stop signs pose a definite danger to other road users and have the potential to cause not just vehicle-related accidents, but also pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents. Negligence (carelessness) is a factor in a majority of car accidents occurring in the city, leading to fatal injuries or those that prove disabling for victims.
In such cases, the at-fault driver may face charges and penalties. In addition, he or she can be held financially liable for the injuries, damages and losses caused. Injured victims of car accidents can seek compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, cost of rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car 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 over 49 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 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.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/nyregion/coronavirus-nyc-speeding.html