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Earlier today, Transportation Alternatives held a press conference at City Hall to call on Mayor Bloomberg to "take control of New York’s streets and establish an effective deterrence against dangerous driving." A report released by the group finds the NYPD largely inadequate when it comes to enforcing traffic laws, and the study, which analyzed data from "known rates of driver infraction and summonsing by the NYPD," includes some troubling stats:
- A driver could speed every day in NYC and get ticketed only once every 35 years.
- Despite the extensive system of 100 red light cameras in New York City, police and cameras catch only 1 out of every 438 red light runners.
- While the number of traffic fatalities caused by speeding rose 11 percent between 2001 and 2006, the number of summons issued for speeding dropped 22 percent during that period.
- A driver could fail to yield (the number two cause of crashes in NYC) every single day and get ticketed only once every 1,589 years.
- While the number of traffic fatalities caused by drivers failing to yield rose 26 percent between 2005 and 2007, the number of summons issued for failing to yield decreased 12 percent during that period.
- Being struck by a car while walking remains the number two cause of injury-related death for New York City adults over 45, second only to an accidental fall, and it's the number one injury-related cause of death for New York City children under 14.
Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, says, "You could drive a car straight through the gaps in NYPD enforcement, and as it turns out, many New Yorkers do. Our study shows what most New York City drivers have already figured out: no one is watching." The report's recommendations are based on the testimony of more than 30 experts in traffic, engineering, law enforcement, safety and public health. They're urging the mayor to create an Office of Road Safety at City Hall in charge of reducing traffic violations, crashes, injuries and fatalities. Anyway, there's a lot to chew over here; download the report to your mobile device so you'll have something to read on the drive home.
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i smell another money grab coming down yonder...
"...something to read on the drive home."
Classic.
one traffic camera that seems to work just fine is the one at 56th or 57th street on the west side highway. those fucking things. They actually increase accidents.
Amazingly enough, you ride your bicycle on the sidewalk, and there they are, waiting to ticket the bicyclist! If only they ticketed... instead you get a SUMMONS and actually have to appear in COURT! INSANITY!
-j
This may not be right, but it seems NYC gets the money for local parking violations (Thus, why we have so many Parking Violation Agents). However, state violations fines (like speeding) goes mostly to Albany.
If this is correct, then NYC is simply rational reacting to perverse economic incentives.
but I wonder how much all the accidents, etc. cost the city? probably a lot... I bet that enforcement would save them some money in fact.
you are probably right about their line of thinking, though. no argument there.
Red light cameras are a revenue generating device, not a safety device. If they were meant to deter people from running red lights, there would be giant signs warning people about the camera and the fine they'll get if they choose to run it anyway.
So screw the cameras and just go with the signs.
That and a few summary executions for offenders should provide the proper incentive for lawful behavior.
How do you figure? Running red lights is illegal, and there shouldn't have to be giant signs reminding people not to break the law.
Also, while red light cameras do generate revenue, they have been proven to reduce the number of *fatal* accidents, especially side-impact crashes. I'd rather have a few more rear-enders and a few less deadly crashes.
follow the dollar. autos also pay tolls and parking garages are good business. bikes, not so much.
and if you want to talk about NYPD highway harassment, try riding a motorcycle.
Co-signed on the motorcycle harassment.
putting traffic cameras everywhere has nothing to do with keeping people safe.
http://www.phantomplate.com/photoblocker.html - $29 and you're invisible.
these "studies" and the pushing for them have more to do with:
1) someone making money off the contract for the cameras whose purchase and maintenance prices are insanely inflated at the tax payers' expense.
2) finding good excuses to slip us into a 'surveillance state' right under our noses.
In fact, these studies are another way to get the general public to beg the powers that be to please submit us to a "surveillance state"**, for the sake of our own safety!
The motives don't necessarily need to be sinister, they can just be purely economical..
No thanks.. I'll keep looking both ways before I cross the street and take my chances.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I walked three miles a day to work and back every weekday for three years. I never once, not once, saw anyone pulled over for the most blatant violations of all traffic laws you could imagine. It's not just car drivers, either - the delivery trucks, city buses and taxis are just as bad if not worse. I've seen red lights run, pedestrians struck (in one case resulting in a death), sidewalks careened onto, road rage spilling into a fist fight in the middle of the street, several minor hit and runs, and some serious car accidents resulting in injury. Every one of these incidents was caused by bad driving. Guess how many cops I saw during that time?
Same here. Every single day I see countless traffic violations and dozens of NYPD officers standing around, but I've NEVER seen anyone pulled over for a traffic violation. Not even once.
This is great, many thanks to Paul and Transalt, exactly the sort of thing I always fantasize about during my daily commute.
This is great, thank you very much TransAlt and Paul for giving voice and statistical backup to the hundreds of letters to editor I always compose in my mind while biking to and from work every day.
keep thinkin' ... those cameras won't make you safer - they would probably put you in more danger:
http://www.motorists.org/blog/red-light-cameras-increase-accidents-5-studies-that-prove-it/
while at the same time making someone (not you or the city) richer.
completely ineffective and wasteful...
hey - have you heard they're also thinking of completely overhauling the MetroCard system to a new system? Yeah, the MetroCard system that cost NYC hundreds of millions of dollars a little more than 10 years ago. check it out..
oops, maybe that's why I never actually write the letters.....
hallelujah!!
thank god someone is drawing attention to this.
this report points out the obvious problems with the safety of our pedestrians, but also shines a welcome light on the wasteful spending on technological aids like red-light cams, money that is apparently doing nothing for the city and could be used to fund NYPD patrols.
hey maybe these cops can do double duty busting jaywalkers!
...like alternating corners could switch it up every half an hour! they could even weld handcuffs affixed to lightposts on every corner!
then, they can pay one cop every ten blocks to walk up and down and run everyone's ID's for warrants, at the very least give everyone a $50 ticket.
errr, i dunno maybe not. where did i get such a far out idea?
http://gothamist.com/2009/07/07/smart_guy_gets_rounded_up_in_late_n.php
i think most real new yorkers know how to cross the street. its the idiots who think they're in downtown minneapolis who kinda ruin if for everyone. that and ipod and phones.
PAY ATTENTION, LOOK BOTH WAYS AND USE YER HEAD AND YOU'LL PROBABLY BE JUST FINE.
"Look both ways"? "Use your head"? I think you're expecting a liiiiittle too much from people. If you haven't noticed by now, people are pretty goddamn stupid nowadays. I don't trust them to be smart, or be considerate of others, let alone follow the law.
We have the laws on the books for a reason. It doesn't matter where the money goes, the laws should be enforced, plain and simple.
i dont wanna pay for those idiots if they can't cross a street. natural selection.
Hear hear. No need for the police to enforce traffic laws of any kind, except those that apply to people who aren't driving.
Carry on, NYPD.
If you want to commit a crime in NYC, do it in a car: it's your pod of non-culpability.
Every single day I consider calling 311 to ask for more cops to patrol my neighborhood. I am terrified of the people who drive around my neighborhood because they seem to have no idea that a speed limit exists, that stop signs exist, that pedestrians exist or even other cars exist. I've seen so many almost accidents occur because apparently drivers think that stop signs are merely suggestions. I really don't think I should fear for my life in the 3 blocks it takes to walk from the subway to my apartment, yet I do.