Roger Lane lost his daughter Jodie seven years ago, but instead of taking his family's $6.2 million settlement with Con Ed and continuing on with his life in Texas, he and his family became public safety crusaders whose efforts have made a real difference in the lives of New Yorkers. Lane died of heart disease last month, and New York lost a true friend. more ›

A Queens man and his dog are the latest victims of stray voltage. According to WPIX, 52-year-old James Evans was walking his dog Max in Far Rockaway at 2 p.m. yesterday when he felt a shock. Max managed to pull away after a few yelps, but Evans says he couldn't move. more ›

Where there's winter weather, there's stray voltage! Yesterday a woman was shocked on Broadway at 35th Street in Herald Square. NY1 reports that she felt an electric shock under her foot and was later treated for minor injuries. Con Ed was on the scene and discovered a sewer grate and an FDNY pull box with stray voltage that originated from "a manhole at the southeast corner where an underground cable had energized the grate and the pull box." (Four others—including a Post reporter—were also shocked nearby.) Here's a map of stray voltage that's been found in the five boroughs; the area where the woman was shocked has had 163 incidents of stray voltage found, with 10 potentially lethal at 50 or more volts. more ›

While electric shocks reaching through the sidewalk pavement can happen during any season — a Post reporter's dog died in June 2007, another shocked in August — most incidents take place during the winter months. This is because wet and salt-covered sidewalks can conduct stray electricity from underground utilities. more ›

These maps are sort of terrifying, no? The Jodie S. Lane Public Safety Foundation, named for the woman who was electrocuted to death in the East Village five years ago, has created a website that tracks and logs all incidents of stray voltage found by Con ED since January 2004. CityRoom reports that "It maps the location of more than 31,900 objects, like fences, manholes and sidewalks, that have been electrified by stray voltage and 930 shocks of people or pets that have been recorded during that period." more ›

With pedestrians and puppies getting electrocuted all over the city, a website has finally launched mapping hot zones. more ›

New Yorkers can walk the streets--and their pets--with renewed confidence this winter. Con Ed is reporting that one's chance of electrocution via stray voltage is down more than 20%, based upon their most recent survey. Of course, being electrocuted while walking around is a very remote possibility, although it does happen, especially in winter, when salt water and slushy water become simultaneously a corrosive agent and an effective conductor of electricity. The utility recorded only 295 accounts of people being shocked last year, versus 378 the prior year. That's a 22% reduction. more ›