Drivers will soon be looking at lower speed limits in four New York City neighborhoods as authorities implement new “regional slow zones” with the goal of reducing traffic accidents. According to a report on Gothamist.com, the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) has said speed limits will drop to 20 mph in Dumbo, Brooklyn; Broad Channel, Queens; St. George, Staten Island; and across all of City Island in the Bronx.
A Measure to Reduce Reckless Driving
These changes come in the wake of Sammy’s Law, a state law that took effect in October, granting the city greater authority to lower speed limits. The legislation is named after 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein who was killed in a pedestrian accident after a driver struck him on Prospect Park West in 2013. New York City launched the first regional slow zone in Lower Manhattan last year. These new zones will be first implemented in the outer boroughs. DOT will begin to publicly notify community boards this month with a 60-day comment period before final implementation.
Residents say they are hopeful the new measure will reduce accidents, especially at pedestrian crossings. Residents and safety advocates agree that reckless driving is a citywide issue that has caused fatal pedestrian accidents to surge. In addition to these regional slow zones, transportation officials said they have already lowered speed limits at 70 locations since the fall. By the end of 2025, the city is planning to implement speed-limit reductions in 250 locations, especially near schools. Sammy’s Law allows the city to reduce speed limits to 10 mph in areas that are undergoing safety-related redesign.
Excessive Speed and Pedestrian Accident Deaths
Excessive speed is one of the leading causes of pedestrian fatalities, significantly increasing both the likelihood and severity of accidents. When a vehicle is traveling at high speeds, the driver has less time to react to obstacles, including pedestrians crossing the road. Studies show that a pedestrian hit by a car traveling at 20 mph has a high survival rate, but at 40 mph or higher, the chances of death rise dramatically.
Speeding also reduces the effectiveness of braking systems, making it difficult for drivers to stop in time to avoid a collision. In urban areas where pedestrians and vehicles frequently interact, excessive speed is especially dangerous because sudden stops or quick maneuvers may not be possible. Also, speeding drivers often fail to notice pedestrians in crosswalks or at intersections, leading to deadly accidents.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident or bicycle 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.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families should remember that they can seek compensation for injuries or losses in collisions even if the victim was not walking in a marked crosswalk and even if the driver involved in collision was not charged. Our law firm recovered the full one-million-dollar insurance policy for a girl who was not in the crosswalk when a motor vehicle hit her.
For over 53 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. We 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 $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, 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.
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Source: https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-to-lower-speed-limits-to-20-mph-in-4-outer-borough-neighborhoods